Oh do I wish that I had something like Girls on the Run when I was growing up! As a little girl with severe ADHD (emphasis on the hyperactive part) who often struggled with emotional regulation and self-esteem, I was always in search of physical and emotional outlets. Soccer and running became critical tools for me to manage emotion and channel the strengths and weaknesses that my unique brain gave me.

My background inspired my passion to pursue a bachelors of science in psychology and a special focus in development. Interning with Girls on the Run combines my passion for child development and girls’ sports. It has provided me with the opportunity to give young girls the services that I wish I’d had. Social barriers can keep girls from being able to run free with curiosity about themselves and the world, or play sports confidently and fearlessly. I am so grateful to be able to work with Girls on the Run and slowly bridge these gaps one mile at a time.

I will never forget my first season coaching at Woodman West Apartments. I had some first day jitters, but mostly felt excited and extremely prepared from attending the in-person coaching and online training modules. I expected to coach girls who were excited and passionate about running like I was at that age. Instead, the 4 girls I met that first day had little interested in running, but who I could tell straight away were extremely unique and awesome girls. I had underestimated the fact that getting the girls excited about running and the social emotional learning would be a process built on trust. Week after week, watching them grow – not only as runners but in confidence, teamwork, and character – was incredibly rewarding.

And then came the 5K. It was the moment where the girls were able to put everything they had been working for into action. For me as a coach, it was a chance to celebrate an incredible season that changed both their lives and mine. It was so inspiring to see the confidence and pure joy that fueled the girls through each mile. In the beginning of the season, it was hard to motivate some girls to run a single lap. At the 5K, I could barely keep up with them. The 4 girls, my co-coach Priscilla, and I crossed the finish line hand-in-hand. I remember the girls jumping up and down with their metals shouting, “I did it!” The 5K showed them how hard work and skills building could allow them to accomplish something they never thought possible. While we hugged and cheered, there was a layer of sadness on all of us in the fact that this would be our last day with each other.

Upon coaching my third season, I now know that although saying goodbye to the incredible girls you work side by side with each week is painful, it never truly leaves you. The lessons and impacts of each season will stay with me for the rest of my life.