You Go Girl!
Kansas City Peer Program teaches girls benefits of sports

By Corinne Fetter

Won by One, a peer program sponsored by The Kansas City Sports Commission, aims at teaching girls both the tangible and intangible benefits of sports. The program pairs high school female athletes with 5th- and 6th-grade girls at various locations throughout the Kansas City metro area.

The program occurs annually during the school year, and each session consists of approximately 15 mentors and 30 mentees. The mentors attend a three-hour training session before the beginning of the program where the curriculum is introduced.

“In training, we discuss what being a mentor means, the importance of the role they play, and we go through some of the curriculum exercises to insure that everyone has a clear understanding as to what is expected,” Jessica Blubaugh, WIN for KC Program Coordination for the Kansas City Sports Commission, said.

The participants meet in various schools or YMCA locations once a week for eight weeks. Each session lasts for an hour and a half. The first 45 minutes are devoted to a rubric created by Dr. Leslie Dunn of the Teel Institute in which the girls discuss pertinent issues such as self-esteem, goal setting, decision-making skills, and body image. The second half of the session is devoted to a particular sport or physical activity. The girls often play tag, pac-man, and other interactive games.

“The activity focuses mainly on teamwork and interactions with others,” Jessica said.

Mentees from Central Middle School, Kansas City, MO, School District

The Won by One program aims at increasing self-esteem in young girls, while teaching the many benefits of sports. These benefits include, but are not limited to, a reduced risk of breast cancer, osteoporosis, and depression. In addition, according to the Kansas City Sports Commission Web site, girls who participate in sports are more likely to graduate from high school and stay off drugs.

Katie Dowden, a physical education teacher at Kearney, Missouri High School, served as a supervisor for the Won by One program. Katie said she noticed that the younger girls were quiet and introverted at first but became more self-confident as the sessions progressed. Katie coaches high school volleyball and has learned a lot from being a long-time participant in sports.

“I started participating in sports from a very young age, and I learned many intangible things from my participation such as establishing priorities, time management skills, and self-discipline,” Katie said.

It is these skills that Katie mentioned that the Won by One program hopes to teach young girls. According to Blubaugh, the program consistently produces the desired results and the young girls tend to make a lot of progress. Blubaugh said that, as time passes, the younger girls are observed to be much more willing to interact, and are more outgoing and social. As a supervisor, Katie noticed that the program served as a learning experience for all involved.

“The young girls began to feel much more comfortable and confident as the sessions progressed. They were much quicker to answer questions and get involved and they sometimes even corrected their mentors,” Katie said.

The Kansas City Sports Commission was founded in 1966 and is committed to “helping the bi-state region to realize the economic, social and community-building benefits of sports.” The Commission sponsors many annual activities, and has a permanent staff of seven members. For more information on the Kansas City Sports Commission, Won by One, and other programs, visit www.sportkc.org. 
       
This article was contributed by Corinne Fetter who served a summer internship with NAPP. Corinne is a senior majoring in journalism and psychology at the University of Kansas.