Active SWV Kids Running Club
Active Southern West Virginia completed its first elementary school running club pilot program in partnership with Valley Elementary School in Smithers, Fayette County, West Virginia fall 2015. Forty students experienced 6 weeks of training and will continue each semester with a running club.
We are now looking for five elementary or middle schools in each of the 4 counties we represent; Fayette, Raleigh, Nicholas and Summers. Could your school be the elementary or middle school to represent your County? Apply today!
The Active SWV Kids Run program believes in the value of encouraging youth to be physically active on a daily basis. Families in our region face many challenges and the staff at Active SWV are ready to facilitate the programs needed to strengthen our region.
Modeled after the Richmond Sportsbackers program, Kids Run RVA, our coach’s instruction manual includes advice for recruiting volunteer teachers and parents, training schedules with warm up and cool down games, and race day guidelines and permission slips. Sportsbackers has been successful in getting thousands of students running over the last 10 years.
Get ready to cheer on some schools who have stepped up to make the time for their students to have a lot of fun being physically active.
Ansted Middle School: PE Teacher Kate Miller is leading the effort at AMS with a running club that meets twice a week after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Starting January 28th, 26 students stayed after school to be part of the running club. This club will continue to grow through the school year with the mission to create healthy, lasting habits. There is no race planned yet and that is just fine. The goal here is to instill a healthy lifestyle with no end date.
Sign in chart with completed laps, dynamic warm up laps you can’t resist smiling through, fitness stations in-between sprints (Russian twists are always a hit), reiteration that walking is fine, team laps to build support for each other, and a cool down explaining the importance of stretching our muscles gives students and faculty a quality workout.
Summersville Elementary School: Thanks to the cooperation from Jody LeRose, a RESA 4 Wellness Specialist, and Principal Butcher, Summersville Elementary School will have their first kids running club starting on April 14th meeting once a week after school. They will follow the Active SWV Kids Running Club Manual to prepare for a one mile race on May 26th. The city of Summersville will be asked to come out and support the kids and our mission of impacting healthy lifestyles throughout the region.
Valley Elementary School: Round Two: “The kids ask about the running club every day and I have some great ideas to improve our teaching topics,” says Principal Harrah. Permission slips will go out in March with the club starting back up after spring break. The VES race day will extend an invitation/challenge to area schools to participate with them in May.
Not Interested In Running? How about a morning walking group, hallway fitness route, or after school walking club?
Beckly-Straton Middle School: Teacher Vicki Webb is a real go-getter when it comes to envisioning more for the students and understanding the balance of academics with physical activity. Vicki has a successful walking group that makes laps around the school each morning stopping at fitness stations for stretches and exercises.
Our region faces many challenges and we need to be healthy physically and mentally to overcome obstacles. Providing our communities with the resources leaders need to be successful is our mission. Will you help lead your community? Contact us.
