Girls on the Run provides girls with life skills needed now more than ever

This paid piece is sponsored by EmBe.

It’s an easy misconception to make. When you hear the program “Girls on the Run,” you assume it’s about running.

“And it’s so much more,” said Allison Sinning, Girls on the Run council director at EmBe.

Sinning isn’t a runner, either.

She discovered the girls empowerment program somewhat accidentally, when a girl she mentored in her hometown of Lennox asked her to run a 5K together.

“I thought it was just a regular 5K,” Sinning said. “I show up, and there’s 500 third through fifth grade girls.”

That was several years ago. In between, life took her abroad, where she worked with girls empowerment programs. When she was ready to come home, “they had an opening, and it was a perfect fit. The rest is history.”

Girls on the Run is a global program reaching 2 million girls annually. It’s coordinated locally at EmBe, where Sinning has overseen it for the past three years.

“I’m not a runner, but I like the way Girls on the Run uses physical activity and running games to teach girls life skills,” she said. “We teach girls about self-confidence, how to be a good friend, how to resolve conflicts with their peers, and they do a community service project to learn about how to use their talents to give back to the world.”

The capstone, in addition to the service project, is a 5K, which is held twice a year. The next one is Nov. 14 at the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds.

“Everyone has a mind and body connection, so we’re trying to empower girls through social and emotional health as well as physical well-being,” Sinning said. “The idea is to teach them that they are strong and capable and able to run this distance.”

Girls on the Run meets twice a week in two 10-week sessions. Many schools offer it either in the fall or spring, though some do both. Teams average 15 to 20 third through fifth grade girls, though some are smaller, and they’re led by volunteer coaches.

“We like to have five coaches per team, and we have around 32 teams across the state and into parts of Iowa and Minnesota, so it means I have about 200 coaches,” Sinning said. “We’re looking for passionate adults interested in empowering and inspiring girls.”

Coaches commit to at least one practice per week and receive training, materials and a well-research curriculum that walks volunteers through step by step. It covers topics such as emotions, positive self-talk, relationships, friendships, interacting with peers and teamwork, in addition to physical activities. The curriculum changes slightly three years in a row, so girls can participate each year they’re eligible for a different experience.

“I am motivated by their perseverance, empathy toward one another and growth. I love playing a role in guiding my girls to make healthy choices and doing their best,” said Mindi Stroschein, a coach at Harrisburg’s Journey Elementary.

“The girls will have more of an impact on you than you can imagine. It feels good to volunteer. Coaching for Girls on the Run is changing lives. It’s a couple hours out of your week to get some exercise, laugh, feel loved and leave knowing you made a difference.”

Cari Eastman, the mom of a Girls on the Run participant, also is a coach at Sonia Sotomayor Elementary.

“This is such a wonderful program for girls. It encourages healthy choices, both in terms of physical activity and emotional health,” she said. “At a time when girls are faced with a lot of changes and social pressures, it gives them important tools to develop confidence and good decision-making skills. I am happy to be part of a program that encourages this kind of positive growth.”

Both volunteer coaches said the program is especially needed now.

“I think Girls on the Run is more important than ever this year because it will give girls a chance to be together in a positive community after a year and a half of changes and a good deal of social isolation,” Eastman said. “Long term, I think Girls on the Run will help girls learn to cope positively with changes they cannot control, such as the pandemic of this past year.”

“Teenage suicide is at an all-time high right now, and it can be prevented through programs like Girls on the Run,” Stroschein added. “When we model, role play, talk through age-appropriate issues that girls are facing, we can help guide them to make healthy choices. It’s through these valuable lessons that makes Girls on the Run so successful. We give them an outlet, a fun space to play and laugh, all while learning and training for a 5K.”

The program has been in Sioux Falls long enough that “it’s been a fun evolution, where we’re starting to get coaches who were in Girls on the Run, so it’s been great to see a lot of alumni coming back to us,” Sinning said.

The spring session will start in early March, so future volunteer coaches can reach out anytime to Sinning at [email protected].

In the meantime, volunteers also are needed for the 5K itself – and the public is encouraged to come cheer on the girls.

“Race day is really fun. There’s a lot of energy,” Sinning said. “We’ll have a school village at the fairgrounds, so they’ll find their flag with their team, and we have music playing and do a fun warmup to get ready. There are a lot of big smiles at the finish line, so we’d just like people to come support the girls and celebrate their hard work.”

To learn more and get connected to the Girls on the Run program at EmBe, click here. 

To learn more about getting involved in the fall 5K, click here.