Published:
Girls on the Run of Stark County is excited to announce that Carol Eisenbrei, Watson Elementary 3rd grade teacher and long-time Girls on the Run coach, has been named GOTR Stark Coach of the Year. Becky DeRosa and Erica Kukoleck, both head coaches of 2015 Jackson Girls on the Run programs, were named Coach of the Year Runners-Up. Sue Gronow and Kellie Johnson were also among the top 5 finalists. In the spring of 2015, over 170 volunteers coached 46 teams throughout Stark County. Beginning in May 2015, all 568 Girls on the Run participants and 85 Girls on Track participants were invited to nominate a coach for the new award. Carol was selected as the Coach of the Year based on an entry submitted by Abi, a 4th grade GOTR participant, that described her as “inspiring me to run and believe in myself”—the ultimate goals of the Girls on the Run curriculum. "We are thrilled that Carol has earned the very first Stark County Coach of the Year award," says Council Director Amy Shock. "Since her first season with Girls on the Run in the fall of 2010, Carol has truly embodied the Girls on the Run core values—especially nurturing physical, emotional, & spiritual health and leading with an open heart."   The Coach of the Year winners were announced at the Girls on the Run Fall Festival on October 24, 2015 at Fieldcrest Estate. The annual fundraiser included a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, raffle auction, and Masterpiece Theatre—5 local artists were given a surprise theme at the beginning of the night and were given just over an hour to create unique pieces of art. The 2016 Girls on the Run season will begin in March, but potential coaches are encouraged to apply to be a coach now. Coaches need not have experience coaching or running—Girls on the Run of Stark County provides everything coaches will need for a successful season. About Girls on the Run of Stark County Girls on the Run of Stark County (GOTR Stark) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit offering physical activity based positive youth development (PA-PYD) programs that inspire girls in 3rd through 5th grade (Girls on the Run) and 6th through 8th grade (Heart & Sole, formerly Girls on Track) to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running. Training together to walk, skip, or run the Girls on the Run 5k with the guidance of trained coaches, girls are empowered with greater self-awareness, a sense of achievement, and a foundation in team building to help them become strong, self-confident young women. GOTR Stark is an independent council of Girls on the Run International, which has a network of over 200 locations across the United States and Canada. For more information on Girls on the Run of Stark County, visit www.GOTRStarkCty.org or call 330.244.9331.