Running Teams
Girls Run Global girls’ running teams are the core of our organization. We partner with schools in underdeveloped countries where the gender gap is most significant to establish comprehensive girls’ running teams. Our teams serve as a platform to equip girls with key life skills and improve their ability to succeed long-term despite the challenges they face.
How It Works:
Planning & Individualization
After forming a partnership with a school, we gauge participation interest among students. We never force the sport on girls; our teams are made up of girls who want to be running and therefore will be able to reap its many benefits. For instance, we opened up enrollment for our first running team to seventy-two girls and sixty-nine signed up, a testament to their eagerness to try new things and challenge themselves. We then identify resource needs, which often include items like running shoes, socks, and sports bras.
We then collaborate with school leaders to create an individualized team model so that running easily fits into the girls’ lives. In doing so, we optimize the chances of girls continuing to run long-term. We factor in school schedule, climate, cultural practices, and more.
In-person Programming
After the planning phase, a group of Girls Run Global leaders and volunteers lead a multi-day, in-person launch program to get the team started. We spend our time together getting to know one another as we teach girls the fundamentals of running. After distributing equipment and ensuring proper fit, we begin our first days of practice with the basics, and meet each girl where they are. Practice is a chance for girls to push to their limits and see what they are capable of, but it is also a time for fun and something to look forward to each day.
In addition to training sessions, the program includes team-bonding activities, guest speakers, and life skills workshops. We work with a group of team leaders — typically a combination of students and faculty — to equip them with the skills to lead the team after our group heads home. Our long-term goal is to have daily team operation be done independently by team leaders. However, after the launch of a team, we continue to offer strong guidance as they learn.
Long-term Team Support
Our work doesn’t end with the team launch program. In the months following the launch of a team, we continue to provide structured training plans and conduct frequent check-ins. Over time, however, the girls and team leaders take on these responsibilities. Long term, we aim to have team leaders plan and execute training fully independently, thereby promoting girls and women in leadership roles.
We also continue to fulfill the teams’ resource and equipment needs. New gear is sent as needed.
Girls on our running teams will also have continued access to enrichment opportunities like virtual mentor sessions with professionals, community calls with other teams as we expand, and ongoing communication through our Big Sister Pen Pal program.
Learn about our first team launching at the SEGA Girls’ School this May!
Ensuring girls’ safety and health while running is crucial to maintaining their ability to reap the many benefits of the sport. It is also key to ensuring girls enjoy the sport! Girls Run Global provides each girl on a running team with new, high-quality, and adequately-sized running gear. We also provide other materials as needed to promote success and comfort in the sport, such as water bottles and sanitary products.
This is where your generosity becomes crucial. Public support is key to equip every girl with the resources needed to run their best, and remain happy and healthy. Contributions allow us to better support girls’ running experience and success beyond the sport. A gift of any size leaves positive impact on individual girls and entire communities that lasts a life.
Providing Equipment & Gear
Special thank you to Bras For Girls for donating sports bras to the girls of the SEGA Girls’ School team.