A girl on our team several years ago had a brother who had some behavioral challenges. He demanded much of their parents’ time and attention. This girl was withdrawn and quiet. She didn’t have many friends. We were thrilled when she chose to join our team as a fourth grader. She seemed to enjoy having some after school time where the focus was on her. Though it did not come without effort, she was liked by many of her teammates. At the end of the season, she was so proud to have earned her cape by raising money for our council’s Cape Campaign. She was so proud, in fact, that the next season as a fifth grader, she would wear that cape every day to practice. After the first few practices, she decided that the girl who received the Energy Award that day would also get to wear her cape at the next practice. Her cape became the “team” cape, and the pride each girl showed when wearing it was immeasurable. And, our girl, who once felt lonely and unnoticed, was beaming.
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Photo credit: Image courtesy of Girls on The Run International.