When I created The 100 Mile Club, I asked myself:
What would be a perfect balance between challenging and attainable?
For MOST kids, 100 miles works perfectly. Three miles a week. Not too easy, not too hard. For some, however, there needs to be some adjustment. And that's ok.
Sometimes, the balance between challenging and attainable must be adjusted to help some participants achieve TRUE personal success.
Pre-school, kindergarten. Besides being so tiny and cute, most of our preschoolers and kindergarteners are on 1/2 day at school, and for this reason, we have used "mini miles" at many of our schools . Mini Miles are simply 1/2 mile =1 mile. When these little ones run, we still call their "miles" miles...we just calculate them differently. No big deal.
Last year at one school, we looked at the statistics of the kindergarten classes who did mini-miles and compared them with our regular 1 Mile=1 Mile classes. Our mini-mile kindergarteners earned their incentives at just about the same time as our other classes. It WORKED! So...try mini miles for the little ones. The statistics match, and the little ones find it much more attainable, yet appropriately challenging. We found a balance! YAY!
Individuals with Disabilities. There are as many modifications as there are disabilities, and every single individual is different. Use your best judgement or talk to your adaptive p.e. coach about appropriate challenges for your student/s.
For most, again, walking a mile is perfect...but if you need to, simply figure out what your student can do "3" of each week. That can be their "mile".
What would be a perfect balance between challenging and attainable?
For MOST kids, 100 miles works perfectly. Three miles a week. Not too easy, not too hard. For some, however, there needs to be some adjustment. And that's ok.
Sometimes, the balance between challenging and attainable must be adjusted to help some participants achieve TRUE personal success.
Pre-school, kindergarten. Besides being so tiny and cute, most of our preschoolers and kindergarteners are on 1/2 day at school, and for this reason, we have used "mini miles" at many of our schools . Mini Miles are simply 1/2 mile =1 mile. When these little ones run, we still call their "miles" miles...we just calculate them differently. No big deal.
Last year at one school, we looked at the statistics of the kindergarten classes who did mini-miles and compared them with our regular 1 Mile=1 Mile classes. Our mini-mile kindergarteners earned their incentives at just about the same time as our other classes. It WORKED! So...try mini miles for the little ones. The statistics match, and the little ones find it much more attainable, yet appropriately challenging. We found a balance! YAY!
Individuals with Disabilities. There are as many modifications as there are disabilities, and every single individual is different. Use your best judgement or talk to your adaptive p.e. coach about appropriate challenges for your student/s.
For most, again, walking a mile is perfect...but if you need to, simply figure out what your student can do "3" of each week. That can be their "mile".
We have had students with specific physical disabilities do swimming, walking a specified distance using their walker, rolling in their wheelchair, and even physically rolling across a mat as miles. Nothing is off limits, as long as you allow all individuals to do their best at whatever activities are appropriate for them.
You can start with this document: 100 Mile Club Mile Equivalents. It will help you make some decisions about appropriate mile-equivalents for your students with disabilities.
If you need to, just call. We can help you figure out something really good for every child. I have never had a child unable to participate...ever. We can always make 100 Mile Club work for everyone. 100 Mile Club's beauty is its flexibility. :)
Remember, YOU know your students best. Help each of them to do what they can do and you and ALL of your students will undoubtedly reap the rewards of 100 Mile Club participation.
The 100 Mile Club has the potential to be life-changing for many of our students.
Many students have never completed an activity that takes such long-term planning and goal-setting.
Many students discover hidden athletic talents and go on to participate in sports and activities in high school and beyond.
Others simply learn a little bit more about themselves through this journey to 100 miles and apply this new knowledge to their educations, their overall wellness, and their relationships with others.
The 100 Mile Club really is all about Accepting the Challenge and experiencing the journey to success with others, and I am incredibly excited for anyone who takes that on, in whatever form it happens to be...
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