Running for Self-Esteem

Counselors Kimeya Courts-Chapman, M. S., LPC-Intern Denise Batchelor, M. Ed.

 Deer Park Junior High  Deer Park, Texas  Deer Park ISD  850 Students  6 th – 8 th Grade  74% White  23% Hispanic  2% Black  1% Asian  23% Economically Disadvantaged  13% (113 students) Special Education

 Girls on the Run began for 3 rd -5 th grade girls  When girls wanted to continue in middle school, Girls on Track was added for 6 th -8 th grade girls

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 Started 1996  Founder is Molly Barker, a triathlete, former high school teacher, track coach, and college counselor  Molly used running to overcome anorexia and alcohol addiction  Molly created the Girls on the Run curriculum to help girls break out of the “Girl Box,” which tells them the way they look is more important then who they are on the inside

 A short training for the coach(es) required  Groups of 6-15 girls  24 Lesson Curriculum  10 or 12 week session  Twice weekly sessions  Fall session from August to December  Spring session from January to May  Cumulating event is a 5K run with Running Buddies

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 Gain an understanding of themselves  Identify strengths and abilities  Set goals  Explore importance of being physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy  Examine what makes them unique

 Get along with others  Learn active listening and assertion skills  Think positively  Recognize importance of standing up for oneself  Examine importance of good decision-making skills

 Analyze the messages girls get from the media  Explore their own stereotyping  Explore their responsibility to the community  Be empowered to change their environment in a positive manner  Create and implement a community project

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 Getting on Board: Circle discussion time  Warm-Up Activity: Focuses on the topic  Processing: Question and answer time following the warm-up, done while stretching  Workout: Running workouts that incorporate a game or team goal  Processing: Q and A and stretching  Wrap Up: Energy Awards and other positive comments

 Cheers to praise others and recognize positive behavior  Announcement for each winner  Small prize  Examples: The Surfer, Superstar, The Lawnmower, The Firecracker, WOW, Pencil Sharpener, Fan-tastic, Shopping Cart

Introductory Discussion:  What is Media?  What impact does media have on you, your friends, your community?  Has anyone seen or heard anything on the media that has made them angry or uncomfortable?

Warm-up:  Discuss how sex and domination of females is used to sell products and entertain.  Explain the 5 ways media portrays women unequal to men 1. Body Parts 2. Off-Balance 3. Clowning 4. Superiority 5. Control

 Treats women’s bodies as separate parts (eyes, legs, breasts)  Suggests woman’s body is not connected to her feelings

 Women standing in off-balance or awkward positions  Pose suggests submissiveness, sexual willingness, and weakness

 Women shown as playful and childish  Suggests women can not be taken seriously

 Women positioned behind or beneath men or sized smaller than men  Suggests men have control over women

 Women shown with a man where it looks like man could hurt her  Suggests women must be dominated and kept under control

 Divide into groups of five  Give each runner a card with one of the 5 media tactics  Show a picture from a magazine illustrating one of the tactics  Girl with correct media tactic runs to you and back to group  Points for first correct answer

 Girls answer a question after each lap she runs 1. List two things you can do to make a difference if you are angered by an advertisement. 2. Write three of the tactics used by the media to portray women as sexual objects. 3. Word unscramble. 4. Word find. 5. Fill in blank.

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 Improved self-esteem  Improved body size satisfaction  No statistically significant increase in team sport participation  No statistically significant increase in number of days being physically active  No statistically significant increase in positive attitudes about physical activity

 $125 per student  Cost is negotiable if student is unable to pay  $20 for race registration

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 Community service project for Girls on Track  No set membership  Girls only  Once a month trips to paint nails of local nursing home residents

DeBate, R.D. (2006). Girls on the Run: Formative evaluation report. Girls on the Run Coaches Training Manual Girls on Track Curriculum