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Girls on the Run
Embracing a Positive Life
By Kelly Burgess
When Sidney Povall, currently operations director for the national organization (although she prefers the title Operations Goddess), of Charlotte, N.C., first joined Girls on the Run, it was as a coach. A runner herself, she had heard about it through the local running community and was eager to get involved.
"My job as a coach was mainly to facilitate the program at schools and around the Charlotte area," says Povall. "I worked directly with the girls and really loved it. It was very special."
The end result of the program, which is held in various locations around the world, is to train girls to run a 5K marathon. But there's a lot more to it than that.At the weekly meetings, the girls learn to warm up and cool down properly, they get fit with running activities that are team-based and teach them respect and cooperation.
Povall says that the benefits of a program like this are innumerable. Girls tend to leave the program with a great sense of accomplishment. They feel better about themselves and are better prepared to navigate the social pressures of adolescence.
"The program gives them self-confidence," says Povall. "They build a relationship with other girls and coaches, and they hear those lessons again of how to stand up for themselves and gives them important lessons about positive body image."