No one likes a Bully and Standing up for Myself

Lesson 12: Bullying
Last Tuesday, we talked about a topic that was both timely and important: Bullying. The girls were aware of the recent news events, concerning the tragic consequences bullying can have on young people. We discussed the types of bullying and to make sure the girls were paying attention, we played a relay game. Now that the girls were warmed up, we proceeded to the workout with the girls running laps and answering questions about bullying. We did a cool down stretch, while the girls discussed bullying situations they witnessed in school and their feelings about the situation. All the girls agreed that you want to find someone to talk to, if you are being bullied and if it continues-tell an adult. We wrapped up with our healthy Tuesday snack:apples and a Girls on the Run cheer.

Lesson 13: Standing Up for Myself
Warmer weather and sunshine greeted us on Friday afternoon for our lesson on Standing Up for Myself. Many of the girls remembered the key phrases to say to stand up for yourself. We reviewed the phrases with a game. After that all of the girls were familiar with the phrases and ready to move on with the warm-up game. Several girls shared personal examples of recent situations in their lives, where they need to use the key phrases to stand up for themselves, with friends and or family members. The workout was done in the big field, so the girls could work on their endurance and pacing. There was some moaning and groaning about running laps around the big field, but you guessed it: everyone did it! Running or walking; all of the girls made it around the big field and reviewed the key phrases.
A big GOTR cheer and thank you to Marissa's mother for bringing cupcakes and drinks in honor of Marissa's birthday. The girls really enjoyed the goodies, it was a nice treat! Another big GOTR cheer for Erins' sister, Meghan, for assisting me, while Coach Connie and Coach Jenn attended a race.
Change in date for Practice 5K
Have you looked at the calendar? We are getting closer and closer to the Celebration Race on May 23. As you know, before the big race, we have a Practice 5K to give the girls a feeling for the conditions on race day. The Practice 5K was scheduled for this Friday, April 30, however, due to scheduling conflicts, the Practice 5K will be held on Friday, May 7th.

We could use some volunteers to make the Practice 5k a great experience for the girls. Please let me know if you can volunteer or if you know of any friends or family that would like to volunteer. It's not hard, we need enthusiastic folks to hand out water, put up balloons and cheer for the girls. The secret is; you will have a lot fun while you are doing it.