By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office
Two young men from the Probation Youth Transition Campus ran along the Embarcadero as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. 5K Fun Run, with nearly 700 runners and four Probation officers.
The young men, both 18, are part of the Probation Youth Transition Campus Run Club. Teens at the East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility also have a Run Club program.
“Running is a great way to improve fitness, lower stress, and develop personal discipline to overcome challenges,” said Deputy Chief Probation Officer Matthew Strickland.
Officers work with teenagers to help them learn the physical and mental benefits that running provides, including forming connections to other runners. Based on their training level and good behavior, Run Club students have an opportunity to be sponsored and leave the campus with Probation officers to run in community races.
“They were dedicated,” said Supervising Probation Officer Carlos Sanchez, who manages the program with two other officers.
One of the teenagers had never run three miles at one time, but he powered through with a lot of encouragement, Sanchez said.
“It was great to see the rapport they had built through their training and how they supported one another to make the most of the event,” said Strickland, who ran with the Probation Youth-Officer group.
“I appreciate that we have officers who want to facilitate the workouts and run alongside our youth.”
Sanchez said the young man who had never participated in a 5K struggled a bit because he’s more of a sprint runner and doesn’t typically run longer distances. So, he got through it by alternating between fast sprints and an even pace because that helped him stay focused, he said.
The other teenager ran another 5K recently, so he kept a steady pace, Sanchez said.
Running helps these young men find a physical and mental outlet that can help with stress, mood problems, anxiety and self-esteem, he said. It can also be a meditative time to refocus and set a positive goal, Sanchez added.
Teens in the Run Club also learn running techniques, injury prevention, diet, and the importance of running shoes and training.
County Probation works to help youth grow, heal, and build better futures, and that starts with safety, fairness, and trust for everyone involved.