Running for Self-Esteem
Counselors
Kimeya Courts-Chapman, M. S., LPC-Intern
kcourtschapman@dpisd.org
832-668-7515
Denise Batchelor, M. Ed.
dbatchelor@dpisd.org
 Deer
Park Junior High
 Deer
Park, Texas
 Deer Park ISD
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850 Students
6th – 8th Grade
74% White
23% Hispanic
2%
Black
1% Asian
23% Economically Disadvantaged
13% (113 students) Special Education
 Girls
on the Run began for 3rd-5th grade girls
 When girls wanted to continue in middle
school, Girls on Track was added for 6th-8th
grade girls
 Video
 Started
1996
 Founder is Molly Barker, a triathlete, former
high school teacher, track coach, and college
counselor
 Molly used running to overcome anorexia and
alcohol addiction
 Molly created the Girls on the Run curriculum
to help girls break out of the “Girl Box,”
which tells them the way they look is more
important then who they are on the inside
A short training for the
coach(es) required
 Groups of 6-15 girls
 24 Lesson Curriculum
 10 or 12 week session
 Twice weekly sessions
 Fall session from August to
December
 Spring session from January to
May
 Cumulating event is a 5K run
with Running Buddies

 Video
 Gain
an understanding of
themselves
 Identify strengths and abilities
 Set goals
 Explore importance of being
physically, mentally, and
emotionally healthy
 Examine what makes them
unique
 Get
along with others
 Learn active listening and assertion skills
 Think positively
 Recognize importance of standing up for
oneself
 Examine importance of good decision-making
skills
Analyze the messages girls get from the media
 Explore their own stereotyping
 Explore their responsibility to the community
 Be empowered to change their environment in a
positive manner
 Create and implement a community project

 Video
 Getting
on Board: Circle discussion time
 Warm-Up Activity: Focuses on the topic
 Processing: Question and answer time
following the warm-up, done while
stretching
 Workout: Running workouts that
incorporate a game or team goal
 Processing: Q and A and stretching
 Wrap Up: Energy Awards and other positive
comments
 Cheers
to praise others and recognize positive
behavior
 Announcement for each winner
 Small prize
 Examples: The Surfer, Superstar, The
Lawnmower, The Firecracker, WOW, Pencil
Sharpener, Fan-tastic, Shopping Cart
Introductory Discussion:
 What is Media?
 What impact does media have on you, your
friends, your community?
 Has anyone seen or heard anything on the
media that has made them angry or
uncomfortable?
Warm-up:
 Discuss how sex and domination of females is
used to sell products and entertain.
 Explain the 5 ways media portrays women
unequal to men
1. Body Parts
2. Off-Balance
3. Clowning
4. Superiority
5. Control
 Treats
women’s bodies as separate parts
(eyes, legs, breasts)
 Suggests woman’s body is not connected to
her feelings
 Women
standing in off-balance or awkward
positions
 Pose suggests submissiveness, sexual
willingness, and weakness
 Women
shown as playful and childish
 Suggests women can not be taken seriously
 Women
positioned behind or beneath men or
sized smaller than men
 Suggests men have control over women
 Women
shown with a man where it looks like
man could hurt her
 Suggests women must be dominated and kept
under control
 Divide
into groups of five
 Give each runner a card with one
of the 5 media tactics
 Show a picture from a magazine
illustrating one of the tactics
 Girl with correct media tactic runs
to you and back to group
 Points for first correct answer
 Girls
answer a question after each lap she
runs
1. List two things you can do to make a
difference if you are angered by an
advertisement.
2. Write three of the tactics used by the
media to portray women as sexual objects.
3. Word unscramble.
4. Word find.
5. Fill in blank.
 Video
Girls on Track Results
120
100
80
60
100
88
40
88
77
65
88
After
67
51
20
0
Satisfied with
Physical
self
activity feels
good
Believes in
abilities
Before
Accepts
Criticism
120
100
80
60
Before
After
40
20
0
Scared about Think a lot
weight
about weight
Sticks to
dreams
Important to
listen
 Video
 Improved
self-esteem
 Improved body size satisfaction
 No statistically significant
increase in team sport
participation
 No statistically significant
increase in number of days being
physically active
 No statistically significant
increase in positive attitudes
about physical activity
 $125
per student
 Cost is negotiable if
student is unable to pay
 $20 for race registration
 Video
 Community
service project for Girls on Track
 No set membership
 Girls only
 Once a month trips to paint nails of local
nursing home residents
DeBate, R.D. (2006). Girls on the Run:
Formative evaluation report.
www.girlsontherun.org
Girls on the Run Coaches Training Manual
Girls on Track Curriculum