Group Leaders

Our Group Leaders are the heart of  the Crim Training Program.  Without them, it would be impossible to motivate and prepare the thousands of participants who take to the streets every year with the hope of running or walking one of the many events of the Crim Festival of Races.

We are constantly recruiting new Group Leaders as the Crim continues to grow year after year.  If you have completed the Crim Training program and think you would like to be a group leader,  continue reading and  decide if you have what it takes!  Call Dorie Barkey, CrimFit Training Program Coordinator  for more information at 810-235-7131.

Join the Crim Family and  become a part of the tradition!

Group Leader Responsibilities

A good group leader should:

• Be able to “take charge , be team oriented, and be flexible.
• Understand and follow the Galloway Training philosophy.

Have fun!

• Nurture the bonding process, talking with each member at each session.
• Tell jokes and encourage group members to do the same.

Be constantly aware of health and safety of the group

• Watch for hazards and anticipate problems.
• Carry a cell phone and ask others too, also.
• Carry emergency contact numbers at each group meeting.
• Review health and safety guidelines before and during each session.

Leading workouts the Galloway way

• Start slow.  
• Start walk or shuffle breaks from the beginning of each run/walk.
• Increase frequency of the breaks as the run/walks get longer.

Stay in touch with group members

• Talk with/email each person in group each week.
• Take attendance at each training session.
• Emphasize the importance of “homework” during the week – ask group members how they are doing.
• Call or email group members who don’t show up.

Ensure a comfortable pace for everyone in the group

• Make sure that the slowest member is comfortable.
• If someone needs to move to another group, (faster or slower), encourage them to do so. 

Water responsibilities

• Encourage group members to carry their own water; set the example.
• Point out water stops and bathrooms on the route.
• Take turns with other leader or group members in bringing water.
• Don’t give the option of stopping for water, just stop and set the example.

The Four Secrets of Highly Successful Group Leaders

1. Successful group leaders focus on the group’s work out, not their own.  They circulate like den mothers all night, talking to everyone in the group and finding out how people are doing, if they have soreness, if the pace is too fast, etc.  Some leaders provide water or a treat at the end and are careful to see that there is water on the route or a car spotted half way to encourage those that are worried about making the entire distance to start with the group.  These leaders let the group know that they are looked for             each group work out.  They take attendance and call missing members to see why they missed.  There is communication during the workout and during the week, in the form of email, notes and/or phone calls.  This group knows that their leaders care about their getting a good experience out of the program.
2. Successful leaders engage in conduct that encourages or facilitates group bonding.  They prepare a “contact list” of names, addresses and phone numbers of group members and hand it out to everyone in the group the second group work out.  They provide name stickers (for front and back) for a few weeks until everyone know names.  They encourage group members to meet on non-group nights for maintenance work outs or offer to meet with as many as want to.  On a short work out night, or a night cut short by heat, these groups are invited to go out for pizza together.  They lead group conversation in ways that engages everyone.  They come back to the last one in line every walk break and keep the group together all night long.
3. Successful leaders dictate the attitude of the group.  The primary focus of the group work out should be to have fun.  They keep the attitude light, not serious. They are flexible. They are playful and make the group’s time together fun.
4.  Successful leaders make their knowledge available to the people in their group.  Groups expect their leaders to know and follow the Galloway method in the running and walking programs.  They start slow, take walk or shuffle breaks and come back to the end member without projecting an attitude that will make the front or back person feel bad.  They explain the elements of the program and why they are important.  Training groups want to know about things that leaders take for granted about form, going up hills, race strategy, clothing, etc.  These leaders bring article from Galloway, other running and walking books, or Runner’s World Magazine, that gives their groups information about points of interest.