Girls on the Run Ottawa celebrates empowerment of girls in sport
By Elizabeth Werner
More than 170 young girls from across the city came together on June 10 for a five-kilometre run at the stadium at TD Place, cheered on by their volunteer coaches and over 80 community volunteers and running buddies. They were celebrating the end of the fourth season of Girls on the Run Ottawa, a program designed to help keep girls involved in sport.
The after-school program runs for 10 weeks and aims to combat the dropout rate of girls from organized sports, as statistics show girls are three times more likely than boys to quit. The program is sponsored by the OSEG Foundation, the charitable arm of the Ottawa RedBlacks and Ottawa 67s, which aims to leverage the power of sports to improve the lives of children and reduce the disparity in participation between girls and boys.
During the season, volunteer coaches become mentors and positive role models for the girls. They create a safe environment where girls can excel and be their authentic selves. From independent survey data, OSEG found that 90 per cent of girls this season felt their coaches cared about them and that they could turn to them for support.
“I feel supported by my coaches because I know they will always be there if I am injured or don’t feel good,” said one participant. “They’re the ones that keep me going. If I don’t run, they are the ones to make sure I keep going and that I have a good time doing it.”
Coaches help to support and build the girls’ character and inspire them to set and achieve their goals. Through goal-setting activities, Girls on the Run unleashes the confidence and inner strength each girl needs to pursue her dreams.
“The girls really improved over the course of the 10-week program because I saw a lot of confidence in the girls after completing the program,” says coach Vanessa Nguyen. “A lot of them came in with low confidence and low self-esteem, and the program really built it up. Now they all cheer each other on and there is a lot of teamwork and cooperation. It is really fun.”
The program aligns with the OSEG Foundation’s mission to develop important life skills through participation in sport, augmented by a curriculum that helps girls manage emotions, resolve conflicts, develop meaningful relationships and make positive decisions.
The final event allowed the girls to achieve their goal of completing a 5K and exercise the physical and emotional skills developed during the season. It was a non-competitive, celebratory event, promoting strong community engagement where volunteers, families, community leaders and school educators celebrate each of the girls’ achievements. This year, families lined the TD Place stands to cheer on the participants as they crossed the finish line.
“I love everything about it,” said one parent.” “She is getting great exercise. The mentorship is awesome, the coaches are so good. She really likes it!”
Another parent agreed: “My daughter enjoys it a lot. It is very empowering, positive and motivating. It is a very good exercise, of course, and I love it because she loves it.”
After the successful spring season, the OSEG Foundation will continue empowering more girls in the fall season. After serving over 400 girls since the inception of Girls on the Run Ottawa in 2021, the OSEG Foundation is planning to expand by launching their first site in Toronto in September, hoping to encourage even more girls to unlock their limitless potential, explains Janice Barresi, OSEG Foundation executive director.
For more information on how you can get involved, please visit osegfoundation.ca.
Elizabeth Werner is a community impact intern with the OSEG Foundation.
The Girls on the Run 5K run on June 10 brought 170 young girls to Lansdowne for a culmination of their 10-week running program developing skills and confidence.
photo: OSEG
