Steps

We have had a lot of questions lately asking about the steps in getting started. Here is a breakdown:

STEP 1: Purchase Coordinator Manual, available here or by emailing here.

STEP 2: Decide on your program time/location/season. We recommend coordinating your start & end date with an organized 5k run. If you don't have a 5k run, we provide you with the tools to coordinate a Final Run for your kids.

STEP 3: Select coaches and hold a registration for your participants.

STEP 4: Turn in registration form to NAYS. Download and fill it out here or request it by email here.

STEP 5: RUN WITH IT! This 12-week program meets twice a week for 1 1/2 hour sessions to prepare kids for the Final Run (5k) and go through the character-building curriculum.

The greatest thing you can do for your community is bring your own EXCITEMENT. We know how hard our youth sport coordinators work, well not exactly how hard, but we have an idea! Our most successful programs are those run by Coordinators who are psyched about the program themselves. We would love to work with you!

(on another note. i kept titling this post step by step and i couldn't stop singing nkotb while typing it. notice the title has been changed...)

and the list goes on...

in addition to the 2 dozen sites highlighted here, we are THRILLED to welcome the following agencies into the Ready, Set, Run club:

Storm Lake Community Education - Iowa

West Valley City Family Fitness Center - Utah

Glynn County Recreation & Parks Dept - Georgia

Mesa Parks and Recreation - Arizona

NSA Panama City Child and Youth Programs - Florida

Palm Beach Gardens Recreation - Florida

35 South Youth Sports Network - Texas

USAG Hohenfels CYSS Youth Sports & Fitness - Germany

Poquoson Parks & Recreation - Virginia

Jefferson City Parks & Recreation - Missouri

Bellevue Recreation Department - Ohio

Sugarloaf UMC - Georgia

City of Fort Lauderdale Parks & Recreation - Florida

City of Miramar - Florida

this bring us into 38 agencies in 16 different states and 4 different countries. makes this director down-right giddy. let's get more kids RUNNING and goal-setting!!!

media blitz

we are in the midst of blitzing the media with stories about our worldwide launch sites that will be kicking off this fall & next spring. fun stuff.

if you are one of our launch sites and you haven't communicated your launch date, please email me at readysetrun@nays.org. if you are not yet signed up and you want to get in on this exciting program, email me too. i love me some new launch sites.

one of the many benefits of working with a global organization like NAYS, is utilizing our awesome resources. we have a stellar communications department that specializes in creating BUZZZZ. we also have a logistical team who will answer any question you may have. (ok, most questions you may have.) so take advantage. our goal is to work TOGETHER to get the kids in your community running & goal-setting. you do the leg work, we help support your legs.

Grant Opportunity for school sites. RSR would be PERFECT for this!

Win $50,000 in Clorox’s Power A Bright Future school grant program

View All News Stories Parents, teachers and administrators across the country can nominate their school for a chance to win a grand prize grant worth $50,000 or one of four grants worth $25,000 through the Clorox Company’s third annual Power A Bright Future program. Power A Bright Future celebrates all activities, from academic to extracurricular. Clorox seeks nominations to help provide resources to school programs that give kids the opportunity to grow and develop. The four categories – Play, Create, Explore and a Judge’s Choice – all focus on different aspects of educational experiences. These grants will be awarded to help fund important programs in schools that are vital for educational development. Click HERE to enter the contest or to obtain additional information. Nominations will be accepted until Oct. 17. Voting will take place Oct. 24 to Dec. 9 and winners will be announced in January of next year. To view a video highlighting last year’s winners click HERE.

Posted:8/31/2011

finding your pace

one thing we want to teach our youngsters in the rsr program is to find the pace that works for them. the ability to identify "what works for you" is challenging even for adults. there are a couple of running exercises in the program that help kids learn the difference between pushing and pacing. often with the 8-13 yr old age group, kids start off pushing as hard as they can and then get tired before they complete their distance goal. when we teach kids to listen to their bodies and find "what works for them," we are giving them tools for running and for life.

whether their goal is to run the 5k, walk the 5k, or any combination of the two, we encourage them to set the goal and achieve it... pacing themselves throughout the training and on their final 5k run.

i had my own challenge with pace today. i had a 6-mile recovery run after my 18-mile distance run over the weekend. i found that i kept speeding up to my regular pace, when with a recovery run you are supposed to run 1-2 min slower than your regular pace. recovery is so important in training. i slowed down, i enjoyed, i recovered. then, i felt the parallel in my day as well: parenting, working, embracing, enjoying.

on a personal note:

today's marathon training called for a 16-miler. as i pushed during the harder miles, i felt motivated by the overwhelming response we've had from communities to bring Ready, Set, Run to their kids. the burst of energy that comes in envisioning girls & boys feeling more confident and better about themselves because of what they're able to achieve through this training and this curriculum is like instant adrenaline. our pilot sites shared amazing stories about kids running with other kids to help them cross the 5k finish line, applause breaking out from the football team who was practicing near them, individual kids commenting on how much their confidence has grown and how they can't wait to do it again (and faster!) next season. i cannot wait to continue getting communities signed up and get more kids running!

today i celebrated you guys:

Versailles-Woodford Co Parks & Rec

Performance! Youth Sports in Riverside CA

Cheney Recreation Commission

Quantico MCCS Youth Sports

Oconee County Recreation

JB Charleston Youth Programs

City of Tamarac

Kadena Youth Sports and Fitness (Japan)

MacDill Air Force Base Youth Center

Dept of Defense Dependents Schools (Germany)

City of Old Town Recreation Commission

Washington County Recreation Dept

Tule River Tribal Council

Iowa City Recreation Division

Fort Sill Youth Sports

FUSION in Royston GA

Richfield City Parks and Rec

Charlotte County Parks and Rec

Lajes AFB (Portugal)

KidSports

West Valley City Family Fitness Center

CYSS Red Cloud (Korea)

SO COOL!

one of our pilot sites out of redwood city, ca has been nominated for a 2011 Spotlight Award by the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports!! this is a huge compliment to ready, set, run and the awesome community in redwood city. erin brought the program to her community with enthusiasm, organization, and efficiency. kudos!

vote for erin and ready, set, run here!