Community Bonding

By Aaron Meyer, After School Coordinator

Girls in the Game is more than just sports, leadership and health. It’s also an organization based on creating and shaping communities. One of the key components is building relationships, both at an individual and collective level. Through the After School programs, coaches were not only able to glimpse different communities in Chicago, but we also played a role in shaping them.

Running programming every day made me feel like I was a part of the five schools I visited during the week. At Edwards Elementary School, we became friendly with the administrators, teachers and other youth workers at the school. We would say hello when we arrived and talk to them about work, the neighborhood or just talk about sports. These connections not only constructed meaningful bridges, but we were able to give a more well-rounded approach to girls with the help of teachers and administrators.

Most importantly, the girls loved when we showed up to run Girls in the Game. When we would arrive at Edwards’s cafeteria to wait for participants, either some would immediately run to the cafeteria at the end of school or they would already be there — running around — waiting for us. They would come up to us and ask us questions or just talk about their day. They were excited to see us every week, and so were we. When you have programming every week, the girls begin to know and trust you, similar to what happens in classrooms during a typical school year. We built familiarity and consistency at our after-school programs, so the girls knew each week during the school year we’d be there for them.

I came to Chicago a year ago with service-corps. Just as the girls became familiar with each other over programming, over time I became acquainted with Chicago. Through traveling and working in different neighborhoods for Girls in the Game, I learned about this city — from its street vendors and transit lines to its history and weather. Thanks to Girls in the Game, my understanding of Chicago has grown. Now that my time with service-corps is ending, this job built a sense of community and love which I will take cherish most from Girls in the Game.

Aaron Meyer is an After School Coordinator and Sports Specialist at Girls in the Game. He graduated from Clark University with a degree in Political Science. Aaron joined the Avodah Jewish Service Corps, which lead him to Girls in the Game. Aaron loves everything transit related, especially trains.