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What is a Lottery?

GOTR Blogger

In order to be as transparent as possible about the lottery selection process we have develped a FAQ to help answer questions about the most common questions about the process.

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@girlsontherunsv.org

Why does Girls on the Run use a lottery system?

We use a lottery system to allow all children an equal opportunity to sign up and participate in Girls on the Run programming. With tremendous growth of Girls on the Run, teams can fill up quickly. The lottery system gives all families the same opportunity to sign up instead of relying on a “first come, first served” system. The lottery system is used by the majority of GOTR councils nationwide and is recommended by Girls on the Run International.

How does the lottery registration period work?

Prior to the start of each season, Girls on the Run will advertise dates for the lottery registration period. Please see our website for lottery registration period dates. During the lottery period, registration is open to the public and parents can sign their child up for their preferred team. During this period, anyone who signs up will be entered into the lottery. For best chance to get a spot on your desired team, register anytime during this period.

Here's how lottery selection works:

When the lottery registration period is over, the system will temporarily close for lottery selection to take place.
If a team is over capacity at the time of lottery selection, kids will be randomly picked by the system and placed on the team. Remaining kids will be placed on the team's waitlist.
If a team is under capacity at the time of lottery selection, all kids will be placed on the team.
Payments are processed only if your child is placed on the team and there is a fee associated with your registration.
After the selection process, registration will re-open for teams with remaining space. Kids will be placed on a first come, first serve basis, until the team reaches capacity.

When will we know if our child gets a spot on the team?

If your child is selected in lottery and is placed on the team, you will receive an email confirmation of your “registered” status on the day of lottery selection day.

What if my child is not selected during the lottery?

If the team is over capacity and your child is not selected in the lottery process, they will be placed on the waitlist for that team. Should a spot become available, a child will be selected from the waitlist. Credit cards will not be charged unless your child is officially added to the team. Kids are welcome to sign-up for other teams, if space is available.

How does the lottery system affect kids who have participated in the past?  

Though we appreciate the passion and loyalty of kids that have participated in prior seasons, we are also committed to ensuring that as many kids as possible experience Girls on the Run. Therefore, we do not offer preferential registration for GOTR alumni. The lottery system provides every family an equal opportunity to register.

Does a donation or scholarship status impact the lottery?

No. Our computer-generated lottery selection process does not use that information. It is a blind, randomized selection process.

How many kids are allowed on a team?

In order to ensure a quality program experience for kids and coaches, we limit the number of participants on each team. Kid to coach ratios must be maintained at every practice.

- For a team of 8-15 kids, 3 three coaches are needed at every practice
- For a team of 16-20 kids, 4 coaches are needed at every practice
- Multiple teams are allowed at a site, as long as there are enough dedicated coaches for each team, and space adequate to safely host two separate teams.