By Madison Gaston
Eagles are soaring all over Oak Hall’s campus with the Lower School’s Running Clubs! As part of the Community Sports League, Running Club gives students the opportunity to become lifelong runners while learning how to obtain a healthy lifestyle.
Oak Hall has three different levels of running for its students. There are Eaglets, the preschool and kindergarten runners; Running Club for first through fifth grade; and the Soaring Eagles Morning Running Club for second through fifth graders.
Jeff Malloy, Director of Operations, and Danielle Tripp, Assistant Director for Summer & Auxiliary Programming, oversee the program, while Kelly Neale, physical education teacher Brittany Schutte, and fourth grade teacher Jackson Rodgers coach the Eaglets, Soaring Eagles Morning Run, and Running Club. “Running Club supports young runners by preparing them for Middle and Upper School level running,” Malloy said.
Coach B. guides Lower School runners during Running Club
Each of Oak Hall’s Running Clubs meet during both semesters to learn proper stretching techniques. It’s not all work, however, as the students participate in fun running challenges and games. The Eaglets meet 10 times a semester for 30 minutes; Running Club meets 30 times a semester for one hour, and Soaring Eagles Morning Runners meet 24 times a semester for 30 minutes each.
The Eaglets run from 3:35-4:05 p.m., Soaring Eagles Morning Runners run from 7:15-7:45 a.m., and Running Club runs from 3:35-4:40 p.m.. As a result, students can run out all their built up energy from the school day!
Although the runners do not compete in races, there are mileage goals for the Soaring Eagles Morning Running Club, where they can earn “foot tokens” for every five miles. Furthermore, the club challenges its runners to reach their fullest potential. “We are enjoying our largest enrollment in the history of running club and have 102 participants,” Malloy said happily.
Students play games that require them to run, like “Duck, Duck, Goose!”
For more information regarding Running Club or other sports in the Community Sports League, please visit: https://www.oakhall.org/school-life/summer-auxiliary-programs/community-sports-league