Staying the Course
May 10, 2021 10:48AM ● By Katrina Hall
Girls on the Run (GOTR) is a national non-profit organization aimed at building the self-esteem, self-acceptance, and emotional and physical health of school aged girls. The Central Maryland Council is headed by Jessamine Duvall, whose vision for the non profit is “ To inspire girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident girls in a way that integrates physical activity. To accomplish this, Duvall helps the girls to build their ‘Toolbox’ of social-emotional skills that bolster their self-confidence and self-acceptance for a lifetime. She also encourages parents to model active behavior for their kids and join them in exercise, setting an example for generations.
The importance of play, specifically outdoor play, has been highlighted during the long months of quarantine and at home schooling as the influx of COVID-19 infections in 2020 forced many in-person activities to end or become virtual. Parents scrambled to keep their kids active, occupied, and socially involved with their peers. “For a lot of girls it was their only social interaction outside of school. They got a lifeline from it.” Duvall said of the pandemics’ impact on participants in the program. A Mayo Clinic Study echoed those findings in April 2020, stating “Loneliness due to the pandemic is particularly tough on children... kids tend to have a harder time communicating their feelings, and in this situation kids can't rely on familiar coping strategies, such as visiting with friends.”
Ensuring Girls on the Run continued their mission despite the restrictions was no easy feat, and early on seemed impossible. “We went from 1100 girls to just over 300 last fall,” Duvall recalls after the Spring 2020 season had to be cancelled altogether. GOTR continued, but saw a dramatic drop in the number of participants, despite the introduction of a hybrid model of participation. Some of her girls reported a loss of joy until they returned or started GOTR, giving much needed fresh air to stagnant routines and a lack of socialization. Much of what Central Maryland council of GOTR aims to do is teach girls healthy social-emotional interaction, such as conflict resolution, self-advocacy, and self-acceptance, intentionally weaving these lessons into developing what Duvall calls a ‘Mastery Climate”. “That is the difference between externally competitive or team sports and running. It’s personal goals and outperforming yourself, identifying whatever is holding them back and seeing what works.”
GOTR typically holds a culminating 5k event in Columbia at the end of every season, called the Girls on the Run 5K. In past years, the event grew to be as large as 2500 participants, however social distancing has changed some aspects of the race. “This season we will be hosting smaller, team-based 5Ks, with coaches helping to plot the courses and participants keeping track as they accomplish the distance.” says Duvall. The organization hopes to return to holding larger 5ks as vaccinations increase and people become comfortable attending large-scale events again. In the meantime, Duvall has plans for GOTR to expand to offer a summer camp and, potentially, an adult program to follow. “It’s so important for girls to know that they don’t have to be the skinniest, or the smartest, or the most popular. They can find and build their own Star Power and recognize their own unique gifts and their limitless potential!”
