Nisky Students Organize Kids' Running Club

by Katherine Sumner

Even a pandemic can’t stop Niskayuna runners! During quarantine, juniors Abby Thomas and Sara Harrow, along with senior Rebecca Barr and freshman Nick Thomas, created a running club for elementary and middle schoolers, giving them a chance to exercise and spend time with friends in a safe environment.

When asked about her motivation for creating the club, Abby Thomas says, “When I was younger, I participated in a Niskayuna running club run by former Niskayuna runner Danielle Skufca. This really got me involved in the running program and interested in the sport... Since a lot of summer activities and sports were cancelled, [bringing back] this club gave us the opportunity to give back to the running community and spike interest in running for a younger generation.”

“With COVID-19 there were very minimal social interactions,” adds Harrow. “So we wanted to bring people together to see their friends and hang out… while still getting ready for sports.”

Barr says the club met, socially distanced, at the Craig soccer fields every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon during the summer. After a warm-up and leg drills, club members would split up into different groups so they could stay far enough apart during their run. Groups usually ran for 15 to 20 minutes, then did stretches and ab workouts before rejoining the rest of the club. Each meeting ended with a fun activity, like scavenger hunts, obstacle courses, water balloon fights, or wall-sit competitions.

“I had nerves going into the first day not knowing how many kids were going to show up, if we could get them to follow COVID-19 procedures, and even if we could get them to keep coming after the first meeting,” says Nick Thomas. “But as we progressed through each week, kids kept consistently coming back, and a few new ones were coming in. The kids got used to the procedures and seemed like they were having fun, so as things started to fall into place, I think everyone had a good experience.”

When asked about how they felt about the club, many of the younger runners were overwhelmingly positive. “I really liked it!” said seventh-grader Luke Cassella. “Even not being much of a runner, it was still a fun experience.” Fifth-grader Sam Cassella added, “The counselors were really nice, and I just liked that I got to see all our friends afterward.”

“I thought [the club] was really well-organized, and the social distancing was really good,” said fifth-grader Ty Cassella. His sister Olivia, also a fifth-grader, agreed with him, saying, “It was the perfect balance [of training and running].”

But this wasn’t just a good experience for the kids- the high school counselors who ran it gained a lot from it as well. “I have been running for just about seven years now,” says Abby Thomas, “so for me to be able to share some of the knowledge I had with younger kids was a super cool experience. It strengthened me as a leader because I got to experience co-leading a group of kids and organizing a camp that would hopefully allow them to become more involved in this sport.”

Barr agrees, saying, “[This experience] definitely helped me become a better leader, because I was able to get better at teaching things [and at] speaking up.”

All the counselors are happy that they’ve been able to give kids, as Harrow says, a “positive and unforgettable experience” with running.