Girls on the Run

Ten-year-old Taylor Runge was fatigued as she made her way around the pond at American Legion Park in Sidney for the fifth time. The goal was 11 laps, which equated to a 5K run, and would be her first time attempting that distance.

Her run slowed to her a jog, and eventually a walk, but never did she stop.

"You're going great," Wes, her father, said as he kept pace with her. He was just as, if not more, tired as his daughter, but he wanted Taylor to see it through.

Taylor is one of 19 girls participating in the Sidney chapter of Girls on the Run, a nationwide program created for girls in the third through fifth grades to help them build self-confidence and learn to deal with everyday life issues such as bullying, making friends, staying away from gossip and more.

"This is Sidney's first year," Coach Monica Smith said. "Most of our girls are from Sidney. Dalton and Scottsbluff have their own chapters."

Monica Smith coaches the team alongside Karissa Lemoncelli, Amber Smith and Sierra Klimesh. She said she and Lemoncelli had both participated in the program as "running buddies" while in college in eastern Iowa and Oregon respectively, and felt that it would be a good fit for Sidney.

"We saw how much it impacted the girls where we came from," Monica Smith said. "When they first come in, they are a bit shaky in their confidence, and by the end they are just so proud of themselves."

Lemoncelli said she has been happy with the number of girls participating in the program, especially with it being the initial year.

"For our first year, we were expecting maybe 10," she said. "We are extremely grateful for everyone who has been out here with us."

During the ten-week program, the group meets twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays, after school, beginning each session with in-room practice scenarios and curriculum.

"They're entering the age where there's bullying and insecurities," Monica Smith said. "We're trying to teach them to accept who they are and to be accepting of everybody. I think that's a really valuable lesson to teach girls."

The "run" part of Girls on the Run comes from the group exercise they also do every time they meet where they run laps together around the pond at the park. Amber Smith said exercise can be an "easy release," a way to clear their mind and help cope with life.

"We try to have the girls focus on positive outcomes of running, whether it be running with a friend, a group of friends, or even alone," she said. "Just making certain that you are thinking of other things rather than how tired you are, or how much your legs hurt."

Amber Smith, who has a daughter of her own participating in the program, said she understands that not everyone likes to run. Even so, she said the program is for every girl.

"We teach them that it's okay to walk, do cartwheels or do anything," she said. "As long as they are pushing forward."

Monica Smith said having the girls practice running around the pond is a huge benefit for them, as it gives them a more scenic backdrop rather than just "running around a plain circle."

"And this loop is 0.28 miles, so it's easy to keep track of their distances," she said.

At the end of the program, the group will head to Chadron to participate in a 5K run alongside other teams from around the Nebraska panhandle. Monica Smith said throughout the program, they slowly increased the distance to get the girls ready for it.

"We started out at a mile, and then went to two, two-and-a-half," she said. "It's not a competition. It's goal setting. It's also not uncommon for girls who already finished to run back and finish it with their teammates."

The 5K run in Chadron will take place on May 21.

"Physically, they're ready," Lemoncelli said. "Mentally, we're getting them there."

On Tuesday, the team marked their sixth week in the program by running 11 laps, the full 5K distance, around the pond, with parents joining their children in the run.

"It's kind of hard, kind of easy," Taylor said as she continued moving forward around the pond in a brisk walk.

"But it's getting easier, right?" Wes asked is daughter. "Every week?"

"Yeah," she replied.

Taylor said she enjoyed being a part of the program and has made several friends through Girls on the Run. She said she was looking forward to the 5K run in three weeks.

"Because I get to run with my dad," she said.

Wes said he was glad to be able to share the time with his daughter, even though the running can be daunting.

"It's tough," he said. "But we're making it."

For more information on the Girls on the Run program, visit gotrnebraska.org.