Jackson Park Elementary girls take to running

At Jackson Park Elementary School, sports activities for young girls have often been limited to those who are athletically gifted, or those who can afford it. Then guidance counselor Kathi Landis stepped in.

Landis started the J.P. Runner Girls club.

“A lot of the girls – when I decided to do this – they were getting into fights on the playground and ... fussing about crazy stuff. And the boys would be over here having a great time: playing tag, kickball, football or something. The girls would be over here under a tree, fussing or doing nothing,” Landis said.

“Most of the boys at our school are usually involved in some type of organized sport. There really wasn’t much for the girls to do, (the ones) who didn’t have money to do something. So that was when I decided to start J.P. Runner Girls. The girls would have something to empower them, and they could look forward to do(ing) something after school.”

Meeting after school for an hour and a half once a week, the girls run and learn about building good character and self-esteem.

“Our theme is fitness, friendship and fun. We also try to focus on eating healthy and making wise decisions,” said volunteer Robin Robinson. “She (Landis) tells them at the first of the year that she wants them to keep their grades up. You can’t be a J.P. Runner Girl unless you have an A or B average.

“We try to make it fun. We don’t just run around. We do different games and activities. Usually, after everyone is checked in, we go outside and stretch, do some Plyometrics and some different running games. We also will do other exercises, because we are focusing on overall fitness as well.”

Principal Nick Carlascio is impressed by the benefits he has seen.

“There is one girl in particular (that) we used it as an incentive. She was struggling with her confidence and behavior. She was really acting out. But Kathi (Landis) has really been working with her and a couple of other girls, and they have really taken on to it.

“Along with their health, their confidence has taken off. One of the girls is on A-B honor roll now. And she wasn’t doing that before.”

While the group is advertised to the girls at the school, Landis tries to make it fun for the girls’ whole family.

“She has even let in a couple of the girls’ brothers, because they were having so much fun and wanted to include them in it. She doesn’t want to turn them down. She wants them to be active and be healthy,” Carlascio said.

The club’s programming extends to community races.

“We try to do at least one race a month. We start in October and go all the way to June. Some girls run with their mothers; some with their fathers. That’s another one of my favorite things – is to see families who are exercising together. I’ve had some say ‘I need to start running, so we can do this together.’ And we have had several parents to complete their first 5k. I’ve got several mothers that have started running with their daughters. So I love that aspect of it, too,” Landis said.

“It’s been really good. A lot of the girls who have stuck with it are now running for my husband, who coaches cross-country and track at A.L. Brown High School. So its now getting to the point where some of the girls who started with me are making there way up to him, which is nice to see.”