What is your program?
Girls on the Run of Greater Summit is a life-changing, character development program for 3rd - 8th grade girls in the Greater Summit area. We use exercise, positive reinforcement, and encouraging role models to provide girls with the confidence they need in those critical pre-teen years. Each hour-long lesson combines running and walking games with various life skills, including healthy eating, leadership, setting goals, cooperation and other age-appropriate topics. At the end of the season, all local girls come together for their very own 5k run/walk!

 

Do girls need to like running to sign up for the program?
No, we are not a typical track program. We encourage our girls to run, walk, hop, skip and jump throughout practice and all the way to the finish line. Because our program is non-competitive, we attract girls of all shapes, sizes and abilities and just ask them to try their best.

 

How long is your program?
Our 10-week programs meet twice per week for 1 hour at various locations around the area. Our fall season runs from September through late November, and our spring season runs from March through May. At the end of both seasons, there is a 5k run/walk for all the girls in the local area.

 

Do you have a summer program?
No, at the moment we do not offer a summer program.

 

Where are your programs?
We serve the Ohio Counties of Summit, Cuyahoga, Portage & Medina. Our programs take place at a variety of locations around town, including schools, parks, YMCAs and community centers..

 

Who do you serve?
We serve 3rd - 8th grade girls from a variety of backgrounds. Currently, over 65% of our girls receive some level of scholarship to participate.

 

What times do your programs meet?
Most of our programs meet right after-school.

 

What does it cost?
Our programs are offered on a sliding scale fee from $10 - $150 based on the income of the family. This fee includes 20 one-hour uplifting lessons, GOTR t-shirt, healthy snacks after every lesson, water bottle, 5k race registration, race t-shirt, end of the season party, finisher's medal, and more. Our actual cost is $150 per girl, and by offering the program on a sliding scale fee, it allows us to make sure our scholarship dollars are reaching the girls who need it most. It is our policy is to never turn away a girl based on financial need, and we are proud to have a great mix of local girls.

 

What age do girls need to be to participate?
Girls need to be in the 3rd through 8th grades. The Girls on the Run curriculum is for girls in 3rd through 5th grades, and the Girls on Track curriculum is for girls in 6th through 8th grades. This ensures all girls are receiving age-appropriate lessons.

 

Do you have a program for high school girls?
While we do not have a dedicated high school program, we have had great success with having high school girls help with our younger 3rd - 5th grade program. Not only does this build leadership in the older girls, it provides additional positive role models for the younger girls in the program.

 

Is it safe for young girls to run a 5K (3.1 mile) distance?
Yes. The girls are just asked to try their best - which sometimes means hopping, skipping or walking part of the way. We celebrate every girl when she crosses the finish line, regardless of her time. The most important thing is that they set a goal at the start of the season, worked towards it, and eventually accomplish it. According to Dr. Pate at USC's Department of Exercise Science, "The keys are gradual progression and common-sense adult supervision.  If those conditions are met, running 3 miles is a reasonable goal for most young people."

 

Do you have a boys program?
Girls on the Run International piloted a boys program within their Charlotte , NC Council for several years. In early 2005, they made the difficult decision to cancel the pilot program due to lack of interest and to not roll out the boys program to the other councils within the United States. They hope that the support needed to have a successful program will present itself in the future. Girls on the Run International will continue to have Boys on the Run in its long-range plan. It is their wish that one day we will have a program equally as successful for boys as we have for girls.

 

Can my daughter participate if there isn't a Girls on the Run program at her school?
Yes, we currently offer several community sites around town located at  community centers and YMCAs.

 

What is involved in bringing the Girls on the Run program to a new site?
Girls on the Run provides our easy-to-follow national curriculum, all program materials, all incentives for the girls, and coach certification training. We do ask that each location provide at least one coach / site liaison. For more information about what is needed to bring GOTR to your location, see the Bring GOTR to Your Location page.

 

Can my daughter participate in the program again?
Absolutely! The girls have the option to repeat the program season after season. For our younger program, we use Curriculum One in the fall and Curriculum Two in the spring, so the games and activities are unique.

 

Who are the coaches?
All of our coaches are volunteers that want to share their passion for leading a healthy, active lifestyle with young girls today. Like our girls, our coaches are a diverse group, each with unique skills and talents and each focused on providing encouragement and empowerment to these girls. Although not every coach is a runner, they all wish there had been a Girls on the Run program when they were growing up!

 

Do I have to be a runner to get involved with Girls on the Run?
Absolutely not. Our organization depends greatly on all types of volunteers! Even our coaches are not required to be runners. We just look for people that value fitness in their own life and can share that passion and enthusiasm with our girls. In addition to coaching, we are always looking for other volunteers to help in a variety of ways.

 

Do you have to be female to be a coach?
No. While we do ask that the Head Coach of a location be female, other councils have had great success with male Assistant Coaches. The girls seem to value the fact that men care about their health and these issues too. We do ask that all coaches (women and men) recognize that our program is non-competitive and there is a certain amount of silliness required. Whether it is doing the "dead bug" cheer or celebrating with the funky chicken dance, all of our coaches need to be comfortable with having fun!

 

How can I volunteer?
Girls on the Run relies on volunteers to work directly with our girls and coach our programs. In addition to coaching, we have several other volunteer opportunities including: race day event volunteers, office support volunteers, SoleMates participants, Committee members and various other projects. We also have group volunteer opportunities for corporations or organizations. See the Volunteer page for a list of opportunities.

 

What is the coaching commitment?
We ask that all coaches fill out an application, commit to attend the coaching certification training, and be available to coach at least 1 day (preferably 2 days) per week for 12 weeks. Coaches do not need to be runners or have previous coaching experience as they will receive coach training, our well-defined curriculum, and all materials needed to deliver the program. Since the majority of the programs occur in the after-school hours, we are always seeking coaches with flexible afternoon hours between 3pm and 6pm during the week.

 

Do you put on your own 5k race for the girls? Can anyone participate?
We put on our own 5k run/walk for the girls every spring and our race is open to the general public as well. By putting on our own race, we are able to make sure every girl feels special and empowered. We have a theme of "fun" and encourage all families and friends to join the girls as well. In addition to having multiple cheer zones along the course, every girl receives a finisher's medal when she completes the race. Not only are there hundreds of girls doing their first 5k, we have many adults accomplishing their first race too!

In the fall, we select a local 5k run/walk event that will be held near the end of the Girls on the Run Session. We encourage family members to participate with their child or to cheer for her along the route.

 

Are you a local or national organization?
We are a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization affiliated with the Shaw Jewish Community Center of Akron. We are also a local chapter of a national organization, Girls on the Run International. The national organization has over 160 chapters across the U.S. and Canada.