{"id":73350,"date":"2023-12-28T12:01:37","date_gmt":"2023-12-28T19:01:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=73350"},"modified":"2024-01-02T08:39:29","modified_gmt":"2024-01-02T15:39:29","slug":"preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/","title":{"rendered":"Empowering preteen girls: BstrongBfit program transforms lives through fitness and mental resilience"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"Fifth
Maria, a fifth grader in Greeley, Colorado, runs a BstrongBfit drill during after-school practice while coaches Kim Perales, back left, and Christina Schleicher, back right, cheer on her teammate, Sonia. Photos by Joel Blocker.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When your child moves from grade school to the pre-teen years \u2013 ages 10 to 13 \u2013 their mind and body undergo significant changes, especially for girls.<\/p>\n

Girls experience hormonal changes and, at the same time, their minds experience the most significant growth spurts since they were toddlers. This dual transformation<\/a> presents challenges in their physical, emotional and social lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hardest thing about fifth grade is that parts of you change, and you have more emotions,\u201d said Sonia, 11, a student at Scott Elementary School in Greeley, Colorado.<\/p>\n

\"Greeley
Sonia, a fifth grader in Greeley, runs a BstrongBfit drill during an after-school practice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sonia said those emotions include more sadness, more anger, more happiness and more frustration.<\/p>\n

She and many others her age are being given the tools to help through UCHealth\u2019s community benefit program<\/a> called BstrongBfit, a program that pairs physical fitness \u2013 running \u2013 with mental resilience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m able to see now what solutions there are for those emotions,\u201d Sonia said.<\/p>\n

A girl empowerment program<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The program in northern Colorado helps nurture girls’ growth by centering on health, self-esteem and camaraderie. It is more than just an after-school running club; it is a journey toward holistic well-being. And it is changing lives.<\/p>\n

\"Fifth
Fifth-grade girls from Scott Elementary School in Greeley participate in the after-school BstrongBfit program. The program gives the girls the health and nutrition base of information and the initial plug-in to running said their coach.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What is BstrongBfit?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cBstrongBfit is 90% social and emotional and 10% running,\u201d said Kim Perales, a school psychologist at Scott Elementary, who has been the school\u2019s BstrongBfit coach for over a decade.<\/p>\n

BstrongBfit is an eight-week program providing northern Colorado school districts with 16 evidence-informed lessons about fitness and mental health, with a spotlight on wellness.<\/p>\n

UCHealth provides the curriculum, materials and coaches\u2019 training and oversees the organization of a 2-mile race at the end of the eight weeks. While schools are responsible for providing coaches, support from UCHealth ensures that students won\u2019t pay club or race entry fees.<\/p>\n

\"Fifth
Fifth-grade girls from Scott Elementary School’s BstrongBfit program participate during the fall. The UCHealth program provides flexibility for schools to decide whether to offer it in spring or fall, with about 12-14 schools participating each season.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Perales knows all too well the difficulties that come with adolescence and the power of participating in sports. As a young girl, she struggled in school with selective mutism, unable to speak any spontaneous words in the classroom. It wasn\u2019t until she began playing basketball and running cross-country in fifth grade that she found her voice. Those younger years shaped her desire to study special education and psychology and, later, go on to work with elementary school-aged children.<\/p>\n

Perales uses the program\u2019s curriculum to help other girls \u201cfind their voice\u201d as they navigate their preteen years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tell my student athletes that you cannot really hide from yourself when running,\u201d she said. \u201cAll your strengths and flaws show when you are on the race course. Your will, your determination, your self-talk, your sportsmanship, the feeling of wanting to quit, self-doubt \u2014 all of it shows up at some point in a race. And so, together as a team, we celebrate our strengths and overcome our difficulties.\u201d<\/p>\n

The BstrongBfit clubs meet after school. The class starts with a lesson, journal writing and activities. Then, students head outside for running drills. Coaches often place positive affirmation signs for the girls to read along their run: \u201cI feel good about myself.\u201d \u201cYou are worth working hard for.\u201d \u201cI choose to be amazing.\u201d \u201cCelebrate small successes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Maria,
Maria, right, gets some encouragement from BstrongBfit coach Kim Perales.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cLow self-esteem and body issues are already surfacing at such a young age,\u201d said JoAnn Rosebrock, the BstrongBfit coach in Platteville, Colorado, where the program is offered to fourth- and fifth-grade girls in the fall.<\/p>\n

“Programs like this help us communicate positive reinforcement in an age-appropriate way. It gets them through that early puberty. Fostering that in a group of girls is super important at a time when it is the beginning of \u2018she said, she said\u2019 and cliques. It\u2019s a time when messages and images are not kid-friendly, but they are kid accessible.\u201d<\/p>\n

The BstrongBfit curriculum includes teambuilding activities and discussions about bullying, body image and social media.<\/p>\n

\u201cSocial-emotional learning at this age is super important. I know I could have used that,\u201d Rosebrock said.<\/p>\n

Participants self-reflect in a weekly journal and set goals for running and their daily lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an incredible program that had a lot of research and thought put into it, and UCHealth is supportive every step of the way,\u201d Perales said. \u201cThe health and education pieces are incredible. The social-emotional pieces are also very good, and I feel like any educator can implement them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scott Elementary extends BstrongBfit to fifth-grade girls during the fall. The program provides flexibility for schools to decide whether to offer it in spring or fall, with about 12-14 schools participating each season. This results in an overall engagement of about 400 participants throughout the year.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy offering BstrongBfit to fifth graders, we are catching them on the cusp or in the middle of puberty,\u201d Perales said. \u201cThey are dealing with friendships and body changes, so we are getting in front of those challenges but not so far in front of them that it is not relatable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Fifth-grade
Fifth-grade girls at Scott Elementary School listen as Coach Kim Perales discusses that day’s lesson during the BstrongBfit after-school program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At Scott Elementary, the program’s structure has become so popular that Perales created additional running groups for fourth graders, and she coaches spring run clubs for fifth-grade boys and girls.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt works well because BstrongBfit gives the girls the health and nutrition base of information and the initial plug-in to running, and then we build our family up from there the rest of the year,\u201d Perales said.<\/p>\n

Perales relies on her own lesson plans and materials for the other clubs. Still, strengthening one’s mental character through running remains consistent across all programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout BstrongBfit, I would not have done any of the other coaching or running clubs at Scott,\u201d Perales said.<\/p>\n

\"Coach
Coach Kim Perales talks with Greeley fifth graders during their BstrongBfit after-school practice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Program changes lives by empowering girls with lifelong skills<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Many girls who join BstrongBfit have never been part of a club or participated in organized athletics.<\/p>\n

Fifth-grader and BstrongBfit participant Navaya said her brother, who plays soccer, is the \u201crunner\u201d in their family.<\/p>\n

“I admit, I was lazy,” she said. “But I picked myself up and really started to enjoy running.”<\/p>\n

Sonia’s father encouraged her to join the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe saw how I could run and thought it would be good for me,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd he said the experience would be a good match for my personality and energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the club has proven to be more beneficial to her than simply being an outlet for energy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve learned so much about myself,\u201d Sonia said. \u201cI\u2019m energetic and don\u2019t like giving up. I\u2019m very competitive and enjoy being outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said it helped her realize how important it is to surround herself with people who make her feel good about herself, and her teammates in BstrongBfit are some of those people.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis group helps each other a lot and encourages each other,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Maise, 11, also participated in BstrongBfit at Scott Elementary. She’s now a sixth grader and reflects on the program’s impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really enjoyed feeling part of a team. I didn\u2019t really fit in in my classroom, but I fit in there,” Maise said.<\/p>\n

At the time, Maise hadn\u2019t tried running before, so she said her expectations for herself were low. But to her surprise, she enjoyed running and continues to run competitively and for fun today.<\/p>\n

“I wanted to keep running because it was a new and fun experience. It got me to push myself and made me a better person,” she said.<\/p>\n

Maise\u2019s mom, Karin, also saw the club’s impact on her daughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt made school last year more bearable and gave her a positive experience each week with her peers because there was not a lot of interaction with them during the day,\u201d Karin said. \u201cThe program promoted positive interactions between the girls and taught them about having conversations that are personal and keeping them in trust.<\/p>\n

“I did see her get her confidence back as she got better at running each time,” Karin continued. “I strongly believe that athletics at a young age should be good for your mental health. She would come home feeling good about ‘run club.’ It was good for her to have that way to find herself and find her confidence again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rosebrock said the camaraderie created among participants is undeniable.<\/p>\n

\"8.
Fifth-grade girls at Scott Elementary School participate in the after-school BstrongBfit program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe girls have a ton of fun and really bond as a family,\u201d she said. \u201cThey are there to support each other and can look at every face in the group and know that is someone they can go to in this school, a safe person, someone they’re connected to.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not an easy time for kids, and knowing they are not alone in what they\u2019re going through is an awesome, eye-opening and supportive environment for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perales agreed: \u201cWe are changing lives,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When your child moves from grade school to the pre-teen years \u2013 ages 10 to 13 \u2013 their mind and body undergo significant changes, especially for girls. Girls experience hormonal changes and, at the same time, their minds experience the most significant growth spurts since they were toddlers. This dual transformation presents challenges in their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2164,"featured_media":73356,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[9197,3921,710,379,9194,7575],"class_list":["post-73350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-bstrongbfit","tag-community-benefits-report","tag-community-health","tag-healthy-hearts-and-minds","tag-school-and-classroom-resources","tag-schools"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBstrongBfit program empowers preteen girls - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"UCHealth\u2019s BstrongBfit program empowers preteen girls, nurturing physical and mental well-being, confidence, camaraderie and lifelong skills.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Empowering preteen girls: BstrongBfit program transforms lives through fitness and mental resilience\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"UCHealth\u2019s BstrongBfit program empowers preteen girls, nurturing physical and mental well-being, confidence, camaraderie and lifelong skills.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UCHealth Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-12-28T19:01:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-01-02T15:39:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/12\/20162735\/BStrong_BFit3-web.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc\"},\"headline\":\"Empowering preteen girls: BstrongBfit program transforms lives through fitness and mental resilience\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-12-28T19:01:37+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-01-02T15:39:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/\"},\"wordCount\":1672,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/12\/20162735\/BStrong_BFit3-web.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"BstrongBfit\",\"Community Benefits Report\",\"Community health\",\"Healthy Hearts and Minds\",\"school and classroom resources\",\"Schools\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Healthy living\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/\",\"name\":\"BstrongBfit program empowers preteen girls - UCHealth Today\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/12\/20162735\/BStrong_BFit3-web.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-12-28T19:01:37+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-01-02T15:39:29+00:00\",\"description\":\"UCHealth\u2019s BstrongBfit program empowers preteen girls, nurturing physical and mental well-being, confidence, camaraderie and lifelong skills.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/12\/20162735\/BStrong_BFit3-web.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/12\/20162735\/BStrong_BFit3-web.webp\",\"width\":800,\"height\":533,\"caption\":\"Fifth grader, Maria, runs a BstrongBfit drill during after-school practice while coaches, in background, Kim Perales, left, and Christina Schleicher, right, cheer on her teammate, Sonia. Photo by Joel Blocker.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Empowering preteen girls: BstrongBfit program transforms lives through fitness and mental resilience\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/\",\"name\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"description\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization\",\"name\":\"UCHealth\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"UCHealth\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/uchealth\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uchealth\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/14839\/\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/uchealthorg\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc\",\"name\":\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\"},\"description\":\"Kati Blocker has always been driven to learn and explore the world around her. And every day, as a writer for UCHealth, Kati meets inspiring people, learns about life-saving technology, and gets to know the amazing people who are saving lives each day. Even better, she gets to share their stories with the world. As a journalism major at the University of Wyoming, Kati wrote for her college newspaper. She also studied abroad in Swansea, Wales, while simultaneously writing for a Colorado metaphysical newspaper. After college, Kati was a reporter for the Montrose Daily Press and the Telluride Watch, covering education and health care in rural Colorado, as well as city news and business. When she's not writing, Kati is creating her own stories with her husband Joel and their two children.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/katieblocker\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"BstrongBfit program empowers preteen girls - UCHealth Today","description":"UCHealth\u2019s BstrongBfit program empowers preteen girls, nurturing physical and mental well-being, confidence, camaraderie and lifelong skills.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Empowering preteen girls: BstrongBfit program transforms lives through fitness and mental resilience","og_description":"UCHealth\u2019s BstrongBfit program empowers preteen girls, nurturing physical and mental well-being, confidence, camaraderie and lifelong skills.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/","og_site_name":"UCHealth Today","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","article_published_time":"2023-12-28T19:01:37+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-01-02T15:39:29+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/12\/20162735\/BStrong_BFit3-web.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uchealth","twitter_site":"@uchealth","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/"},"author":{"name":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc"},"headline":"Empowering preteen girls: BstrongBfit program transforms lives through fitness and mental resilience","datePublished":"2023-12-28T19:01:37+00:00","dateModified":"2024-01-02T15:39:29+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/"},"wordCount":1672,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/12\/20162735\/BStrong_BFit3-web.webp","keywords":["BstrongBfit","Community Benefits Report","Community health","Healthy Hearts and Minds","school and classroom resources","Schools"],"articleSection":["Healthy living"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/","name":"BstrongBfit program empowers preteen girls - UCHealth Today","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/12\/20162735\/BStrong_BFit3-web.webp","datePublished":"2023-12-28T19:01:37+00:00","dateModified":"2024-01-02T15:39:29+00:00","description":"UCHealth\u2019s BstrongBfit program empowers preteen girls, nurturing physical and mental well-being, confidence, camaraderie and lifelong skills.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/12\/20162735\/BStrong_BFit3-web.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/12\/20162735\/BStrong_BFit3-web.webp","width":800,"height":533,"caption":"Fifth grader, Maria, runs a BstrongBfit drill during after-school practice while coaches, in background, Kim Perales, left, and Christina Schleicher, right, cheer on her teammate, Sonia. Photo by Joel Blocker."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/preteen-girl-empowerment-program-bstrongbfit\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Empowering preteen girls: BstrongBfit program transforms lives through fitness and mental resilience"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","name":"UCHealth Today","description":"UCHealth Today","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization","name":"UCHealth","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"caption":"UCHealth"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/x.com\/uchealth","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uchealth\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/14839\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc","name":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth"},"description":"Kati Blocker has always been driven to learn and explore the world around her. And every day, as a writer for UCHealth, Kati meets inspiring people, learns about life-saving technology, and gets to know the amazing people who are saving lives each day. Even better, she gets to share their stories with the world. As a journalism major at the University of Wyoming, Kati wrote for her college newspaper. She also studied abroad in Swansea, Wales, while simultaneously writing for a Colorado metaphysical newspaper. After college, Kati was a reporter for the Montrose Daily Press and the Telluride Watch, covering education and health care in rural Colorado, as well as city news and business. When she's not writing, Kati is creating her own stories with her husband Joel and their two children.","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/katieblocker\/"}]}},"coauthors":[{"id":2164,"name":"Kati Blocker","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/katieblocker\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2164"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73350"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73350\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73506,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73350\/revisions\/73506"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}