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Dear Carol,
Another mom and I would like to start a running club at our
kids' elementary school this fall. We've gotten the official OK from the PE
teacher, and principal. We're both runners, and know of other parents who
run that can help out. We need a plan!!!! Are there any specific schools
and teachers/volunteers that we could contact about how to structure our
program? I'm getting some great ideas from the kids running website--great
idea!--but I need to talk to someone about specifics. I'm a former school
teacher who now is a stay-at-home mommy, and I just have to have a lesson
plan! Our school has over 1000 children and is in a middle class
neighborhood.
Thanks SO much for your time and help with this matter! Look forward to
hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Susan
South Carolina
Dear
Susan,
If 'I' was starting a club, at an elementary school this is what I would
do:
1. I'd make it a mileage club. I'd map out a 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile, and 1
mile
routes, whether I had a track or not. I'm assuming you want a mileage program and not a
'competitive' team, but I'm not sure.
2. I'd plan my incentives...toe tokens, or something else...I'd also hand
out the Log-a-Mile charts available on this Web site and award them with
the kidsrunning.com blue ribbons when they reach 100 miles or something that parents or a sponsor donates. If you have younger children in your program, you'll probably want to award them in some way when they read 25 miles, or 26.2 (marathon).
3. I'd plan an event for the spring, a mile fun or something like that.
4. I'd design a singlet, or tee shirt that they could earn after
attending so many practices. I'd let them know that they are responsible to
bring a water bottle, or I'd plan on who would take turns bringing a sports
drink.
5. Then I'd structure my day...will they be meeting for an hour or two
after
school?? It'll be hard for anyone to tell you exactly how to structure
groups until you know who and how many are coming, but the Cheetahs divide
into 2 groups and they have a big club. The real little ones are together
(ages 4 - 7? perhaps) and the older kids are together.
Structure:
talking
warm-up laps
stretches
some running (and means for counting laps and tracking mileage)
a game (relay races, any games found on site, any outdoor game adapted
for running)
drills (butt kicks, striders, fast feet (see Boemker speaks for drill ideas) )
cool down
stretches
journal writing (weather, how they did, thoughts, etc. etc.)
I'd figure on groups if I'm getting kids of all ages.
I'd start compiling games, I'd visit local track clubs/teams to learn
the drills. etc. etc.
Now, this is what I'd do and I think I'd be OK, it's similar to what I've
done with my kids but it's more structured.
As for people you can talk to, we will soon be putting a coach and parents' forum on the site for the purpose of sharing information. I'm hoping that it will be up before school starts in the fall.
Run for a lifetime,
Carol Goodrow
kidsrunning.com
Please let us know about your program after you get started.
 Note from the kid's editor:
Running is natural for young kids, but they still can use guidance when starting a running program.  Photo of Matthew Linde, RW, Carol Goodrow, KR, and Parker Morse, RW at Runner's World, Emmaus, PA, July 2000, by Melanie Strong, RW.
Do you have any questions about your child's running program? If you do email Coach Mick at coach.mick@rodale.com with questions about your child's training. Feel free to email the kid's editor at rwedit@rodale.com with other running questions or with comments on this column.
 
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