Young Runners News - New York Road Runners

YOUNG RUNNERS
156 West 56th Street, Third Floor, New York, NY 10019
NEWS
VOLUME 47 // SUMMER 2014
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT:
M.S. 821K
We recently caught up with Coach Bakwah Kotung of
M.S. 821K in Brooklyn before the Al Gordon 4-Mile to talk
about his Young Runners team, the Sunset Park Patriots.
At seven years old, Brooklyn’s Sunset Park Patriots are one of the longest
standing Young Runners teams. Coach Kotung cites the driving force in
his team’s longevity: “We’re a disciplined bunch. We like to have fun, but
we also understand the importance of hard work.”
The Patriot Way
What is the best way to get students pumped for an upcoming race?
New York Road Runners’ mission is to help and inspire people through running. We support youth
running and fitness worldwide with FREE running programs, coaching tools, and youth events for
teachers and schools. Access all our fitness resources online and learn more at youth.nyrr.org.
Deliver a PowerPoint presentation on running hero Al Gordon, of
Coach Kotung has the Patriots ready to run!
course. The dedicated Gordon, who lived to be 107, started running
marathons in his 80s and was the oldest finisher at the London Marathon twice. “Runners like Al Gordon are perfect role models for the
team. He’s a great example of fitness being a lifelong commitment,”
Take a sneak peek at our new logo that will
officially debut in the next school
year.
RACE-DAY
TRADITIONS
Every year, more New York City kids can be seen wearing the Young Runners logo. That’s
exciting, because it means more kids in New York City are running! Take a look at our new
• Mismatched
Shoelaces
logo, and see what you think. We updated it for a crisper,
more modern
feel.
• Lucky Wristbands
• Race-day Hair Clips
• Knee-high Socks
says Kotung. You can see Gordon’s positive influence taking effect as
students take turns leading team warm-ups in their best “Patriot Voice,”
a phrase coined by Kotung to describe a powerful, clear way of talking.
Scavenger Hunt
The Patriots’ signature workout is the Scavenger Hunt. Mix one dash
of endurance running, two pinches of problem solving, and a splash
of creativity to form this recipe for team building. Coach Kotung pairs
students into groups, assigns each group a letter from A to Z, and tasks
them with running a set course. Along the course, it’s each team’s
mission to bring back an object or action that starts with the letter they
These are just a few of the traditions that
were assigned. Particularly creative examples included forming a quad-
Young Runners like you have formed over
rilateral equation for the letter “Q” and two students forming a bridge
the years.
with their bodies, while another crawls underneath for the letter “U”.
Fourth grader, Ellie Oates from P.S. 173M
wears her signature tutu during every
race she runs.
Do you have any running traditions?
LET US KNOW! Send an email to
Patriots always finish strong.
With workouts like this, it’s no wonder that the Sunset Park Patriots
are leaders both inside the classroom and out.
Type the link below into your web browser to watch
the Sunset Park Patriots rally together for the NYRR
Al Gordon 4-Mile!
Young Runners News:
youngrunnersnews@nyrr.org.
Editor: Jennifer Slomack
Contributors: Jamie Scott, Valete Graham, German Martinez
Photography: E.H. Wallop, Jon Warchol, NYRR/Photo Run
Designer/Illustrator: Victoria Jamieson
CREDITS
EDITOR: Jennifer Slomack // CONTRIBUTOR: Valete Graham // PHOTOGRAPHY: E.H. Wallop, Da Ping Luo, David Gardiner
http://bit.ly/1orNLtW
YOUNG RUNNERS NEWS // SUMMER 2014 1
YOUNG RUNNERS NEWS
VOLUME 47 // SUMMER 2014
BLASTING OFF
INTO 2014!
The past three months HAVE
BEEN A BLAST, thanks to
each and every Young Runner!
Let’s take a look at some of the
HIGHLIGHTS from this spectacular school year.
N YRR GRIDIRON 4-Mile
Stride for stride, this Brooklyn Friendly
Flyer duo sticks together.
N YRR AL GORDON 4-Mile
This bundled-up Jaguar is on the prowl in Prospect Park.
N YRR GRIDIRON 4-Mile
A little cold is no match for a P.S. 1 Dragon.
N YRR SPRING FORWARD 1.5-Mile
It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s the Tappan School Superman!
2 YOUNG RUNNERS NEWS // SUMMER 2014
N YRR SPRING FORWARD 1.5-Mile
The Bronx’s P.S. 159 showed some serious
school spirit with their cheer sign.
N YRR SPRING FORWARD 1.5-Mile
Young Runners from every borough made the trip to Van Cortlandt Park.
NYRR YOUTH JAMBOREE PRESENTED BY TATA
CONSULTANCY SERVICES
These Eagles soared at the annual NYRR Youth Jamboree.
NYRR YOUTH JAMBOREE PRESENTED BY TATA
CONSULTANCY SERVICES
With practice, all Young Runners can reach new heights—and lengths!
WE’RE WITH YOU
Friends and family support Young Runners every step of the way!
PR ACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Young Runners from P.S. 102Q, P.S. 173, and Brooklyn Friends School are all smiles during team practices.
YOUNG RUNNERS NEWS // SUMMER 2014 3
YOUNG RUNNERS NEWS
VOLUME 47 // SUMMER 2014
WELCOME TO THE
YOUNG RUNNERS ART CORNER
YOUNG RUNNERS
CLINIC
First up to the stage is P.S. 11Q from Queens. Fifth-grader Cindy Luu and
At the annual Young Runners Clinic, students took
sixth-grader Tanha Rani submitted two spectacular poems about their experience at the
Washington Heights Salsa, Blues, and Shamrocks 5K.
part in fun, interactive workshops on race-day
focus, injury prevention, running form, yoga, and
the elite athlete mindset. Special guests included
pro athletes from the New Jersey–New York Track
Club; Olympic gold medalist Derrick Adkins;
Olivia Ward showed Young Runners that anything is possible, when
you put your mind to it.
Olivia Ward, winner of Season 11 of NBC’s The
Biggest Loser; and Dr. Natalie Muth, pediatrician,
sports dietitian, and author.
Type the link below into your web
browser to watch a short recap video
on the NYRR YouTube page.
http://bit.ly/T3BZJH
Reach for the sky! It’s yoga time.
CONTEST!
TEAM MOTTO
When it comes to school spirit, the P.S. 102Q Elmhurst
Eagles have it in spades. Coach Jenny Ovadia’s Young
Runners come up with a new awesome motto each
year. Mottos like “If it was easy, everybody would do
it” keep the Eagles motivated and ready to soar.
Does your team have a motto? If not, create one!
Send your team motto to youngrunnersnews@
nyrr.org for a chance to win an iTunes gift card.
Note: Please put “Young Runners News Summer Contest”
in the subject line and include your name, your school’s
name, and Field Coordinator’s name in the body of the
email.
FEELING INSPIRED?
Submit some artwork of your own to youngrunnersnews@nyrr.org.
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YOUNG RUNNERS NEWS
VOLUME 47 // SUMMER 2014
YOUTH RUNNING AMBASSADORS
Take your love of running to the next level by being a role model!
YOUNG RUNNERS
ALUMNI ON THE
MOVE
NYRR’s Youth Running Ambassadors have...
Young Runners Alumni is a great way for you to keep
•B
een to the starting line of the New York
City Marathon
running and stay in touch when you move on to a
M.S. 447X
Youth Running
Ambassadors
Jiovanni and
Matthew
represent their
school in style.
•H
ung out on top of the Empire State
Building with Kelly Ripa
•A
ttended exclusive galas with the local
running community
• Represented their school on TV
school without a Young Runners team.
Free race entry to select NYRR races is only the tip
of the iceberg. Special grant opportunities and much
Recent alums from Brooklyn’s P.S. 321 started a new
Negative What?
youth running club called Run4Fun where they
Negative splits are way less confusing than they seem. When
a person has run a negative split in a race, what they’ve done
is run the second half of the race faster than the first. Negative splitting is proper pacing in action.
Joining is simple. Just sign up for our free summer public speaking workshop. Workshops
cover mingling at social events, speechwriting,
and even on-camera speaking skills.
If you’re moving to a new school without Young
Runners, contact Malaika Lambert at mlambert@nyrr.
org or call 212.423.2234 to become a Young Runners
Jiovanni
appeared
on NY1 in
April.
There is nothing negative about
PROPER PACING. In fact, it’s positively
something you should strive for. This
Coach’s Corner is all about NEGATIVE
SPLITS.
more are planned for the 2014–2015 school year.
continue to train and race.
This year, with the help of instructors from
Social Sklz, the Youth Running Ambassador
program will prepare runners for even more
exciting activities and events.
COACH’S CORNER:
Negative Splits
Alumni.
Start Slow, Finish Fast!
Finishing a race faster than you started is an achievable goal
for all runners. It just takes a little focus. Start your race at a
comfortable pace. Don’t worry if others pass you early on.
Trust in yourself and continue at a steady rate.
Wall? What Wall?
Email Malaika Lambert at:
mlambert@nyrr.org
or call: 212.423.2234 by July 1 to sign up.
After practicing this a bit, you’ll find you have more energy
than usual at the end of your races. Don’t be surprised if
you begin doing some passing of your own!
Tips for Success
JACK OF ALL TRADES
Solid running form and endurance are keys to playing
virtually every sport. Coach Ashley Burdette’s P.S. 173M
Young Runners come from all over the sports world. One
It looks like Run4Fun has a furry new teamate.
• Run your own race. Try not to focus on the pace of others.
• Talk yourself through it. Remind yourself it’s a long race.
• Adjust your pace if the course is windy or hilly.
• Finish strong. Remember to put all that energy you saved
up to good use.
• Practice! Practice! Practice!
student in particular, Neftali Valentine, plays every sport
available at the school! “Running helps me be faster in
everything I play,” says Neftali.
What do baseball, basketball, and
soccer have in common?
RUNNING!
No matter what sport we play, we’re
all runners first!
Run4Fun’s Panagiotis Batistatos hangs tough at the
Washington Heights Salsa, Blues, and Shamrocks 5K.
Young Runners from Brooklyn Friends School know the ins and
outs of negative splits. Here they are after completing their 1-mile
challenge.
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