Each spring, Girls on the Run and Heart & Sole teams gather across our community. Girls move, connect, set goals, navigate challenges, and build skills they can carry with them long after the season ends.
According to school leaders who see that growth firsthand, the impact doesn’t stay within the team. It shows up in classrooms, relationships, family involvement, and the culture of an entire school community.
Confidence That Carries into the Classroom
One of the changes principals notice most is growing confidence and self-esteem.
Tim, a local principal, described seeing an “overwhelming boost in self-esteem” among participants. As girls grow more confident, they become more willing to try new things, take chances, and pursue new opportunities—including trying out for school sports.
Lindsey, another local principal, sees that confidence carrying directly into the classroom:
“Many teachers have noticed that our girls who participate become more confident in the classroom setting. They start to answer more questions and share their thinking.”
Lindsey also sees that growth extend to leadership, as participants become more involved at school and set positive examples for those around them.
Building Connection Across the School Community
The impact reaches beyond individual participants. As girls encourage and support one another, principals see that positivity spread across campus.
Families also become more connected to the school through the program. Lindsey shared:
“Our families become more engaged in our school. Our practice 5K brings so many family and friends, which in return builds excitement around the program. It also creates excitement for our own staff.”
Staff feel that connection, too. Tim has seen coaching create opportunities for staff members to build strong bonds and camaraderie while strengthening their relationships with students and the broader school community.
More Than an After-School Program
For both principals, Girls on the Run is about much more than what happens during practice. Lindsey shared that her team reached participant capacity this year and that she loves seeing interest in the program continue to grow year after year.
When asked what she would tell another principal considering Girls on the Run, Lindsey shared:
“It is more than just an after-school program. Our girls are learning to become more confident, compassionate, and resilient. These qualities impact our whole campus and each of these families.”
Girls on the Run and Heart & Sole give schools an opportunity to create a space where girls build confidence, strengthen relationships, and challenge themselves—with an impact that can reach far beyond the team.
Ready to bring Girls on the Run or Heart & Sole to your community this spring? Site and coach applications are due October 1.