Girls on the Run-Maine is having an incredible Spring 2025 season! Thanks to our amazing coaches, we are serving over 1,000 girls at many returning sites and at several new sites. A few of our new sites were established in a unique way – Head Coaches with a passion for Girls on the Run (GOTR) brought the program with them when they started working at new schools!
Olivia Cowperthwaite became a coach when she started teaching at Oxford Elementary School in Oxford. Girl on the Run had already been established there, but they were in need of a Head Coach. Intrigued by the program, Olivia stepped into the role. She ended up loving everything about coaching and GOTR and shared, “After leaving OES and experiencing the positive changes that GOTR brought our group of girls, I knew that wherever I ended up, I wanted to bring this phenomenal program with me!”
Coach Olivia did just that! She got a new job teaching at Downeast School in Bangor and as soon as she could, started a Girls on the Run team. When asked what impact she hopes GOTR will have on her new community, she said, “I am hopeful that GOTR will change the lives of so many girls in our community. Within the first 2 weeks that we had the program at our school, we heard feedback from our 3rd graders that Girls on the Run practice days are “the best day of my life” and “my favorite days of the week.” In these first few weeks, I’ve already seen the positive impacts it has made on our girls' lives and I am so excited to continue this for years to come.”
Carson Hope and Greta Brown both got involved with GOTR when the team at each of their schools needed assistant coaches. They both had a great experience and saw the impact the program had on their students. A couple of years later, both Carson and Greta started working at Edna Drinkwater School in Northport. Carson teaches 1st grade and was looking for an opportunity to connect with older students; Greta teaches 3rd grade and is always thinking of new opportunities they can bring to their small school community. The two former coaches connected and decided it was time to bring Girls on the Run to Drinkwater School!
When asked what impact they are hoping the program will have at their new school, Coach Carson said, “I was hoping to help some of our students build confidence and build their toolbox of skills that they can use in and out of school. We are really happy to share that our GOTR Girls are using "I Can Power" and Stick With It strategies in their classrooms...” and Coach Greta shared, “We are already seeing an enormous impact in our community! Our participants have been excitedly approaching us throughout the school day to inform us of their use of a positive mindset, “I Can Power”, and our other lessons. They are teaching their peers about these skills, and the GOTR mentality is spreading beyond our team.”
Finally, Haley Kennedy had the opportunity to coach at CK Burns School in Saco while she was a student teacher there. CK Burns has hosted GOTR for several years and each spring serves 40+ participants, so Haley was able to see the significant impact the program can have on a community. When asked what made her want to bring GOTR with her, she said, “I had a really great experience as a coach last year and really enjoyed all of the lessons that were being taught to young girls. I wish I had a program like this when I was younger…” When Haley got a job teaching at Sanford Pride Elementary School in Sanford, she immediately put things in motion to start a team there.
Coach Haley’s experience with Girls on the Run, now as a Head Coach, has continued to be overwhelmingly positive. She has said that the lessons are super engaging and user-friendly, and just a couple of weeks into this season, she reported already seeing new friendships form among her team. “I think a lot of girls now more than ever are struggling with self confidence and being comfortable with who they are, I am hoping that they will be comfortable being who they are and connecting with girls they might not have known before. I am hoping that the young girls at Pride will be able to overcome challenges they didn’t think they would with the tools and lessons they have learned from Girls on the Run.”
These coaches’ stories highlight the special ripple effect Girls on the Run has. Thanks to Olivia, Carson, Greta, and Haley, GOTR is now present in three new school communities in Maine. That means that a whole new population of 3rd-5th graders are getting the unique opportunity to build and grow their self-confidence, experience a sense of belonging, and increase their physical activity.
If these coaches have inspired you to get involved with GOTR-Maine, visit our website at https://www.girlsontherunmaine.org/coach to learn more!