How do you start a Stroller Warriors® Chapter at a new location?
If a chapter is not available at your duty station but you are interested in starting one, please contact us at strollerwarrior@gmail.com to apply! (Please note that Stroller Warriors® is a registered trademark and our name, logos, literature, and processes are protected legally and require permission for use.)
Although this is a volunteer position, we conduct a thorough application and interview process to identify optimum candidates for mentorship. We also ensure that the location is viable for our needs. It's essentially like applying for a job, because it does take a significant amount of time and dedication to coordinate a chapter. We aim to ensure you're ready for the commitment!
Step 1) We ask that prospective coordinators copy and paste this list of questions into an email and provide detailed sentences, paragraphs and examples about how they meet each qualification. The more detail you provide, the better assessment we can make about whether or not you are a good fit for the position. Time and effort on the application shows us that you will also put in time and effort to this job! Please note that we do not accept applications during the months of June, July, and August. Please plan accordingly when submitting your application. We do not allow co-founders for Chapters. Additional Coordinators may be added at a later date if necessary.
Questions for the application are as follows:
1) Are you an Active Duty military spouse? If yes, which branch?
2) Are you currently living at the installation where you wish to found a Stroller Warriors chapter? (If not, please hold onto your application and submit only after you have physically arrived.)
3) What is the name of the installation where you hope to start a Stroller Warriors chapter?
4) How long do you plan to fill this position? (Our minimum requirement is one full year.)
5) What is your weekday morning availability? How will you ensure you can consistently attend and/or lead weekday morning workouts?
6) What prior experience do you have with Stroller Warriors? What are your main reasons for applying?
7) What is your background regarding running, racing, and fitness, and how does it apply to Stroller Warriors?
8) How have you been involved with organizing and supporting charitable efforts in the past? What are your strengths and ideas with community outreach?
9) What examples can you provide that illustrate your ability to be responsible and organized?
10) In what ways have you shown initiative in your personal, volunteer, and/or professional life?
11) How would you describe your personality? In what ways are you outgoing and positive?
12) How do you perform as a professional and efficient communicator, both oral and written? How would you prefer to communicate with our headquarters team: emails, phone calls, or both?
13) How do you operate as a team player? In what ways have you worked on a team in the past?
14) How much time a week do you believe you can commit to a volunteer position?
15) Are you willing to fund minor start-up expenses and small contributions as needed? (Approximately $50 or so).
16) What is your experience level with Facebook and other social media outlets? Would you consider yourself novice, average, or experienced?
17) What is your phone number and the best times to reach you (am or pm)?
Step 2) We examine your location for viability. Ideally, we desire a minimum of 2 workout locations, including a playground connected to a 3-mile asphalt trail with adequate parking and restrooms. Locations should be no further than 20 minutes from the main gate of the installation and we prefer most locations to be on installation or nearby. (Note: Exceptions can be made for these requirements on a case-to-case basis.) Please include information about prospective locations in your application, if you have already completed some research.
Step 3) Our leadership staff requests 2 letters of reference who can provide a testimonial to the candidate's background related to leadership, volunteerism, and/or running fitness. Letters of reference should be directly emailed from the source to strollerwarrior@gmail.com. Current chapter coordinators CAN provide letters of reference for their own club members!
Step 4) Our leadership staff will set up a casual Skype interview to get to know you face-to-face. This is a chance for us to engage you in conversation and ask additional questions, and an opportunity for the prospective coordinator to do the same. This is not meant to be a formal interview. We understand if your children are underfoot and more than likely, ours will be as well!
Step 5) Our leadership staff meets to discuss the results and decide whether or not to extend an offer for mentorship.
Step 6) Mentor the new coordinator! We provide all our new coordinators with one month of focused training with an assigned mentor. We provide our coordinators with the Stroller Warriors Guidebook, their own location logos, access to all our flyers and documents, and essentially all the tools they need to set up a chapter and keep with the Stroller Warriors ideals. Most chapters are ready to launch their page within 2-3 weeks and hold their first workout within 4-5 weeks from inception.
Once again, if you are interested in pursuing this option, please email us at strollerwarrior@gmail.com, completing step 1 of our process.
IMPORTANT NOTES: Unless you already coordinated a running club prior to hearing about Stroller Warriors, we would not recommend that you create your own running club page or running group prior to contacting us. We realize this may be a genuine effort to gauge local interest in Stroller Warriors and display enthusiasm and initiative. However, this also sets incorrect expectations for prospective membership and creates unnecessary obstacles in this process. We would also ask that all conversations between prospective candidates and mentees be kept confidential until a chapter is ready for launch. Thank you for your compliance!
Thank you for your interest and we hope to work with you soon!