coach quote

No! Girls on the Run provides the training, curriculum and supplies needed to safely lead a team for a season! You simply need to be a motivating role model for your team. Many of our coaches participate in their first 5K alongside their team!

No. But here is our policy:

• At least one female coach over the age of 21 must be present at all times.
• All other coaches must be at least 18 years of age.
• Junior Coaches must be at least 16 years of age and female.

A minimum of one coach per team must have CPR and First Aid certification on file by the first session of any given season and be present at every practice.

Yes! Community coaches are individuals not directly affiliated with a school or community location who support the Girls on the Run mission. Community coaches are placed according to their geographic location and their availability at sites that need additional coaches.

No! We provide you with training, curriculum and supplies – everything needed to coach a safe, successful season! You should not incur any personal costs to provide the program to your team.

Our council provides each program location with the curriculum and supplies needed to facilitate the season. We will contact coaches to arrange pick-up for their team’s materials.  

Coach training includes online self-paced training and an in-person training session. We will provide more information about coach training before the season begins. See season details on coach page above.

Coaches must attend and lead 90-minute practices twice per week for 10 weeks. To provide a consistent experience to participants, your commitment is crucial to prepare and collaborate with co-coaches to facilitate fun, successful lessons. Each season culminates with a team-led community project and celebratory 5K event.  

In addition to the two to three coaches who are 18 years of age or older, some teams may also have a Junior Coach assigned. Junior Coaches are high school volunteers between the ages 16-18 who complete an application and training. They are role models and developing leaders who support the adult coaches and mentor the team. 

Teams may practice at designated parks, recreation and community centers, homes and schools. The location and times are approved prior to participant registration each season. Practice times are typically set in the late afternoon/early evening hours (to accommodate participants after school). 

Coaches may indicate where they would like to coach. If coaches do not have a preference, we will assign them to a location in need. 

Absolutely! The more, the merrier! Each Girls on the Run team is led by two to three trained coaches, and sometimes a Junior Coach. If you would like to coach at an existing site with another applicant, please mention this in your application and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Our middle school program, Heart & Sole, is designed to get girls talking.  Heart & Sole creates a positive, structured space for middle school girls to learn about themselves, explore new ideas, cultivate empathy, strengthen connections and develop skills that will help them as they move through adolescence and beyond.  For this reason Heart & Sole teams are best if facilitated by teachers, social workers or professional counselors.  As you can imagine, middle school girls may feel awkward having parents as coaches.

Absolutely!  We have a Subtitutes Coach Program to support our GOTR full time coaches if they have to miss a practice. We ask that coaches miss no more than 4 practices during the season.