2. Mission
We inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and
confident, using a fun, experience-based
curriculum which creatively integrates
running.
3. Core Values
Girls on the Run honors its core values. We strive to:
Recognize our power and responsibility to be intentional in
our decision making
Embrace our differences and find strength in our
connectedness
Express joy, optimism and gratitude through our words,
thoughts and actions
Nurture our physical, emotional and spiritual health
Lead with an open heart and assume positive intent
Stand up for ourselves and others
4. Girls on the Run Philosophy &
Approach
Girls on the Run is a physical activity-based
positive youth development program (PA-PYD)
designed to develop and enhance girls’ social,
psychological, and physical competencies to
successfully navigate life experiences
A PA-PYD program provides the content,
structure, training, and motivating elements to
promote healthy lifestyles and prevent risky
behaviors
5. Trained and Supportive Coaches and Volunteers…
Girls
Learn
Life
Skills
CARING
CONFIDENCE
CHARACTERCONNECTION
COMPETENCE
CONNECTION
1
CARING
CHARACTER
CONFIDENCE
2
4
COMPETENCE
CONTRIBUTION
3
Promotion of physical, mental, social, and
spiritual health outcomes AND prevention of
unhealthy and risky outcomes
The “5 C’s + 1”
6. What’s new for GOTrack?
GOTR International will create and pilot at NEW Girls on
Track curriculum in 2015. We’ll keep you updated with
any news or developments!
8. Preparing to Coach
Read lesson several days before practice
Identify lesson “nuggets”
Visualize activities and how to set up
Prepare for processing
Identify fun elements for each lesson
Note card or cheat sheet
Organize/get materials; only take what is needed
Communicate with coaching team before
practice and identify opportunities for all coaches
to contribute
Quietly prepare just before lesson
9. General Tips for Effective Processing
Use observations from group activities to guide
Atmosphere open and okay for all comments
Use listening skills, be present!
Hold the space and re-direct as needed
Be flexible but structured
Include the more shy or quiet girls
10. Time Management
General Time Management Tips:
Start and end on time
Anticipate amount of time per activity ahead of time
Have materials organized and ready
Suggestions for getting back on track…
Don’t ask every processing question
Allow fewer girls to answer each question
Keep things moving
Don’t do every example provided
11. Creating an Environment that
Supports Positive Youth Development
Key Concept How
Emotional Safety • Encourage girls to be respectful of themselves and
others
• Address any negative interactions/behaviors
Belonging and Relationships • Learn every girl’s name
• Cooperative games and activities
• Join in activities with the girls
• Facilitate interactions among girls
Value Diversity • Self-awareness of your own lens/perspective
• Ensure cultural sensitivity and appreciate diversity –
use inclusive language
Have consistent and clear
expectations
• Start/end on time (have supplies ready)
• Follow lesson structure
• Co-create expectations with girls
12. Creating an Environment that
Supports Positive Youth Development
Key Concept How
Setting individual goals and
applying effort over time
• Personal Goals & 5k
• Community Impact Project
Freedom of choice • Allow youth to make decisions/choices
Focus on skill-building • Opportunities to learn and practice physical skills
and life skills
• Provide individual feedback
Create a mastery motivational
climate
• Focus on individual improvement and mastery of
skills (rather than competition and comparison)
Motivation from within • Foster relationships and sense of belonging
• Autonomy support (foster a sense of choice)
• Focus on individual improvement and effort
14. Youth Protection Policy
Staff and volunteers will not initiate contact with or accept
supervisory responsibility for youth outside of Girls on the Run
programs and activities (i.e.: babysitting).
Staff and volunteers will not communicate with youth outside of
Girls on the Run programs via written, electronic or other means
without express approval.
Staff and volunteers will appear and behave in a manner
consistent with the mission, vision and core values of Girls on the
Run at all times while acting as a representative of Girls on the
Run, including electronic, written and verbal communications.
15. Threatening Behavior / Bullying Policy
Any participant, coach or volunteer who experiences,
observes or has knowledge of threatening or violent
behavior in the program has a responsibility to report the
situation as soon as possible to appropriate parties
including guardians, school or site administrators and
applicable law enforcement.
Any child engaged in behavior that threatens the health or
welfare of other participants will be released from
participating in the program as a participant by
administrators or coaches.
16. Curriculum Copyright
Don’t copy the curriculum
Don’t use the curriculum for a different
program or to lead your own program outside
of GOTR.
Don’t share the curriculum with people who
are not GOTR coaches. This includes the
electronic copies available online.
Don’t keep the curriculum!!
17. Logo Usage Guidelines
Don’t get anything with the GOTR
logo made without sending it to your
council director for approval.
18. Solicitation Policy
All information collected by GOTR (includes
participants, e-mail addresses, etc) is
proprietary and is managed as such.
Employees and volunteers may NOT solicit
members or distribute literature for any
purpose outside of the GOTR program.
19. Late pick-up / Absentee /
Transportation policies
Make these policies clear in the initial parent
meeting, e-mail, newsletter, etc.
Sample documents are available on coaches
corner.
Parental/guardian concerns with either of these
policies should be directed to the Council
Director.
The coach should notify the Council Director
before making a final decision.
20. Late Guardian Policy
Guardians are expected to pick up their child
from GOTR lessons within 10 minutes of the
close of session.
1st occurrence – verbal reminder
2nd occurrence – verbal reminder & written
email or note acknowledging the policy
3rd occurrence – participant will no longer be
allowed to participate in GOTR
21. Absentee Policy
No more than 4 absences are allowed
Remind parents of the policy after girl misses
first two practices
It’s always a good idea to call or email the
parent if a girl misses practice without
informing you
22. Transportation Policy
GOTR volunteers are NOT to transport any
participant (outside of immediate family) in a vehicle
when operating in the capacity of a volunteer.
If a participant will be picked up by someone
OTHER than a legal guardian, the guardian must
provide advance notice and written permission.
Transportation permission slips examples provided
on pg. 17
23. Running Buddy Policy
It is recommended that all program
participants be accompanied by a Running
Buddy over the age of 18 for an official
Girls on the Run race
Under-age running buddies may
participate upon parent’s request
Any running buddy provided by the coach
or council must submit to a background
check
24. Substitute Coaches
Council Director must be notified if any
situation will leave fewer than 2 coaches
present.
Coaches should never supply their own
substitutes without prior discussion with the
council staff.
25. Inclusion Policy
If a participant has a disability and requires
assistance or additional care, the Girls on the
Run council is responsible for providing
assistance, provided that this does not create
an undue burden for the council.
Parents/caregivers are encouraged to serve
as volunteers on the team in which their
daughter participates, to guarantee adequate
oversight and assistance for the participant.
26. Political Affiliations Policy
501(c)3 organizations cannot participate in
any political campaign on behalf of and
candidate for public office.
Don’t wear your GOTR gear at any political
events, fundraisers, rallies, etc.
Don’t post anything political on the GOTR
facebook page or in your role as a coach.
27. Endorsement Policy
GOTR councils are discouraged from
partnering with any pageant contestants or
winners who want to use GOTR as their
platform.
28. Spokesperson Policy
All national media proposals must go through
GOTR International.
The Council Director is the main contact for all
local media – CD can direct the media interest to
the appropriate person.
You are ALL unofficial spokespeople!
› Practice your “elevator speech”
› Post pictures, flyers, etc
› Promote GOTR on social media (facebook, twitter,
etc)
29. Transgender Policy
If a child identifies as a girl, and the parents identify
the child as a girl, then the child is welcome to
participate in Girls on the Run.
All coaches will support transgendered youth with
fair and equal treatment, without bias and in a
professional and confidential manner.
Coaches must also use reasonable efforts to protect
transgendered participants from being discriminated
against or harassed.
Transgendered status of Girls on the Run participants
shall be considered confidential.
30. Privacy Policy
We won’t share your contact information with
unrelated third parties.
GOTR may share your information if it is legally
required.
You are expected to protect your team’s contact
information and are not permitted to share it with
any other party.
Please be especially careful with information
regarding scholarship status.
31. Lost Child Policy
1. As soon as a coach notices a child missing from the group,
notify the rest of the coaches and carefully search all the areas
used by the group.
2. Contact the senior staff member at the site location to organize
a search of the site and surrounding areas.
3. If the child is not found, police authorities must be alerted.
4. If the child is not found during these efforts, the child’s parents
should be contacted and updated every few minutes.
5. As soon as a child is found, contact the parent/guardian and
alert everyone else that was involved during the search efforts.
6. An Accident/Incident Report must also be submitted to the
respective council and a Crisis Management Report must also
be submitted to Girls on the Run International.
32. Confidentiality Policy
Employees, volunteers, and Board Members are
bound by ethical and legal codes to protect the
confidentiality and privacy of our participants,
donors and volunteers and to protect and maintain
the confidentiality of all information learned.
Employees, volunteers, board members and
contractors must exercise good judgment and care
at all times to avoid unauthorized or improper
disclosures of confidential information.
33. Sexual Abuse &
Molestation Policy
Please refer to pg. 23 of your coach manual for
details
What do I do if a student discloses abuse to me?
REPORT IT!
Mandated reporters must report abuse or neglect
“when in their professional capacity the person
has received information which gives the person
reason to believe that a child’s health or well
being has been or may be endangered by abuse
or neglect…”
34. Do I need proof?
NO!
Your suspicion of child abuse or neglect is enough to
make a report. You are not required to provide proof.
SC law protects individuals who make good faith reports
of child abuse.
Your decision to report must be done with reasonable
belief in “good faith” and “without malice.”
35. Protect Yourself
NEVER be alone with a child.
Do not allow or engage in inappropriate touching
of any form.
Don’t initiate physical contact – every child has
different comfort levels.
36. Tips for Reporting
Make the report as soon as possible.
DO NOT wait for proof.
DO NOT try to investigate yourself or
excessively question the child.
Notify council director immediately.
If you are employed at the location where
you coach, follow facility procedures
AND notify council director.
37. For more information or Questions…
Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands
www.stsm.org
Office: (803) 790-8208
24-Hr Crisis: (803) 771-RAPE or (800) 491-RAPE
38. Crisis Management
Type 1: A minor injury or event that can be resolved within the Council
and its immediate resources. It has a limited duration and little or no
impact on Girls on the Run operations.
Minor injuries from Girls on the Run related events that do not require
professional treatment.
Transportation issues
Type 2: A major incident that involves considerable coordination between
the Girls on the Run community and external assistance.
Injuries resulting from GOTR related events requiring professional treatment
Missing Child
Type 3: A catastrophic emergency event involving the entire
Girls on the Run community and local areas. Immediate
resolution of the event is beyond the emergency response
capabilities of Girls on the Run Council and local resources.
Natural Disasters
39. Responding to Type 1 , Type 2 & Type 3
Crises
1. Acquire information about what happened
2. Make appropriate calls
If the situation is NOT life-threatening nor does it require
immediate professional attention, call the parents or listed
emergency contact FIRST
3. Stabilize the situation
4. Contact other Parents/Guardians
5. Post incident follow up
1. Follow up with injured parties
2. File crisis response form for a Type 2 crisis
41. Fall 2014 Important Dates
July 1 - Returning Site Applications Due
July 24 - Returning Coach Meeting
August 20 - Make-Up Returning Coach Meeting
September 2 - Season begins
October 12 &15 - MidSeason Meetings
November 22- GOTR End-of-Season 5k
42. Scholarships
New, streamlined scholarship process:
Scholarship questions are included on the electronic &
paper registration forms.
If a family wants to know whether they will qualify for
a scholarship BEFORE completing the form, they must
contact GOTR and provide their annual income &
number of people in household.
