Northview — It was near midday at North Oakview Elementary, and second-grader Winston Hughes had worked up a sweat. He rounded the corner of the soccer field, got his Mileage Club card punched by a parent volunteer, and then checked in with physical education teacher Hannah Borgman.
“How much time do we have left?” he asked Borgman eagerly.
She checked her watch.
“Only about two minutes left!”
“Oh, I think I can do one more!” Winston exclaimed.
He took off running again, looking to complete one more lap around the soccer field before Mileage Club wrapped up for the day.
Mileage Club at North Oakview is an optional activity during fall and spring recess times for first- through fourth-graders. Kids who elect to participate get a necklace with a punch card and spend their recess running or walking quarter-mile laps. After each lap, they receive one punch, and once they complete a mile — or four laps — they earn a “toe token” to put on their necklace.
The club is “a longstanding tradition” at the school, Borgman said; its structure is based on a nationwide program to get kids moving. She incorporates Mileage Club concepts into PE classes in kindergarten and DK, so that when the activity becomes their choice in first grade, they already know how fun it is.
“The tokens are really incentivizing (for students) as a visual representation of how far they’ve gone so far this year,” Borgman said. “They come out here to earn more tokens, and some of them don’t even realize that they’re spending their entire recess running or walking. They just know they’re having a good time and they’re doing it with friends, and that’s what’s going to make them want to do it in the future, too.”
There are other incentives: The girl and boy who complete the most miles in their grade level by year’s end each receive a trophy and a certificate recognizing their accomplishment. Borgman also hosts one ice cream party per grade level at the end of the year for the class that collectively achieves the highest mileage.
Making Exercise Fun
As a first-grader last year, Winston won the boy’s trophy after completing 58 miles by the end of the year. This year, he’s already racked up 20 miles and said his goal is to win a trophy again.
“I love running because it gives me, like, more power, and then when I’m older I can be super athletic,” Winston said of why he enjoys Mileage Club. “I like just practicing running faster and faster.”
And whether a student prefers individual challenges, like Winston, or participates with friends for the social aspect, Borgman said they always celebrate one another’s accomplishments. When first-grader Ellie Cornell crossed the finish line at her 10-mile mark, she was met with a round of applause and cheers from nearby students while Borgman proudly awarded her a special glow-in-the dark toe token for the milestone.
Ellie, who blushed but grinned at the attention, said she was happy to reach 10 miles because it made her body feel good.
“I like running fast and I want to get a lot more miles, like maybe 100,” she said.
This year, Borgman said, the club is adding an emphasis on personal responsibility; each student has to keep track of their own necklace and tokens, and if they want to participate in Mileage Club, they must remember to bring their supplies.
“It’s been really successful because the kids end up wearing their necklaces all the time and showing people what they’ve earned because they’re so proud of their accomplishments.”
She continued: “There’s so many health issues in America right now, and the one thing I feel like I can control is to make being active fun for kids.
“I think Mileage Club really does that for them, because they look forward to it every week and tell me they’re so excited.”
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