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  • Brittney Cook, a high school athlete before coming to Mankato for college, was no stranger to the physical activity featured in the Girls On the Run program. Photo courtesy of Shari Sander

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May 31, 2010

Volunteer Brittney Cook keeps girls running strong

By Robb Murray The Free Press

MANKATO — For someone with a history of high school athletics and a goal of helping young girls grow into strong women, Brittney Cook couldn’t have found a better volunteer opportunity.

Cook volunteers with the Mankato YWCA’s Girls On the Run, a program with a curriculum that builds self-esteem in young girls and encourages physical activity through running.

Given her history, it’s a good fit. Cook, a senior at Minnesota State University, was a member of the basketball, volleyball and track and field teams in her hometown of Edgerton, Wis.

Getting involved with Girls On the Run gave her the chance to stay active.

“That was definitely part of the appeal,” said Cook, who majors in social work and minors in family, life and child development.

Cook says she heard about the program through the Women’s Center at MSU. And when she saw the YWCA’s Shari Sander at a job/volunteer fair on campus, she applied to volunteer with Girls On the Run.

She joined the program during its second run, and in Sander’s words, made a lasting impression on her and the girls who signed up for the program.

“Right away you could tell she was a leader,”  Sander said, “and very consistent, which is very important to the girls.”

At first, Cook says she didn’t know what to expect. But after getting trained in and spending some time with the girls, she knew she was in the right place.

“I think it’s an amazing program,” she said. “Some of these girls are going through so much. And some of them don’t know each other at the beginning, and by the end, they’re friends. They also become more comfortable with their coaches.”

Cook said she got to know some of the girls quite well, especially during the chit-chat moments before their Girls On the Run lesson begins. This is when they talk about things going on at school, issues with their friends or about their family life.

“One girl said, ‘I’m so glad I’m here because otherwise I’d be at home where my parents are always fighting,’” Cook said.

Girls On the Run culminates in a 5K run, which Cook says allows her to show the girls some of her own talents. She participates in the run, as do all the girls in the program.

Cook is no stranger to volunteering.

She’s mentored girls, volunteered at Children’s Hospital in Madison and will work at YMCA camp this summer.

But next fall she’ll be back at the Girls On the Run, further preparing for a career she hopes will involve working with children.

“You can learn a lot from them,” she said. “A lot of these kids just need somebody to talk to and hang out with, and you learn something new every day. I could be having the worst day, and I’ll go there and forget about everything.”

 

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