By Jonathan Bym
Insider Staff Writer
A new local program focused on getting young girls moving and connecting socially will step up to the starting line in the coming weeks.
Girls on the Run has branched out to a Sandhills chapter that serves Moore, Lee and Hoke counties, led by a handful of women wanting to help change the landscape of making to get youth up and moving.
“I wanted to bring it to this area because we didn’t have something like this,” said Megan Falk, the program director of Girls on the Run Sandhills. “All of the after-school programs are sports focused or competitive, and it didn’t seem like there were a lot of programs for just young girls.”
The chapter will operate two programs, Girls on the Run for grades 3 through 5, and Heart and Sole for grades 6 through 8. The curriculum-based programs offer girls abilities to learn how to manage emotions, express empathy, set goals and celebrate their strengths in an inclusive way in a judgment-free environment.
“Those are tough years to be a girl, especially now more than ever,” the club’s executive director Eryn Irrera said. “It’s that girlhood, self-esteem and confidence building that resonates with so many people.”
Girls on the Run is an international organization, focused on getting girls out and moving any way possible.
“It’s Girls on the Run, but we don’t make girls run. You can walk, you can jog, you can hop, you can skip. We just want them to get moving,” Falk said. “Our practices are not just running laps. Yes, it is for the girl who loves to run, but it is also for the girl who doesn’t like to run, but wants to spend time with her friends after school.”
Locations the club meets at are Pinehurst’s Cannon Park Community Center, FirstHealth Fitness Center in Sanford, Upchurch Elementary School in Raeford and The Academy of Moore County in Aberdeen.
“The response was so enthusiastic that we knew we were doing the right thing,” Irrera said.
“I think that, for me, being active was how I made some of my closest friends. It’s also a way that young girls can learn about themselves,” Irrera said. “You build so much self-esteem and confidence in yourself by what you can do.”
For many of the participants, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the lives of the children, and this program offers a way for more social interaction in an outdoor setting.
“Critical development years were missed by a lot of kids to develop social and emotional skills,” Irrera said. “Parents have to be more deliberate to find ways to get kids outside, and this is an easy way to do it.
“Social connections are so much easier built when you have an activity you’re doing.”
The inaugural season began Sept. 22. Participants can register at https://www.girlsontherunsandhills.org/programs. Cost per participant is $175 for the 8-10 week season, and financial assistance is being offered.
Contact Jonathan Bym at (910) 693-2470 or jonathan@thepilot.com.
