Mission
Santa Clarita Track Club's Students Off And Running (SOAR) program helps youth in need living in Santa Clarita build life skills and establish healthy relationships with peers and adults through training for and completing a Marathon.
Vision
Santa Clarita Track Club's Students Off And Running (SOAR) is an after school program available to high school students enrolled in the Santa Clarita Valley. SOAR uses the vehicle of marathon training to empower students and provide them with tools for a healthy and constructive future. SOAR is offered at no cost to participants and their families.
Goals
The ultimate goal of SOAR is for students to participate in a truly life changing event: running a marathon. Beyond achieving a level of physical and emotional fitness many aspire to attain, students participating in the program's 24 week, 380 mile training season learn the value of true perseverance. While training, students gain insight into health and nutrition, and are shown alternatives to self destructive behavior. SOAR Coaches build self-esteem, reinforce resiliency, and role model the importance of setting and achieving goals through a shared marathon training experience. Participants having completed the program often translate their remarkable accomplishment into improved school performance and long term choices in favor of a healthier life style.
Objectives
SOAR establishes running groups at participating schools and implements a six month training program. Each running group operates under the guidance of volunteer adult Coaches who role model commitment and perseverance by training mile for mile with student participants in preparation for the marathon. Coaches may be teachers, school staff or community members and need not have prior running experience. Running groups maintain a 6:1 student-Coach ratio allowing for valuable one-on-one adult-student interaction. Weekly goals are set in a truly non-competitive arena, emphasizing the importance of team and 'best effort' rather than 'going for the win'. Training begins with easy mileage usually in late September, and builds gradually until participants are prepared to take on the 26.2 mile LA Marathon. During training, Coaches emphasize messages about nutrition, exercise, conditioning, injury prevention and general well-being. Coaches also use this time to mentor students and create a supportive environment where students can talk about personal, family and academic challenges and develop the confidence to apply themselves and overcome those challenges.
Santa Clarita Track Club's Students Off And Running (SOAR) program helps youth in need living in Santa Clarita build life skills and establish healthy relationships with peers and adults through training for and completing a Marathon.
Vision
Santa Clarita Track Club's Students Off And Running (SOAR) is an after school program available to high school students enrolled in the Santa Clarita Valley. SOAR uses the vehicle of marathon training to empower students and provide them with tools for a healthy and constructive future. SOAR is offered at no cost to participants and their families.
Goals
The ultimate goal of SOAR is for students to participate in a truly life changing event: running a marathon. Beyond achieving a level of physical and emotional fitness many aspire to attain, students participating in the program's 24 week, 380 mile training season learn the value of true perseverance. While training, students gain insight into health and nutrition, and are shown alternatives to self destructive behavior. SOAR Coaches build self-esteem, reinforce resiliency, and role model the importance of setting and achieving goals through a shared marathon training experience. Participants having completed the program often translate their remarkable accomplishment into improved school performance and long term choices in favor of a healthier life style.
Objectives
SOAR establishes running groups at participating schools and implements a six month training program. Each running group operates under the guidance of volunteer adult Coaches who role model commitment and perseverance by training mile for mile with student participants in preparation for the marathon. Coaches may be teachers, school staff or community members and need not have prior running experience. Running groups maintain a 6:1 student-Coach ratio allowing for valuable one-on-one adult-student interaction. Weekly goals are set in a truly non-competitive arena, emphasizing the importance of team and 'best effort' rather than 'going for the win'. Training begins with easy mileage usually in late September, and builds gradually until participants are prepared to take on the 26.2 mile LA Marathon. During training, Coaches emphasize messages about nutrition, exercise, conditioning, injury prevention and general well-being. Coaches also use this time to mentor students and create a supportive environment where students can talk about personal, family and academic challenges and develop the confidence to apply themselves and overcome those challenges.
Students Off And Running (SOAR) is a division of the Santa Clarita Track Club, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All contributions are tax deductible according to Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax ID # 77-0615715 . Santa Clarita Track Club, Inc, 27900 Youngberry Dr, Santa Clarita, CA 91350-1756. Located in the Santa Clarita Valley, programs include: Youth Track and Field, Youth Cross Country, and Students Off And Running (SOAR). The organization name Students Off And Running, the acronym SOAR in affiliation with Students Off And Running , and all SOAR logos in affiliation with Students Off And Running are trademark protected, all rights reserved. Inquires - please contact club president Alan Bingham Refund policy. SOAR Program inquires contact Director / Head Coach Kevin Sarkissian 661.877.7024. Email kjsarkissian@yahoo.com. Last Update 6/15.