Get Girls Active Through Open Houses!
What is a GoGirlGo! “Supporting Program” and what is the target audience?
Any organization that serves girls, makes a commitment to promote GoGirlGo! Week, and offers at least one annual free Open House
physical activity program for beginner girls in the 8- to 18-year-old age range may participate as a GoGirlGo! Supporting Program. These Open Houses should be focused
on welcoming sedentary girls and ensuring that they have a success experience, make new friends and hopefully come back to your program to be part of GoGirlGo!
Who can become a GoGirlGo! Supporting Program?
Any girl-serving organization (schools, recreation centers, Boys and Girls Clubs, YWCA, park programs, nonprofit organizations, etc.) may request to become a GoGirlGo!
Supporting Program. Simply complete the Registration form and conduct one or more free Open House programs for girls aged 8 to 18. Please identify on the registration
form how many girls you will be hosting that are currently not registered as well as those that are registered in your physical activity program. The purpose of the Open
House program is to encourage inactive girls or girls not familiar with the physical activities you offer to try a physical activity and, hopefully, to continue to participate in your
organization’s physical activity program offerings after experiencing the Open House activity.
Why conduct a GoGirlGo! Open House?
Most girls who are inactive are not confident about their physical skills. They don’t think they can have fun or be successful in sports or physical activity settings. An Open
House is a special effort by a girl-serving organization to identify inactive girls and encourage them to come to a place that wants them and assures them that the physical
activity experience they will try requires no skill, is easy and will be a fun and rewarding experience! Girls who are sedentary are at greater health risk than girls who play
sports or engage in other physical activities. Girl-serving organizations care about all girls, not just those who are physically talented. They want to help sedentary girls
become healthier by getting them moving.
Do Open House materials cost anything?
No! They are FREE. But organizations must agree not to charge a fee for girls to attend
the Open House.
What is the recommended format of a GoGirlGo! Open House?
Ice Breaker. A five- to 10-minute opening activity during which girls get to know each other.
The kit contains several suggestions about ways to get girls to talk about themselves and
what is important to them. Be sure that each girl gets a nametag (included on the CD).
GoGirlGo! Issue. A GoGirlGo! story about an issue important to girls that girls can
discuss. The story is read out loud by a girl and a peer leader leads discussion. An
adult leader can organize activities (included) around the story/issue discussed.
This generally takes about 30 minutes.
Easy Activity. The physical activity is up to you. Just be sure it is not competitive and
will not intimidate a beginner. For example, if you are a soccer league and usually only
do soccer competitions, you might want to offer a beginner-level basic skills clinic that
doesn’t involve any competition, maybe five or six “stations” where girls can try to dribble
a ball or kick a goal and where all the activity leaders practice positive coaching. The
activity should take 30-60 minutes.
Conclusion. Thank the girls for coming and let them know how they can become more
involved in your programs. Award participation certificates (included in this kit) and hand
out stickers (on the CD), GoGirlGo Tips (on the CD), GoGirl News (included in the kit),
and the fun gifts to each girl.
What are the characteristics of a great Open House program?
Non-Competitive Cooperative Activities. If your program doesn’t currently have
non-competitive activities, this may be a good time to consider a walking club, a
cheerleading class, a yoga club or a stretching and exercise to music class.
Nurturing Safe Environment. A nurturing, caring, positive and enthusiastic all-girl
environment. Remember that when boys are invited to observe or participate in activities
involving girls who are beginners, they tease and criticize girls’ bodies and give permission
for girls to criticize each other. Even when boys don’t tease or criticize, girls may feel
more intimidated to try something new in front of them. Make the Open House environment
safe from teasing and harassment. Review the communication tips included in this kit.
Fun. Enlist patient leaders who make the activity fun, if you want a beginner to stay
involved – no drill sergeants or wind sprints!
Respect for Differences. Adult or peer leaders need to demonstrate acceptance and
respect for girls of all sizes, shapes and skill levels. If peer leaders are conducting the
activity, adult leaders should review these important points with them.
Continuing Program. If you are a high school or college team willing to give a clinic or
other physical activity program but can’t do it regularly, try to do it in conjunction with and
at the facility of an ongoing program – at the YWCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, or a girls’
program that meets regularly – so they can continue the activity you introduce. Or volunteer
to help recruit girls in your school or neighborhood to an existing physical activity program
sponsored by another organization close to where you live.
More Fun. “Fun” is the most important reason that will keep a girl involved…be
encouraging and complimentary; laugh a lot!
Promotion Ideas
Every Open House should have posters, a banner and flyers. First look at your own membership to see if there are girls who are not currently
participating in physical activity. You should ask currently active girls or members to each bring one inactive friend to the Open House and to participate as an “Ambassador”
or peer leader. It’s not how many girls come to an Open House, it’s about each girl feeling that she is welcome, wanted and respected for who she is.
Have high school girls already in your program design a great promotion and activity and use it to apply for Ambassador grants and scholarships.
How do I get my Kit and get started?
Complete the GoGirlGo! Supporting Program Open House Registration Form as soon
as you know the date, time and place of your GoGirlGo! Open House. The form is
available online on www.GoGirlGoNetwork.com