IC girls running in the wonder
Lauren Dickson - Special to The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: Metro
- Page 1 of 1
Running shoes weren't part of Wondergirl's costume, but for the upcoming Wondergirl 5k, they will be more useful than any cape.
The Wondergirl 5k, scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. in Lower City Park, will be the finale of the first session of Girls on the Run Johnson County. A 12-week after-school program for third- to fifth-grade girls, Girls on the Run combines training for a 5K run with lessons designed to build self-esteem and promote healthy lifestyles.
UI senior Jessica Colwell is a co-council director of Girls on the Run Johnson County and a coach. She said the program focuses on developing individuality, teamwork, and community service in order to combat problems - such as eating disorders and substance abuse - that adolescent girls face growing up.
Girls on the Run Johnson County, the first Iowa chapter of the international organization, consists of two groups of girls who meet twice a week, one at Grant Wood Elementary in Iowa City and the other at Kirkwood Elementary in Coralville.
The girls gathered outside Grant Wood for a recent practice, enduring the cold wind and gray skies. Tricia Seifert, a postdoctoral research scholar in the UI higher education program and coach, began practice by introducing the topic for the day: community.
Seifert instructed the girls to stand in a circle, facing the same direction, and to sit back into the lap of the girls behind them. The girls laughed and yelled, tumbling to the ground as the game ended.
Seifert laughed, brushed leaves off her pants, and related the game to the lesson.
"The more people who you have in your community that are working together, the easier the sit," she said. "But if one person decides 'you know what, I'm not going to do this,' it all starts crumbling down."
Each 5K practice presented the girls with different life lessons to incorporate into their 15-minute run.
"A couple days ago we talked about not smoking and stuff like that," said Katie Dunn, 8, who was at a recent Kirkwood practice. "And we talk about lessons, like gossiping, and after that we do a fun game that belongs to that, and then we do our running."
The coaches said they are excited and amazed by the girls' accomplishments.
"At first bringing Girls on the Run to Iowa seemed overwhelming," said Ginny Buresh, a coach at the Kirkwood location. "But it's a great thing; it's a real need in this age group of girls."
Buresh, Colwell, and Seifert, along with Angela Charsha, Susan Wells, and Kristyn Rose, all with backgrounds in running, worked for more than two years to bring the program to Iowa.
The six women, who act as both the co-council directors and coaches for the program, look forward to expanding the program next semester by training more coaches and adding more locations.
The run is open to the public and all proceeds will go toward program materials and scholarships for girls in need.
E-mail the DI at:
daily-iowan@uiowa.edu
The Wondergirl 5k, scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. in Lower City Park, will be the finale of the first session of Girls on the Run Johnson County. A 12-week after-school program for third- to fifth-grade girls, Girls on the Run combines training for a 5K run with lessons designed to build self-esteem and promote healthy lifestyles.
UI senior Jessica Colwell is a co-council director of Girls on the Run Johnson County and a coach. She said the program focuses on developing individuality, teamwork, and community service in order to combat problems - such as eating disorders and substance abuse - that adolescent girls face growing up.
Girls on the Run Johnson County, the first Iowa chapter of the international organization, consists of two groups of girls who meet twice a week, one at Grant Wood Elementary in Iowa City and the other at Kirkwood Elementary in Coralville.
The girls gathered outside Grant Wood for a recent practice, enduring the cold wind and gray skies. Tricia Seifert, a postdoctoral research scholar in the UI higher education program and coach, began practice by introducing the topic for the day: community.
Seifert instructed the girls to stand in a circle, facing the same direction, and to sit back into the lap of the girls behind them. The girls laughed and yelled, tumbling to the ground as the game ended.
Seifert laughed, brushed leaves off her pants, and related the game to the lesson.
"The more people who you have in your community that are working together, the easier the sit," she said. "But if one person decides 'you know what, I'm not going to do this,' it all starts crumbling down."
Each 5K practice presented the girls with different life lessons to incorporate into their 15-minute run.
"A couple days ago we talked about not smoking and stuff like that," said Katie Dunn, 8, who was at a recent Kirkwood practice. "And we talk about lessons, like gossiping, and after that we do a fun game that belongs to that, and then we do our running."
The coaches said they are excited and amazed by the girls' accomplishments.
"At first bringing Girls on the Run to Iowa seemed overwhelming," said Ginny Buresh, a coach at the Kirkwood location. "But it's a great thing; it's a real need in this age group of girls."
Buresh, Colwell, and Seifert, along with Angela Charsha, Susan Wells, and Kristyn Rose, all with backgrounds in running, worked for more than two years to bring the program to Iowa.
The six women, who act as both the co-council directors and coaches for the program, look forward to expanding the program next semester by training more coaches and adding more locations.
The run is open to the public and all proceeds will go toward program materials and scholarships for girls in need.
E-mail the DI at:
daily-iowan@uiowa.edu
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Bob Cheney
posted 11/30/07 @ 1:12 PM CST
Dear Lauren, The article came out great. Congratulations and keep writing--Bob
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