5 things: Olympics style.

"The Olympics are a wonderful metaphor for world cooperation, the kind of international competition that's wholesome and healthy, an interplay between countries that represents the best in all of us.”
- John Williams

As athletes from country after country file into the arena, dressed in colorful garb (as unique as the countries they represent), the diversity of the total picture continues to grow.  Different countries.  Different colors.  Different languages.  Brought together for two fabulous weeks.  I’m talking of course about the Olympic games.  You’ve probably been as glued to your television set as our family has!  So, what is it about this amazing gathering that captures our eyes...and grabs our hearts?  What is it about sport that has the capacity to bring so many drastically different peoples and cultures together like this?

First, sport speaks a common language.  It doesn’t take the same vocal vocabulary to appreciate and celebrate a powerful volleyball spike, to marvel at a perfect bullseye, or to revel in a long-awaited victory for a teenage gymnast.  Athletes and fans all over the world speak the language of sport; it’s a vocabulary that we all share, know, and love.

Second, sport exposes the range of human emotion.  Unlike almost any other area of life, the realm of athletics gives human beings exposure to the joy of victory, the struggle of competition, and, sometimes, the agony of defeat.  Everyone in the world understands the elation of a goal achieved...and the bitter pain of failure and loss.  In one game – one competition – sport exposes us to these dynamic and powerful emotions.

Third, sport – and especially the Olympics – comes to us inseparably tied to human stories.  I’m sure you’ve been as fascinated as I have by the stories of adversity, pain, setback, struggle, and growth of so many of the Olympic athletes.  Everyone has their own story...and they each bring them along to the great arena that is the Olympic games.  These stories go with the athletes as they run, shoot, lift, hit, and swim.  They motivate them, make them stronger, and bring meaning to their achievements.

Fourth, sport implies cooperation.  Competition, as fierce as it may be, takes place between people and countries who have gathered together and agreed to compete!  They compete according to a set of rules, and they do so for the sake of the beauty of sport.  The Olympic competitions give us a great picture of peace – even in the midst of struggle.

Fifth, and finally, sport brings health and fun to life.  Sports are not life in themselves.  There is much more to life than a big dive, a made basket, or a fast sprint.  And yet, sports contribute vitality and health to life.  They encourage us, inspire us, and enrich our understanding of life and humanity.

As you watch the Olympics conclude...enjoy the wonder of sport.  And I hope you make some room for exercise in your schedule, too, this week!

share!!

As some of you know, Ready, Set, Run! is a character-building running program that trains kids ages 8-13 to participate in a 5k run. This curriculum-based program equips kids with the physical training and goal-setting mentality needed to accomplish their running goals. Issues like enhancing confidence and self-esteem, respecting authority, dealing with peer pressure and fueling their bodies through proper nutrition are covered during a 12-week session.

As we at Ready, Set, Run! look toward the Fall, we would like to ask for your participation with a special project.  In the fall, the Ready, Set, Run! blog will begin to feature a series of guest posts called “My Running Moment: _______.”  This series of personal submissions will attempt to allow you to share your personal running stories, with the hope that these running stories will be a source of great encouragement to those who read this blog.

If you participated in RSR, do you have a special RSR story or memory from your time in the program that you would like to share?  Perhaps your running moment has to do with setting a goal and meeting it.  Maybe RSR taught you some valuable lessons about decision making and healthy living.  Perhaps the first time you ever ran a 5k was with RSR!  Whatever your story is, we want to hear it!
If you haven’t participated in a RSR program, we want to hear your running moment!  This series of guest submissions is open to all---please consider sharing your story!

If you are willing to contribute a personal submission to our blog, here are some guidelines and directions:

• Please include your name as you would like it to appear next to your contribution, the best email address to contact you (this will remain private), and a link to your personal blog (if applicable and if you would like it included). 

• Your title should fill in the blank.  For example:  “My Running Moment: Accomplishing My Goal.”

• Tell us your story! What is “your running moment?”  We can’t wait to read all about it! 

• Please keep from over-emphasizing the following:  competitive running, running to “look good”, using running simply as a weight loss mechanism, etc.  As Ready, Set, Run! is a running program for kids, we want to steer clear of any messaging that may have a negative impact on them.  At RSR, we try to stay focused on encouraging kids to set goals and to make healthy life decisions. 

Once you have completed your submission, please email to Jeanne at <jnielson(at)nays.org> by August 15th. When we know when your submission will be featured, we will email you in advance to let you know!

Thanks so much for being willing to consider this opportunity!  If you have any questions or need further clarification, please do not hesitate to email.  We look forward to hearing from you!

good stuff

hard-working, passionate, goal-oriented. 3 words we would all probably like said about us. 3 words that describe our new ready, set, run team member: jeanne. jeanne loves to run. jeanne loves to work towards a goal. and jeanne loves kids. could we ask for anything better?

i'm so proud to introduce you all to this gal. would you help me welcome her? <jnielson(at)nays.org> her plethora of experience includes:
soccer coach
girls running coach
teacher
director in fundraising
work in the non-profit world
and (probably most importantly) mother of 2 


i, for one, am so excited to work with jeanne. i'm even more excited to train for our next marathon together. this is an amazing step for ready, set, run and i speak for the both of us when i say, WE hope to work with you soon.

greenville, nc!

great story about one of our sites out of greenville, nc...

Ready, Set, Run! makes running fun at Greenville (N.C.) Rec and Parks

View All News Stories Youngsters in Greenville (N.C.) played games with some new friends on the track last spring. They may not have realized it, but they were preparing to run a 5k. Ready, Set, Run! is a unique youth running program that prepares children ages 8-13 to complete a 5k in 12 weeks. While they build endurance and stamina through play-based activities, the children also go through character development curriculum that equips them with the goal-setting mentality that will stay with them throughout life. Other topics covered include enhancing confidence and self-esteem, respecting authority, dealing with peer pressure and fueling their bodies with proper nutrition. “Children need to have fun and be active,” said Sophie Duncan, recreation assistant at the Greenville Recreation and Parks Department. “By adding the games approach to the program, the children are able to do so without concentrating strictly on agility and endurance training.” For example, one of the games they played was Line Runs where the children jog in a line and the last runner in line has to run to the front of the line, passing alongside the group. One of the Greenville parents said, “My daughter liked all the games that were played. They made the program enjoyable, versus just running.” “The games and activities add an extreme value to the children’s experience with running in that they run around and don’t realize they are running,” said Duncan. “They just think they are playing.” Ready, Set, Run! didn’t only get the youngsters active –parents were inspired to get moving too. “One of the biggest things for me was seeing the children excited to come to the program every week and while they were participating in the program their parents weren’t sitting and watching, they were walking or running around the track,” Duncan said. “Ready, Set, Run! truly affects everyone involved and has a tremendous positive impact.” The culmination of the youngsters’ work was when they ran an entire 5k at the department’s annual Greenville Rec Run and Kids Dash. “As the Ready, Set, Run! program progressed we constantly reminded the parents and children of the goals of the program, especially completing a 5k,” explained Duncan. “We highly encouraged the parents to sign their children up for the race.” Eighteen children from the program signed up for the 5k and of those four of the children placed in their age groups on race day. Thirty-eight boys and girls signed up and completed the program from start to finish. According to Duncan the department will offer Ready, Set, Run! each fall and spring. “After hearing the positive feedback from the parents and instructors, and seeing all the children being active and having fun while running, we instantly knew we would offer Ready, Set, Run! again,” she said.

a site, an idea

i had the privilege to visit with one of our sites this morning. eric is bringing the recreation in his town to a new level and it's so neat to see. finding coaches was one of eric's challenges as a site, so he thought outside of the box and partnered with his local running store. the running store pays an employee (an AWESOME college student) to coach the kids. they also exchanged advertising efforts and eric puts their logo in their guide and the store advertises in the store.

how did i get so lucky to do what i do ;)

@ the nays blog...

over contributing at the nays blog today. be sure to check it out and leave some comments!

Youth running: Come as you are

View All Blogs Share on bloggerShare on facebookShare on emailShare on twitterMore Sharing Services By: Kacey Lake, Director, Ready, Set, Run! National Alliance for Youth Sports My runner’s heart is smiling. Full-toothed. You see, youth sports are featured in news stories all of the time. For better or worse. But running? And youth running, at that? Not a lot of ink. Last week, however, two different stories caught my eye. And they weren’t even just youth running stories; they were inspirational youth running stories. Enter Meghan Vogel from West Liberty, Ohio. Meghan had just won the 1600 meter run and up next was the 3200 meter. At the state track meet, mind you. As she came into her final stretch, a competitor, yes COMPETITOR, fell down in front of her. Without hesitation, Meghan helped the other runner up and supported her to finish the race and cross the finish line together. Actually, the result was that Meghan came in after her competitor.(article here) Like I said, my runner’s heart is smiling. Seen as an “individual sport” many don’t understand the full camaraderie that occurs between runners. In my humble opinion, knowing someone else is as insane as you for loving the sport, builds a bond just as strong as any “team” sport. The chatter, encouragement and can-do attitude that occurs amongst runners in any given race is truly special to the sport and sure makes me proud to be a runner. Enter Franklin Park Borough in Pennsylvania. A recent article featured their community and their involvement in Ready, Set, Run! The focus of the article? The teamwork that has been such a key element in the success of their running program and the entire community that they have effected. (article here) As the director of a character-building, goal-setting youth running program, the fire in my heart is burning even hotter than usual. Running encourages kids to come as they are, no special skills required. But it also challenges them to set goals and push themselves and, in doing that, encouraging other runners seems to come naturally. Not always, of course. But when done correctly, it’s a beautiful thing and quite unique to the sport. In the words of Meghan Vogel, "I knew any girl on that field would do that for me so I was going to do that for Arden." She just knew. Yes, it’s been a good week to be a runner.

national running day!

happy national running day! did you know that? yup, the first wednesday in june.

"a day when runners everywhere declare their passion for running. It is a coast-to-coast celebration of a sport and activity that’s simple, inexpensive, and fun. It’s the perfect way for longtime runners
to reaffirm their love of running and for beginners to kick off a lifetime and life-changing
commitment. National Running Day is a collaborative effort of the foremost running
organizations in the U.S. including Atlanta Track Club, Boston Athletic Association, Chevron
Houston Marathon, Chicago Area Runners Association, Competitor Group, Inc., Little Rock
Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, New York Road Runners, Oregon Track Club,
Running USA, Twin Cities In Motion, and USA Trac."

me? i ignored my alarm for the early morning run. i shoo-ed away thoughts of going to run some really cool path in a new place with different terrain, interesting scenery. i went without my pacer and expectations. today was about me and my loyal friend, lunch-run-around-my-own-neighborhood. and it was glorious. finding a happy running place is a gift and today we honor that gift! 

i would love to hear about your happy running place... comment or email: klake (at) nays.org. #runningday