Are you interested in getting a Girls on the Run team started at your school or community? We’re here to help! While it can feel overwhelming at first to start a team from scratch, we’re here to help, and have some tips to make the process go as smoothly as possible.
First up, you’ll need to identify your site coordinator (this could be you!). This is the person who will work with the school to get permission to host the program there, and then market the program to the girls in 3rd-5th grades to get them signed up for the team. Our Site Coordinators are parents, coaches, school admin, and community members who are passionate about bringing Girls on the Run to their community! And while we’d love it if you coached your team as well, that is not a requirement.
Next, you’ll need to schedule a safe space for the girls to run. The school track, grassy field, or a nearby park are all great options. Each lesson starts with the team sitting in a circle, and then the workout portion of the lesson is best done in a lap space. The laps can be any distance, as long as it’s clear where the team will be running.
Once you have your meeting space set, it’s time to choose two days a week for your team to meet. We recommend that practices run from 75-90 minutes each session, but aside from that, you can choose the start time and days that work best for you and your community!
After you have all that set, the final step we’ll need from you is to complete a New Site Application so we can get you officially added to our list of sites for the season. We give you all the resources you need to market the program and help girls get signed up. Those materials can be found in our Resource Library. We also have created the Site Coordinator Team Toolkit that you can reference at any point and has all of the checklists and next steps you’ll need to get you started.
As always, we’re here to help every step of the way in getting your team set up! If you have questions, email Katy at [email protected] to get the ball rolling.