Girls on the Run has been an incredibly successful program for the Y, with hundreds of girls participating in the two annual 5Ks in the spring and the fall….and more importantly, gaining confidence, self-esteem, and an awareness of healthy choices through the material shared at the weekly meetings.
But until this year, there’s been no similar program for boys. That’s changing with a test run of STRIDE at South Oakland YMCA. The running program for boys in grades 3-5 kicks off with a 6 p.m. session Monday at South Oakland where parents and their sons can come and see what the program is about and participate in their first practice run.
STRIDE, which is an acronym for Success, Teamwork, Respect, Inspiration, Determination, and Excellence of Character, started at the YMCA in Brandywine, PA and has since spread throughout the country. It’s similar to Girls on the Run in that each session starts with a discussion of character-building topics before a training run. Some of the issues addressed include bullying, what makes a good friend, healthy eating, and goal-setting.
It’s really about helping to set boys on a path to becoming men with character, says Jason Johnson, a personal trainer at the South Oakland Y who is running the program.”There’s an ongoing dialogue in our branch about how to address our youth population,” he says. “I have an interest in a conversation about boys becoming men and what that looks like.”
The age group is the same as that reached by Girls on The Run, which gives the adults in their lives a chance to instill these character building lessons while they are still young enough to be profoundly influenced about the kind of person they wish to be. Good character education and role modeling at this age makes a difference in setting boys on the path of positive choices.
The fall season culminates with a 5K in November. If it’s successful STRIDE could roll out to other Y branches. Cost for the program is $110, and financial assistance is available for those who qualify.