Energy Awards
Energy awards are one of Girls on the Run participants’ favorite things about our program. They are simple cheers that are used to praise others and to reinforce and reward positive behavior. A Girls on the Run coach should share sample energy awards at the very first session and the girls themselves will start creating their own as the season progresses.
Energy awards can be given for many reasons at the judgment of the coach. Anything from reinforcing a shy girl who had the courage to share her thoughts during processing to recognizing a girl who exemplified caring for another girl to honoring the entire group for achieving a lesson goal, to reinforcing a girl who was not in the mood to run but stuck it out and completed the physical activity.
Coaches need to be cognizant of who has received energy awards during the season to ensure that everyone is recognized for something during the twelve weeks – this should not be a problem. Coaches should always initiate the energy awards, but it is appropriate to allow the girls to recognize each other as well. The coach must keep firm control on this because the girls will all want to do a cheer and it is important to keep the focus relevant.
Some Sample cheers:
“The Surfer” – Mimicking that you are standing on a surfboard, riding the waves while coolly stating “Hoo-raaaaaay!”
“Superstar” – Jumping with your right foot forward and your arms extended overhead and joyously yelling “Superstar”!
“The Lawnmower” – All participants mimic that they are starting a lawnmower and then steering it in and out of the circle.
“The Firecracker” – Clapping your hands together and saying “MMMMMM” as you raise them above your head before thunderously yelling “Pop” with a sudden clap at the top of your head before bringing them down to your sides as if they were falling fireworks.
“Girls on the Run is so much fun!!” with all hands in the center
“We’re girls and we know it, and this is how we show it (run in place) we like to run, it’s so much fun and thought you ought to know it”
“Firecracker” – starting with arms up, slowly moving down with long sssssssss sound (like your fuse is burning) until “BAMMM!” pointing at girls in the center
“Dead Bug Dance” – everyone lays on their back and move feet rapidly like bug stuck on its back
“Seal” – very similar to Dead Bug, but everyone is on their stomachs making seal sounds of approval
“Washing Machine” – pretend you are a washing machine and do a hula-like dance to wash, getting faster until clean
“Silent WOW” – 3 fingers on either side of face with mouth being the O to spell WOW – upside down fingers to spell MOM
“Disco” – self-explanatory
“Secret Weapon” – pretend to lick index finger and the people in the circle center are burning hot saying the phrase “OOOOOOOOOOOOO SECRET WEAPONNNN!”
“Group snaps” – everyone snaps at the girls in the center
“Shopping cart” – all girls push an imaginary shopping cart around in a circle while calling out the yummy food they are loading it with
“Roller Coaster” – hands together in front pretending to go up the coaster (click, click, click) and then Woooooo over the hills and toward the girl in center
“Snaps with Attitude” – Everyone snaps 3 times in a left, right, left motion and then hits their behind and then foot and lastly points with both arms to the girls in the center
“Girls Power” – Standing feet apart arms out to the side, everyone will chant “Girl, Girl” while flexing their muscles and then “Power, Power” as they flex with their arms in front (like the old SNL skit) – Best done in a Arnold Schwarzenegger accent
Be creative!! And encourage the girls to create their own!