STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
Girls on the Run is looking for dozens of volunteer coaches as it gears up for this fall.
Coaches will utilize a nationwide curriculum to engage teams of girls in fun, interactive lessons designed to help third- through eighth-grade girls become joyful, healthy and confident.
The 75- to 90-minute gatherings take place twice a week for 10 weeks at five sites throughout the Wood River Valley. They focus on life skills, personal development, team building and community service.
Longtime Coach Rebekah Harmon said she joined Girls on the Run when she turned 30 and realized she didn’t feel like part of the community.
“The place I lived didn’t feel like home. So, I chose to build roots into my ‘hometown’ by serving in Girls on the Run,” she said. “I jumped right in as a coach and had a heart-warming first season. By the time the 5K rolls around at the end of the season, I’m showered with stickers, smiles, dandelion leis and appreciation. My girls love running with me. And I grow to love them right back. Teaching young girls how to take care of their emotions and their fitness really fills my bucket.”
Volunteer coaches do not need to be runners but must complete a background check and participate in online and in-person training.
Rachel Webster said the curriculum reminds her of valuable life skills and tools she can use in her own personal life as a mother and a woman.
“The curriculum is so thorough and well thought out that implementing it is easy,” she added.
The coach’s training will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28. For information or to sign up, visit https://www.gotrsouthernidaho.org/coach.
Girls on the Run has been operating in the Wood River Valley for more than 15 years. It has served 1.5 million girls nationwide since its inception in 1996.