By Brittany Selbert
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans recently teamed up with Girls on the Run, a youth development program that teaches dynamic life skills to girls in third through eighth grades, hosting a coaches training session at Saint Thomas Sports Park.
Girls on the Run is dedicated to assisting children by engaging in conversation-based lessons and participating in running games. Certified coaches meet twice a week with their team of 8-15 girls to teach the 24-lesson curriculum. At the season's conclusion, the girls participate in a 5k race which allows them to establish a framework for setting and achieving life goals.
The Titans host a training session for the non-profit group, Girls on the Run. (Photos: Brittany Selbert)
"We work after school at Middle Tennessee area schools, training girls to have good self-esteem and make good choices all through the vehicle of running," said Tiffany Patton, executive director of Girls on the Run.
Over 20 coaches participated in the training and learned the curriculum of the program. Each lesson was accompanied by an activity that took place at the Titans indoor practice field. Some of the activities included getting to know one another and understanding how to value what's really important.
"It was great to be able to use the field when we went through the curriculum and have an actual lesson with all the coaches so they could get to know the structure, how to facilitate conversation and do different warm-ups," said Corrie Anderson, communications committee chair member for Girls on the Run. "We also learned about the PLAY60 App, which I'm really excited to use at practice; I think it will be great."
Girls on the Run continues to attract more participants every year and truly makes an impact on each and every girl.
"I think the program is really needed in this area," explained Adria Delaune, head coach for Girls on the Run. "Just having watched what it has done in the lives of the girls that were on our team last year, it has made them more confident, more social and it's a lot of fun for them."
The spring season will begin Feb. 2nd and the coaches are now equipped to teach the long-standing values of the program.
"These are girls who are going to grow up with confidence and know they can do whatever they put their minds to," said Patton. "They'll know how to deal with challenges and difficult situations….those are the kind of people we want leading our communities in the future."
About Girls on the Run
Girls on the Run was founded in 1996 in Charlotte, N.C. The program provides pre-adolescent girls with the necessary tools to embrace their individual strengths and navigate through life experiences. With the help of over 55,000 volunteers, the program is now serving 130,000 girls in more than 200 cities across North America.
