So I will be going on a bit of a writing hiatus while I wait for the Spring season to start up. I might return to writing on my personal blog about my training experiences since I am taking up some new projects next year. I can hear a few of my friends exasperated sighs as they keep telling me to cut back on my activities...I JUST CANT! Its not in my nature.
So I should start this blog from Friday night.
My 6 year old daughter decided she wanted to run the 5k with my team on December 3rd. I was needless to say, Thrilled! So Friday night I followed my own advice that I gave to parents. I started our own traditions for running together. We went out and had dinner-pasta and pizza to give us energy. Then we went and saw a movie together just the two of us and ate a little candy. I know, I am a bad mom/coach giving a kid candy but it was a movie and she never eats candy.
When we got home I showed her how we have to get all our stuff ready for the next day. She said she was really tired so we got her clothes set out and she crawled under my big huge comforter and promptly passed out. I was a bit jealous of her slumber as I stayed up for the next two hours getting packages together, signs, my own clothes, hair supplies, breakfast snacks and drinks, and anything else that I could think of that I would need including...my tutu.
I promised my girls that if everyone showed up to the race I would run in a big huge tutu. So Saturday morning with the brisk cool air of the upper 30's we gathered our things and got into the car. My daughter is not a big breakfast kid so a granola bar and some juice go a long way for her. We head to the race and already I am getting phone calls from parents and coaches. We arrive and find out that we were about the last people from our team to arrive!
And madness ensues. Handing out race numbers to kids and adults, running around trying to gather them with their buddy runners, trying to find friends that came out to help either run or volunteer on the course. It was a mad house. And all I kept hearing was little girls asking-"Where's the tutu coach Jillianne?".
Those kids are hilarious if not smart at remembering details. So I get my back pack and pull out my balled up tutu. I never heard so many gasps at once. My daughter was giggling the whole time because, well, I am a silly mom and I have worn this out in public with her on many occasions.
I gear up, tutu on, mismatch knee high socks (check), sparkles and pigtails (check), unicorn mascot (check), and hand held speakers hooked up to my custom created playlist (check).
I scoop up my daughter and guide any last minute runners onto the starting line. We take a few pictures and then, We're off!
I can't tell you how amazing it is seeing your own daughter and her friend run with you in such an amazing event. Watching ten weeks of work with these kids right before your eyes. I loved seeing all the parents, teachers, families, and friends running with these kids. They were all dressed up, cheering the girls on and all in all having a good time. And I loved having my music with me for the kids.
You know what made me really happy while running was seeing friends of mine that came out to volunteer on the course and run with the girls. So I want to give a mini shout out to my friends from the US Navy-Nia , to Elevi-Phil, PJ and associates, and to my two friends who I know came out to run with the girls-Reci and Whitney and everyone that you guys brought along with you. Your support is what helps keep me motivated to coach.
So I wont lie, I wont say I had doubts so much as I was worried about one of my runners finishing. It was a really big deal that all my runners finished the entire 5k. I knew each of them was completely capable of doing this but I worried because as hard as I tried, I can't ease all self doubt a girl might have about herself. To me it was most important that the girls that had doubt understood that if they could run a 5k against all odds, that they could do anything in the world that they could dream. So when I came across the finish line with my daughter and my other mini running partner, I dropped them off with the correct people and turned around and went back onto the course to find my last runner and make sure she came across.
And wouldn't you know to my surprise as I only got about 30 feet from the finish line and she was right there pushing on through! And for as proud of my daughter as I am for finishing a 5k and honoring me by running her first ever 5k with me as I did with my father, I can't tell anyone how amazing it felt as a coach to watch and realize that every single one of my girls had completed the event successfully. I truly can't explain how overjoyed I felt.
So you want to know what I gained from that experience? That these kids will never cease to amaze me! And walking through the crowd afterwards and my girls tackling me with hugs and smiles as we took photos, talked about their run and how well they did, and they just gushed about how much fun they had and couldn't wait to do it again.
So when I am sitting there half way through the season next spring and I am stressed and trying to manage my time, I will look at the pictures from that day and know that at the end of ten weeks I have those smiles to look forward too again.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
How do I write without getting emotional
Yeah, this isn't the easiest blog to write this week. This is our last week as a team meeting. I ran into my dreaded moment as a coach-getting sick and having to debate whether or not I could make it to practice on Monday.
I go to school full time and so I didn't finish my midterm final till late in the evening as I emptied an entire box of tissues because I was struggling with a head cold. I woke up Monday morning after a few hours of sleep and felt like someone had just dropped a truck load of bricks on my head, thrown some fire into my throat, and shoved about 5 gallons of snot into my nose. I made it 9 weeks and didn't get sick and finally after a 1 week break from coaching my body decided to get back at me.
I made the decision to sleep all day, hating that I had to miss my day job and drag to practice. I was really looking forward to seeing the girls since it has been almost two weeks. And I thought they would be a barrel of monkeys with all sorts of bottled up energy. But they have come such a long way in such a short time. They recognized immediately that I didn't have my normal energy and that I could barely talk. Shoot, I was lucky I could remember their names.
They got right to work on their community service projects. They made work stations, gave each other ideas, and created a pile of cards to send to military service members for the holidays. It really touched my heart and well, lets be honest, was a huge relief. Hey, all you parents know what I mean. That day you are just so under the weather and you want to do your best for your kids and they turn the table on you and do their best for you. This was one of those days.
So with that I went home and crashed early and looked forward to seeing myself recover so that I could be 100% on my game to celebrate with the girls on Wednesday.
What an emotional roller coaster for me. I know they only saw happiness and smiles and normal Coach Jillianne but man, inside I was just a wreck.
So I started my practice with a circle. We started the season this way getting to know each other and I wanted to end the season this way, showing the girls how much they have learned about each other. I loved some of the things they had noticed that even I didn't realize. I didn't know one girl's favorite color was blue and that she had worn blue every practice, that totally caught me off guard. I didn't realize the girls had learned character traits about other girls and what they appreciated the most from their team mates. They definitely looked up to certain girls and had a lot of admiration for each other.
I actually tried to avoid letting them say anything about me. I was being selfish and mostly I was pretty sure that they could have told me I was horrible and I would still get choked up about it because this program has taught me so much and given me back more than I ever feel like I can repay.
But with their plea's I let the girl to my left say something about me, and let me tell you, the words meant so much that I debated not writing about it in this blog because it took every part of me to not cry when she said them and I am struggling even now to avoid crying in front of my computer.
"Coach Jillianne, I think you have a real talent for coaching. You are a really great coach and a lot of fun. Oh, and you're really pretty."
Silly really, simple words and shouldn't get to me that much. But if you are one of my friends or family reading this then you know how I reacted to the night/morning before I went to my first day of coaching. I was absolutely petrified. I was so unsure of myself, and scared that the kids wouldn't like me. And here we are, ten weeks later and they were telling me that I had done just fine. And shoot, they think I am pretty. Don't lie, all you women out there know you need to hear that once and a while.
And you know what it is that gets to me the most? I know I will coach for as long as I can over the future seasons. I love doing this and no matter my schedule or what people say, this is what I do for me and it brings me such happiness. But this team, this set of girls will hold a very dear place in my heart because they were the first team to join me on this journey. Teaching me as much as I hope I got to teach them. They inspired me to work harder at school, home, and in my own life and they have been my biggest source of inspiration to get back into running.
Cause that was what I had lost faith in the most over the years was my running. The thing that had always been my greatest joy I had basically all but quit over the past year. And I am running again with a sort of determination that I don't think I ever possessed. I am making the healthy choices I need in my life and its been amazing.
And as I watched the girls grab their treats of cupcakes, cookies, fruit and veggies and sit around the room chatting with girls they didn't know before they started this program, and their parents starting to filter in and join in with the girls, I was filled with so much joy and happiness. I would say its bittersweet knowing I may never see some of these girls again after our race this Saturday, but they will be in my heart and memories forever.
So I am glad for all that have read about my journey as a coach in my first season with Girls on the Run and I look forward to sharing many more stories of my adventures in the future. For now I will be gettin ready to prepare for what is probably the biggest 5k races I will ever run in my life. My first ever Girls on the Run 5k with my team the Purple Pickles.
I go to school full time and so I didn't finish my midterm final till late in the evening as I emptied an entire box of tissues because I was struggling with a head cold. I woke up Monday morning after a few hours of sleep and felt like someone had just dropped a truck load of bricks on my head, thrown some fire into my throat, and shoved about 5 gallons of snot into my nose. I made it 9 weeks and didn't get sick and finally after a 1 week break from coaching my body decided to get back at me.
I made the decision to sleep all day, hating that I had to miss my day job and drag to practice. I was really looking forward to seeing the girls since it has been almost two weeks. And I thought they would be a barrel of monkeys with all sorts of bottled up energy. But they have come such a long way in such a short time. They recognized immediately that I didn't have my normal energy and that I could barely talk. Shoot, I was lucky I could remember their names.
They got right to work on their community service projects. They made work stations, gave each other ideas, and created a pile of cards to send to military service members for the holidays. It really touched my heart and well, lets be honest, was a huge relief. Hey, all you parents know what I mean. That day you are just so under the weather and you want to do your best for your kids and they turn the table on you and do their best for you. This was one of those days.
So with that I went home and crashed early and looked forward to seeing myself recover so that I could be 100% on my game to celebrate with the girls on Wednesday.
What an emotional roller coaster for me. I know they only saw happiness and smiles and normal Coach Jillianne but man, inside I was just a wreck.
So I started my practice with a circle. We started the season this way getting to know each other and I wanted to end the season this way, showing the girls how much they have learned about each other. I loved some of the things they had noticed that even I didn't realize. I didn't know one girl's favorite color was blue and that she had worn blue every practice, that totally caught me off guard. I didn't realize the girls had learned character traits about other girls and what they appreciated the most from their team mates. They definitely looked up to certain girls and had a lot of admiration for each other.
I actually tried to avoid letting them say anything about me. I was being selfish and mostly I was pretty sure that they could have told me I was horrible and I would still get choked up about it because this program has taught me so much and given me back more than I ever feel like I can repay.
But with their plea's I let the girl to my left say something about me, and let me tell you, the words meant so much that I debated not writing about it in this blog because it took every part of me to not cry when she said them and I am struggling even now to avoid crying in front of my computer.
"Coach Jillianne, I think you have a real talent for coaching. You are a really great coach and a lot of fun. Oh, and you're really pretty."
Silly really, simple words and shouldn't get to me that much. But if you are one of my friends or family reading this then you know how I reacted to the night/morning before I went to my first day of coaching. I was absolutely petrified. I was so unsure of myself, and scared that the kids wouldn't like me. And here we are, ten weeks later and they were telling me that I had done just fine. And shoot, they think I am pretty. Don't lie, all you women out there know you need to hear that once and a while.
And you know what it is that gets to me the most? I know I will coach for as long as I can over the future seasons. I love doing this and no matter my schedule or what people say, this is what I do for me and it brings me such happiness. But this team, this set of girls will hold a very dear place in my heart because they were the first team to join me on this journey. Teaching me as much as I hope I got to teach them. They inspired me to work harder at school, home, and in my own life and they have been my biggest source of inspiration to get back into running.
Cause that was what I had lost faith in the most over the years was my running. The thing that had always been my greatest joy I had basically all but quit over the past year. And I am running again with a sort of determination that I don't think I ever possessed. I am making the healthy choices I need in my life and its been amazing.
And as I watched the girls grab their treats of cupcakes, cookies, fruit and veggies and sit around the room chatting with girls they didn't know before they started this program, and their parents starting to filter in and join in with the girls, I was filled with so much joy and happiness. I would say its bittersweet knowing I may never see some of these girls again after our race this Saturday, but they will be in my heart and memories forever.
So I am glad for all that have read about my journey as a coach in my first season with Girls on the Run and I look forward to sharing many more stories of my adventures in the future. For now I will be gettin ready to prepare for what is probably the biggest 5k races I will ever run in my life. My first ever Girls on the Run 5k with my team the Purple Pickles.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Its a Community
As coaches, I wonder how we deal with our days at work and then try to put on our positive cord for the girls when we get to practice. This was one of those really difficult weeks for me where I was showing up late to things, spilling food on myself at work, smashing my fingers in equipement...and just all around being busy. Nothing really bad, just one of those weeks and I still have to coach at the end of the day.
I guess its good that in Maryland traffic is bad because it gives me time in the car to sort of take a deep breath, listen to some music and clear my mind. And as I pull up to the school, at the very least is give these girls some sort of positive experience.
Its so much fun seeing them give me a hard time for me showing up late. They have all been late multiple times since they like to chat in the bathroom as they get changed. I have never been late and I was really late on Monday. They are quick to forgive after they scold me and give me their 'angry faces'. I love it.
I love that they also have come so far. Wednesday was proof of that. For our project we split them into groups. It was an all indoors day because of the rain. But that was ok because they are planning their community service project. I was amazed at how little direction they needed to come up with great ideas. I was even more amazed at how wonderfully they behaved. It only took 9 weeks of practices to finally see them be calm during an indoor activity. I mean calm in that they weren't running circles around me. They were amazing and respectful, and kind and hard working. I was so impressed. I feel like they are all growing up so fast. I realize these aren't my kids but they really have touched my heart.
And I definitely realized how much I am going to miss them next week during the Thanksgiving break. But worse-is that when we return I only have one more week with them. I think I am almost dreading the end of this season. I thought I would look forward to the break from coaching for a bit but I honestly think that even with all the rushing, craziness and giggles, I am really just going to miss seeing these kids twice a week.
I have to brag for a little bit though. My daughter has found her love is dancing and I kind of always wanted her to be a little runner with me. She is joining me for our end of season event with all the county's teams. I kind of figured she was doing it more for my sake than her love of running. But today at her annual turkey trot she was the first girl in her grade to come across the line. And while I may have missed it (all accounted for in my rough rough week) I was informed by her father that she beamed and really loved running. I realize it might be silly but I can't wait till she is old enough to come out and join my team and run with me. I wont take away from her dance as long as she wants it but I love sharing this with these kids and I definitely can't wait to share in this program with my own daughter!
I guess its good that in Maryland traffic is bad because it gives me time in the car to sort of take a deep breath, listen to some music and clear my mind. And as I pull up to the school, at the very least is give these girls some sort of positive experience.
Its so much fun seeing them give me a hard time for me showing up late. They have all been late multiple times since they like to chat in the bathroom as they get changed. I have never been late and I was really late on Monday. They are quick to forgive after they scold me and give me their 'angry faces'. I love it.
I love that they also have come so far. Wednesday was proof of that. For our project we split them into groups. It was an all indoors day because of the rain. But that was ok because they are planning their community service project. I was amazed at how little direction they needed to come up with great ideas. I was even more amazed at how wonderfully they behaved. It only took 9 weeks of practices to finally see them be calm during an indoor activity. I mean calm in that they weren't running circles around me. They were amazing and respectful, and kind and hard working. I was so impressed. I feel like they are all growing up so fast. I realize these aren't my kids but they really have touched my heart.
And I definitely realized how much I am going to miss them next week during the Thanksgiving break. But worse-is that when we return I only have one more week with them. I think I am almost dreading the end of this season. I thought I would look forward to the break from coaching for a bit but I honestly think that even with all the rushing, craziness and giggles, I am really just going to miss seeing these kids twice a week.
I have to brag for a little bit though. My daughter has found her love is dancing and I kind of always wanted her to be a little runner with me. She is joining me for our end of season event with all the county's teams. I kind of figured she was doing it more for my sake than her love of running. But today at her annual turkey trot she was the first girl in her grade to come across the line. And while I may have missed it (all accounted for in my rough rough week) I was informed by her father that she beamed and really loved running. I realize it might be silly but I can't wait till she is old enough to come out and join my team and run with me. I wont take away from her dance as long as she wants it but I love sharing this with these kids and I definitely can't wait to share in this program with my own daughter!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
We have a 5k this week O_o
It’s a 5K type of week!
So what was outstanding about Monday’s practice? The girls of course! Really, the message we got to go over was pretty easy and standard, don’t believe that everything you see in an ad is good for you. Wham, bam-thank you ma’am, these girls are smart and don’t need a lot of direction about such a lesson.
But there are moments in your life that will always stick with you. Walking in and the girl that seemed so grumpy the week before is suddenly in an amazing mood. I mean, the girls have hard days too, I know that but it definitely affects me more than I want to admit. I mean, I want to think I make their days as good as they make mine, but I know its just not always possible.
But walking in and having struggled through my own day just from being exhausted from being up all night with homework of my own, and this little girl runs up to me and gives me a hug and tells me she didn’t mean to be in such a bad mood literally lifted my mood right away. I don’t know where I muster up any energy from when I go to these practices but they deserve my best and they most definitely get it. Such a joyful moment having the girls give me hugs and just feeling like they are really happy to be there.
So just because I am so proud of these girls and of this program, there is this little story I have to share. We have a little guest, we will call her Violet. She comes on occasion to practice with her mom when I need an extra set of hands. My parents are amazing and they are really great to work with and really great at communicating with me. Anyways, Violet had something to tell me. She got to attend our lessons on Bullying and on how to respond to people who are hurting you. On Halloween she was being teased/bullied by another girl who was making fun of her choice in costume. Violet took a moment to go up to the girl and tell her the following,
“ I feel really bad and sad when you are being mean to me. It hurts my feelings, Can you stop being mean to me and making me sad please?”
The other little girl stopped teasing her. Violet is only 6! I don’t know what affected me more-that she is only 6 and she felt like she was being bullied or that she is only 6 and she stood up for herself using lessons she learned hanging out with us at Girls on the Run.
Either way, sorry that I am such a sap, I most definitely had to hold back a lot of tears of happiness this past Monday. Hugs and happy stories-I guess I never realized how much of an affect 2 ½ hours a week can have on these girls lives!
OK-so officially I think some of the parents and my assistant coach think I am completely nuts. And well, I don’t have much ground to stand on to argue this opinion (fact or opinion is all a matter of perspective in this situation). But Wednesday was our practice 5k. And you know what, I wanted to make sure that the girls had as great an experience as possible. So it started with Monday nights email to my parents-more of a begging of-please make sure your girls come dressed appropriately…even with a list of items that I think would work best. This is just where it starts.
Then Tuesday I realized I have pink card stock paper at home and I want to try and print their certificates of completion on them. The nerd that I am proud to be comes out and my director kindly emails me our training package with all the forms in PDF. I then through a little effort recreate the pdf into a word file and insert text boxes so that I can type each girls name into the certificate and print it Tuesday night on pink card stock.
And then I go completely madd. I was up till 130 am printing certificates for the girls, making cupcakes, slicing oranges, making signs for the course, slicing banana’s, packing up everything I needed, and prepping a play list on my ipod (which was probably my hardest task because I unfortunately don’t own a lot of music I feel has a message that is positive for the girls and upbeat . Sorry Brittany, Ke$ha, and the majority of pop singers, your music talking about how you drink, party, need or are dumping a current guy, sex, and whatever…is not appropriate for the message we are trying to give these girls).
So you know that term, “It takes a Village”. I had the help of my roommate unloading everything and getting everything set up and then helping with my kids while I worked with the girls. My older daughter has wanted to come to a practice and she was overwhelmed with happiness to get to come. There were parents that came and were all around the little track I set up for the girls cheering them on with signs and high fives. There was my assistant coach who has this insane amount of energy! And there was music and dancing. YEP DANCING-I don’t know what the girls enjoyed more, watching me and the coach dance for them or dancing themselves once they stopped being embarrassed about it. We definitely had a blast and I couldn’t be prouder of the girls than if they were my own.
I was definitely exhausted last night after everything so for the first time in weeks at 930 after I emailed my parents their weekly wrap up-I looked at my bed and decided, staying up till midnight doing homework just wasn’t an option. My bed was calling me. But if you asked me if I would do it all over again knowing how tired I would be? I would tell you, I already have ideas of other things to add to the next time I get to have a practice 5k with my next team.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Bullying-It can be stopped
“We’ve got to dispel this myth that bullying is just a normal rite of passage.”
President of the United States
A topic that is in the news and touches me dearly-Bullying. That was Monday’s lesson. And here is how I started my lesson
“Have any of you ever felt bullied by someone else, raise your hands”
Every little girl raised her hand. Remember that these are only 3rd -5th graders and they already are so aware of bullies. So it came as no surprise that these bright intelligent girls had plenty of input about bullying. Its different today though, at least before we used to be able to go home and feel safe there but now Bullies enter our rooms through our children’s cell phones and social networking accounts. The kids are surrounded and I am getting one hour to teach them how to deal with bullies and still get some exercise in their routine.
And to be honest, I think they absorbed it better than I could imagine. They are so insightful as kids. I think parents understand this best but I don’t remember being that smart as a kid. I mean, I know I was a smart kid but I don’t remember being so aware of such things.
These kids give me so much hope though that there is so much good in humanity. So, as I came into work the next day and that woman who sits a few cubes away bullies me again for whatever reason she felt she needed to pick on me, I just smile. Because I know better, being a bully isn’t a sign of strength, standing up to a bully is what takes real courage and strength and those little girls helped teach me that when I heard how they feel about bullies.
Wednesday, the first one in weeks where it was absolutely beautiful outside! I mean…just absolutely perfect and we have a fun day planned of talking about friends. And I have two sullen girls on my team. They are just at that age where sullen is something they are beginning to master. And I was bummed, honestly bummed that I couldn’t do anything to cheer them up and get them excited about what we had planned. But we moved forward because that is the motto of our little team and I worked as best as I could around them hoping that maybe a little of the happiness of the other girls would rub off. But you know what, bad moods can be contagious so you have to remember to work extra hard even when you are struggling with a girl to be in an extra good mood. I definitely have my assistant coach who is great at bring that happy positive energy to practice and a couple of the girls recognized what was happening and they worked extra hard to be cheery.
And the girls learned about choosing their friends. And while the message sort of portrayed itself that a girl shouldn’t ever choose to be friends with someone who is negative my team is just too smart. And they said-but sometimes people have bad days and maybe if you are a good friend to them, they can learn from you to be a better friend to others.
And I think they did a fantastic job of trying to bring their team mates back into the fold and cheer them up. And let me tell you that those girls can run when being chased. The assistant coach and I played freeze tag with them and they sure did out run us a good amount.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
I feel good when you hug me!
“I feel good when you hug me because hugs make me feel happy. I would like for you to hug me every day.”This was said proudly by a participant at my practice this past Monday. But how right is that girl? I mean, who doesn’t feel good when they get a hug? Wonderful, that is what these girls are.Monday: What a day, phew. I mean, five girls parents called and messaged me that their daughters couldn’t make it to practice due mostly to health reasons. I have noticed when we are missing one member how the girls seem a little more out of sorts but you should have seen these kids when half their team was missing. They really have bonded and it was like they were missing a part of their family. Its only been 6 weeks, two times a week at one hour and fifteen minutes a day and already these girls are super bonded. Though I will admit that I missed the girls myself and was bummed for so many of them being gone.So, Wednesday, came again and as seems to be ritual we got rain. Now, I was actually debating if it was just misty taking the girls outside for at least a little bit. Honestly, just ten minutes-except I just had five girls out on Monday, the last thing I wanted was to make anyone else sick. And well…it wasn’t just misting as I pulled up to the school…late. There, I admit it, I was late for the first time ever to a practice. I had made the fatal error of only giving myself 30 minutes to make the 15 minute drive and it ended up taking nearly 45 minutes.So I feel like I say this all the time, how much I like a lesson, but really, I feel like as adults we could all learn just as much as these girls do from these lessons. I mean, who gossips? I know I have been guilty of it. Shoot, let me make this my public apology right now, if I have ever hurt you with my words in the past by gossiping about you, I am sorry. I honestly didn’t intend to hurt you because if I had I wouldn’t have been saying such mean things behind your back where I hoped you would never hear them.We have all done it and you should have seen the girls’ reactions when the assistant coach and I told them, that we are guilty of such a treacherous act towards people we know. Now, I will say, I have a hard time believing the assistant coach could ever say a mean thing about another human being in her life. But hey, at least she didn’t leave me hanging when I admitted to the girls that I make mistakes.And does anyone know why I did that? Why did I admit a flaw when I as the adult am supposed to set an example? Because it’s unrealistic to teach kids that they need to be perfect. Yepperooni, I said it-they can’t be perfect and your expectations are unrealistic if you think that you should expect perfection from your child. You should only expect that they do their absolute best. Did you know that we aren’t perfect as adults?The girls are smart though, they asked us, “If you aren’t supposed to gossip, but everyone has done it, what do you do?” And here’s what we told them. You apologize through your actions and words. You try your best to make things right and hope that the person who was the target of your gossip is not hurt too badly for too long and that they can see it in their heart to forgive you. The girls really almost seemed relieved I think when they realized we don’t expect that they will be perfect.And then we let the madness ensue. What happens when you had a dozen little girls a pile of newspapers, scissors, a scavenger hunt list and say to them-“have some fun”? I tell you what, they have fun. To the wonderful teacher who lets us use her classroom every week, I am glad you were not in there Wednesday afternoon! Those girls covered the entire floor in newspapers, clippings, pictures, shoes, books, ….shoes? Oh lord, half the kids even took their shoes off. But you know what; it was a really fun practice. And after all these serious talks we have had, it was a much needed bit of fun.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Dear Mother Nature-Can't you just...?
First a Plea-
Dear Mother Nature,
We Marylanders and the majority of the East coast are a bit tired of your dramatic mood swings. I mean, come on, really-Earthquakes, Tornados, Floods, Weeks of rain…give us a break. And if not for your love of the East coast then so that at the very least myself and the other Girls on the Run Coaches can take the girls outside to run and enjoy your beauty before the winter comes.
Thanks, in advance,
Jillianne
I am sure you all wonder what a coach does with the girls on days when it is nasty and rainy. Well, apparently I am a wimpy coach because some coaches brave the elements and take their girls outside. I am usually lucky enough to be able to sneak the girls into the gym and let them run and exercise in there a bit but no such luck this week. Thankfully we were able to tie Monday’s lesson into Wednesdays a bit and get the girls to work together. I don’t know where it comes from but these girls never cease to impress me.
Monday was probably one of my most favorite lessons of the season so far. Learning about cooperation. This is something I actually have a lot of experience in having worked in fields where relying on the person next to you to work with you could be the matter of life and death for yourselves or someone else relying on you. The military was great for teaching teamwork. So I was more than excited to teach girls from all different backgrounds and ages to work together to achieve their goals. I sat there like a proud coach as they worked their way around the caterpillar walk, trying to keep their feet on the pieces of paper I provided while still getting all the way around the circle. I knew before I even finished reading the lesson that someone would emerge as a leader. It’s neat to see that take its course and see the girls working together and following the directions of one of their peers. Plus, it really made them work as a team. I sort of wonder how it would fly if at work when people aren’t getting along or working together if I just quietly got up and placed a bunch of paper in a circle on the floor and told everyone, “Now listen, until we can work together as a team and get around this circle, we wont be able to work together as a team to finish our project.” I think it would work beautifully but I have a feeling that they might not be as keen to hold each other’s hands.
And I loved seeing the girls work together in their run. I don’t think I have ever been so excited running around and cheering them on. I feel like I look like a crazy woman out there. Yelling at the girls things like “you can do it, help out your teammate, keep moving forward!’. But the girls really worked hard. Not only did every girl finish their own laps for the day but many of them ran extra to help their teammates that were struggling and paired up with them. Cooler yet, was watching how the girls choose different running partners every work out. I love that they are constantly changing it up themselves now and they dont need me to mix up their groups anymore.
With yesterday’s beautiful rainy day, I was of course indoors again. However yesterdays lesson lended well to indoor activities. Talking about peer pressure. I love when the girls say something so insightful that it almost brings tears to my eyes that I hadn’t ever thought of it from their perspective. Thankfully many of the girls said they don’t feel a lot of pressure from their peers. They mentioned things like scary amusement park rides, or feeling pressured to fight with their siblings, and of course the normal things that they hear about. We asked them if any of them felt pressured to do things like smoke, do bad things, wear certain clothing and they all looked at me and the assistant coach like we were crazy. One girl even said, “Why would I let someone pressure me into wearing something I don’t like?” *Internal happy dance occurs and little tears form. These girls really rock at being independent. I hope it sticks with them. I guess that is what we are trying to do is show the girls that they can be who they want to be as long as it leads to a healthy and positive life for themselves.
I learned a lot from my fellow coaches at our meeting and was really surprised by the things they were telling me. And I don’t know, I have always thought I had an outstanding group of girls and that I was just being partial but wow, I didn’t know what happens for others. Sometimes I am scared that I am too harsh on the girls or that I am not being ‘fun’ enough. But when I see them so excited to see me walking down the hallways I stop letting myself worry. Maybe I just got a really great batch of involved parents, maybe it’s that I have some sort of system that works, and maybe I have great assistant coaches. Honestly though, when push comes to shove it’s the girls who make the decision to work together and be respectful towards each other and the adults running the program. To say I am lucky is an understatement.
So when asked last night if I might be interested in doing this program again, I could barely let them finish asking before I was trying to shove my paper with my information in their hands. As my father once said when I told him I was joining this program as a coach, “Outside of being a mother, this will be one of the most rewarding things I ever do with my life”. Well, dad, as always you are right.
Dear Mother Nature,
We Marylanders and the majority of the East coast are a bit tired of your dramatic mood swings. I mean, come on, really-Earthquakes, Tornados, Floods, Weeks of rain…give us a break. And if not for your love of the East coast then so that at the very least myself and the other Girls on the Run Coaches can take the girls outside to run and enjoy your beauty before the winter comes.
Thanks, in advance,
Jillianne
I am sure you all wonder what a coach does with the girls on days when it is nasty and rainy. Well, apparently I am a wimpy coach because some coaches brave the elements and take their girls outside. I am usually lucky enough to be able to sneak the girls into the gym and let them run and exercise in there a bit but no such luck this week. Thankfully we were able to tie Monday’s lesson into Wednesdays a bit and get the girls to work together. I don’t know where it comes from but these girls never cease to impress me.
Monday was probably one of my most favorite lessons of the season so far. Learning about cooperation. This is something I actually have a lot of experience in having worked in fields where relying on the person next to you to work with you could be the matter of life and death for yourselves or someone else relying on you. The military was great for teaching teamwork. So I was more than excited to teach girls from all different backgrounds and ages to work together to achieve their goals. I sat there like a proud coach as they worked their way around the caterpillar walk, trying to keep their feet on the pieces of paper I provided while still getting all the way around the circle. I knew before I even finished reading the lesson that someone would emerge as a leader. It’s neat to see that take its course and see the girls working together and following the directions of one of their peers. Plus, it really made them work as a team. I sort of wonder how it would fly if at work when people aren’t getting along or working together if I just quietly got up and placed a bunch of paper in a circle on the floor and told everyone, “Now listen, until we can work together as a team and get around this circle, we wont be able to work together as a team to finish our project.” I think it would work beautifully but I have a feeling that they might not be as keen to hold each other’s hands.
And I loved seeing the girls work together in their run. I don’t think I have ever been so excited running around and cheering them on. I feel like I look like a crazy woman out there. Yelling at the girls things like “you can do it, help out your teammate, keep moving forward!’. But the girls really worked hard. Not only did every girl finish their own laps for the day but many of them ran extra to help their teammates that were struggling and paired up with them. Cooler yet, was watching how the girls choose different running partners every work out. I love that they are constantly changing it up themselves now and they dont need me to mix up their groups anymore.
With yesterday’s beautiful rainy day, I was of course indoors again. However yesterdays lesson lended well to indoor activities. Talking about peer pressure. I love when the girls say something so insightful that it almost brings tears to my eyes that I hadn’t ever thought of it from their perspective. Thankfully many of the girls said they don’t feel a lot of pressure from their peers. They mentioned things like scary amusement park rides, or feeling pressured to fight with their siblings, and of course the normal things that they hear about. We asked them if any of them felt pressured to do things like smoke, do bad things, wear certain clothing and they all looked at me and the assistant coach like we were crazy. One girl even said, “Why would I let someone pressure me into wearing something I don’t like?” *Internal happy dance occurs and little tears form. These girls really rock at being independent. I hope it sticks with them. I guess that is what we are trying to do is show the girls that they can be who they want to be as long as it leads to a healthy and positive life for themselves.
I learned a lot from my fellow coaches at our meeting and was really surprised by the things they were telling me. And I don’t know, I have always thought I had an outstanding group of girls and that I was just being partial but wow, I didn’t know what happens for others. Sometimes I am scared that I am too harsh on the girls or that I am not being ‘fun’ enough. But when I see them so excited to see me walking down the hallways I stop letting myself worry. Maybe I just got a really great batch of involved parents, maybe it’s that I have some sort of system that works, and maybe I have great assistant coaches. Honestly though, when push comes to shove it’s the girls who make the decision to work together and be respectful towards each other and the adults running the program. To say I am lucky is an understatement.
So when asked last night if I might be interested in doing this program again, I could barely let them finish asking before I was trying to shove my paper with my information in their hands. As my father once said when I told him I was joining this program as a coach, “Outside of being a mother, this will be one of the most rewarding things I ever do with my life”. Well, dad, as always you are right.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Why do I Volunteer
My friends ask me all the time why I take so much on. School, works, kids, and some semblance of a social life on occasion. I don’t know that I know any other way to be. So taking on being a coach for Girls on the Run just gets added to that plate and balanced carefully. But is it worth it, the extra time constraints and commitments in my life. Well every day I show up to practice makes it worth it in my opinion.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
The Story
I ran competitively in high school and college. I stuck primarily to long distances working in the 5-10k genre. My father was my best friend and trainer since we were a military family that moved constantly. Making friends was hard for me and I always found running to be the one place I felt safe and most felt like I could be myself. I could be angry, happy, sad, or excited and going running was like my best friend. My feet meeting the road and reflecting on my day and getting out of my house (where I had 4 siblings!) was the best parts of my memories growing up. The few miles that I would get to be completely alone.
I joined the Air Force and soon found I had a knack for helping others enjoy running. I worked with people training them and even competed on a run team with a group of young women, many of whom I still keep in contact with to this day, over ten years later. It was during this time that I realized how much I wanted to coach one day.
Years passed and I started a family and a career. Leading me to now. And every one’s favorite question:
How/why did you get started with girls on the Run? You don’t even have a daughter old enough to have heard about this.
Now let me tell you, this part still brings tears to my eyes and tells me there is fate.
Over the summer some friends of mine lost a neighbor of theirs to cancer. She had been active with her daughters with running and she had been a big part of the Annapolis chapter Girls on the Run. In lieu of flowers or cards they had set up a hyperlink to donate to the Girls on the Run. My friends know my passion for running and how much I love working with kids and sent me the information. Sitting at work I clicked unknowingly on this link and read Molly Barkers words, the motto’s, and the whole reason for the existence of Girls on the Run. I literally cried at my desk. I can tell you that at the age these girls are at and middle school, I would have given anything for a program like this. And even more so, I really believed in what this program is trying to promote. The first thing I read was this “We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident”. Did you catch that? We inspire girls. Not only to be healthy but we want them to be joyful and confident.
I was sold on that line alone.
As a woman who knows what the girls still have to face in life, and as a mother myself to two amazing little girls, I only hope I can do that, inspire them every day and hopefully it will spread from them to the peers around them. I know already it has changed my life and made me more healthy, confident and joyful.
I coach every day and remember the mother that can’t be there to watch her girls grow up into beautiful young women. I coach for my daughters so that they have a healthy and confident mom to look up to. And I coach most of all for those little girls who come every day to practice and say some of the most amazing and astounding things and inspire me to be a better person to my own peers.
I joined the Air Force and soon found I had a knack for helping others enjoy running. I worked with people training them and even competed on a run team with a group of young women, many of whom I still keep in contact with to this day, over ten years later. It was during this time that I realized how much I wanted to coach one day.
Years passed and I started a family and a career. Leading me to now. And every one’s favorite question:
How/why did you get started with girls on the Run? You don’t even have a daughter old enough to have heard about this.
Now let me tell you, this part still brings tears to my eyes and tells me there is fate.
Over the summer some friends of mine lost a neighbor of theirs to cancer. She had been active with her daughters with running and she had been a big part of the Annapolis chapter Girls on the Run. In lieu of flowers or cards they had set up a hyperlink to donate to the Girls on the Run. My friends know my passion for running and how much I love working with kids and sent me the information. Sitting at work I clicked unknowingly on this link and read Molly Barkers words, the motto’s, and the whole reason for the existence of Girls on the Run. I literally cried at my desk. I can tell you that at the age these girls are at and middle school, I would have given anything for a program like this. And even more so, I really believed in what this program is trying to promote. The first thing I read was this “We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident”. Did you catch that? We inspire girls. Not only to be healthy but we want them to be joyful and confident.
I was sold on that line alone.
As a woman who knows what the girls still have to face in life, and as a mother myself to two amazing little girls, I only hope I can do that, inspire them every day and hopefully it will spread from them to the peers around them. I know already it has changed my life and made me more healthy, confident and joyful.
I coach every day and remember the mother that can’t be there to watch her girls grow up into beautiful young women. I coach for my daughters so that they have a healthy and confident mom to look up to. And I coach most of all for those little girls who come every day to practice and say some of the most amazing and astounding things and inspire me to be a better person to my own peers.
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