Blog

Each Girls on the Run season, caring, trained coaches lead girls through our research-based curriculum that helps girls build confidence, develop vital skills, and foster friendships. Their generosity, kindness, and encouragement bring our mission to life and make our afterschool program possible. Learn more about several returning coaches and why coaching has become a bright spot in their lives. 

One season of Girls on the Run is all it takes for some volunteer coaches to open a new door of purpose. Many GOTR coaches start with a desire to give back, stay active, and make a difference in the next generation. After leading their first few lessons, coaches often find the experience much deeper and more eye-opening than expected. What began as a goal to empower girls frequently becomes a source of empowerment for the coaches themselves. With each passing practice, coaches continue to discover why this community is for them and why our programs are essential for today’s girls.  

Hearing girls share their ideas highlights the importance of a safe, judgment-free space where their voices matter, while watching new friends connect shows why belonging is essential. Seeing girls discover they can do hard things reminds us of the power of learning skills that build confidence.

These moments aren’t just heartwarming for GOTR coaches; they are transformative and stick with them long after practice concludes.  

Ask most coaches, and they’ll agree it’s hard not to smile on your way home from practice. Reflecting on the laughter shared, the support offered, and the lessons taught has its own share of benefits outside of the initial sense of warmth. It inspires coaches to set new goals, nurture their mental health needs, embrace the joy of movement, and love what makes them, them. A recent external study confirmed that just as girls build confidence and skills during the season, coaches also reap many personal and professional benefits! 

In this blog, we are thrilled to spotlight 14 returning coaches and their “whys” for continuing to lead Girls on the Run teams in their communities. Season after season, they show up with compassion and enthusiasm, creating welcoming environments where girls can thrive. Because of their commitment, 5K finish line dreams become realities. Their willingness to return repeatedly is a powerful reminder of the program’s impact on the girls and the adults who cheer them on.  

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” 

Maya Angelou, Poet and Civil Rights Activist 

Why it matters: Gratitude creates a ripple effect. Giving and receiving with open hearts helps entire communities thrive. 

“The more one does and sees and feels, the more one is able to do, and the more genuine may be one’s appreciation of fundamental things like home, and love, and understanding companionship.” 

Amelia Earhart, Aviation Pioneer

Why it matters: Gratitude deepens with experience, reminding us to value the simple, essential parts of what makes us human. 

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” 

Oprah Winfrey, Author, Television Host, and Philanthropist

Why it matters: Gratitude shifts our focus toward abundance and helps us recognize the good already in our lives. 

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.” 

Helen Keller, Author and Disability Rights Advocate

Why it matters: Gratitude gives us the courage to face challenges with hope and choose light over darkness. 

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” 

Melody Beattie, Author

Why it matters: Gratitude transforms the ordinary into something meaningful, reminding us that joy, connection, and comfort often come from appreciating what we already have. 

“Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths, or the turning of our face to the sunshine.” 

Etty Hillesum, Writer and Holocaust Diarist

Why it matters: Gratitude helps us notice and embrace the small, sometimes discarded moments that bring peace and perspective. 

“Gratitude is accepting the full breadth of life, even the parts that are hard.” 

Roxane Gay, Author and Cultural Critic

Why it matters: True gratitude embraces life’s joys and struggles and the resilience we build throughout the journey. 

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” 

Dolly Parton, Singer-Songwriter, Philanthropist, and Actress

Why it matters: Gratitude helps us see today’s challenges as necessary stepping-stones to brighter tomorrows. 

“Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” 

Margaret Cousins, Educator and Suffragist 

Why it matters: Small acts of appreciation can have lasting impacts.  

“I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness – it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.” 

Brené Brown, Author, Researcher & Professor

Why it matters: Gratitude helps us slow down, pay attention, and recognize the beauty of simple, everyday life. 

Investing in young people today, creates a stronger, more equitable and inclusive future for all tomorrow.

No matter your age or stage in life, it is undeniable that most of us can use a boost in our physical, mental and emotional health. Life can be daunting and downright exhausting, so taking a beat to take care of yourself is a HUGE must-have during these unpredictable days.