By

Larissa Parr,   Hale Cmty School

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Physical Activity Participation,  Teamwork

We have a student with autism who struggles to connect socially with his peers. When we introduced the mileage club, which is a way for kids to get prizes for running outside of PE class, this student was drawn to it right away. Little did he know, he would also find his best friend in the process. There is another student in his class who isn't as vocal or social as other students, and he was also interested in this extracurricular running activity. At first the two boys would run on their own around the course, but soon they were running together. They would track each other's laps and help each other out. They had a meeting spot and would jog at recess every day. They have even met at the course on the weekend to jog together! Now, the two boys are friends in class and spend time together outside of school. Thanks to the mileage club, these two boys found a great friendship!

What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

Minnesota weather can definitely pose a problem; with the mileage club and a goal of 100 miles, the kids are also allowed to "power walk" if the conditions are less than ideal.