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Date: 8/30/2022
BELCHERTOWN – This fall, the Chestnut Hill Community School is hoping to have a second Girls on the Run team just for sixth graders.
Alison Berman, the Council Director for Girls on the Run Western Mass said, “Belchertown has a team that is open now for third to fifth graders and already has coaches and registration is open. They are also looking to start a team for the sixth graders, but currently do not have coaches for that team.”
She continued, “Our season starts the week of Sept. 12. Coaches don’t have to be runners. We are looking for people who love being with kids and feel comfortable being around them.”
Girls on the Run is a national nonprofit organization that has been around since 1996 inspiring girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum that integrates running. It’s a physical activity-based positive youth development program for grade 3 through grade 8 girls to enhance their social, psychological and physical skills and behaviors so they’ll be able to navigate life experiences successfully.
The program is for 10 weeks with 20 lessons. They meet twice a week, and every lesson has a theme. The girls will learn how to stand up for themselves, how to choose their friends, how to identify emotion and how to express their emotions through interactive activities and running games. At the end of the season, students from all over Western Massachusetts come together to do a 5k. This season, the 5k is set to take place on Nov. 20 at Stanley Park in Westfield.
“It’s really about kids learning to set goals and achieve them,” Berman added. “It’s not about running, it’s more about learning these valuable life skills that will help them everywhere else in their life.”
Girls on the Run Western Massachusetts started in 2015. They have served 7,400 participants in the last seven years and are going into their eighth year. Berman said they will have about 50 teams this fall.
Each team has a minimum of three coaches. All the coaches are volunteers. They’re parents, community members and teachers who get trained to deliver the curriculum. Those interested in coaching should contact Berman at 687-2726 or email alison.berman@girlsontherun.org. You can also visit their website at girlsontherunwesternma.org.
“Our goals are to get coaches and be able to keep offering this great program to the sixth graders,” Berman. “We need people trained before our season begins. We’ve already started coach training.”
Currently, they have two more trainings left, both in Springfield. One on Sept. 1 from 4-9 p.m. and the next will be on Sept. 10 from 9 a.m.- 2 p.m.