Photo courtesy of Leta Hoit.
There are 40 to 50 second- through fifth-graders who are members of the Jumpin’ Jags, Greystone Elementary’s new jump rope club. Students all wear their team T-shirts to practice.
Every Thursday after school, the sounds of Beyonce’s “Move Your Body” — a song written for First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! program — can be heard from Greystone Elementary School’s gym.
For an hour and a half, between 40 and 50 students in second through fifth grade are part of Greystone’s inaugural jump rope club, the Jumpin’ Jags. “Move Your Body” is the club’s performance song this year — one that Leta Hoit, physical education teacher and jump rope club teacher, said has a great beat and a meaning behind the lyrics.
“Greystone students love to jump rope,” Hoit said. “They welcome the challenge of learning new tricks and celebrate their excitement when they accomplish that challenge.”
When the team arrives at practice, they hang out together for the first 15 minutes, eat a snack and talk to each other. Then they sit with their squad and the squad leaders mark attendance, Hoit said, checking to see who is wearing their team shirt and who brought their jump rope to practice.
“We come to practice dressed as a team,” she said. “We have a team T-shirt and the jumpers have their own rope. They are responsible for this rope during the school year. The older students have several opportunities to share their leadership qualities by being a squad leader and mentoring the younger students.”
The first half of practice is spent reviewing learned jump rope tricks, Hoit said, and the second half of practice is spent learning new jump rope tricks.
“We do save time to practice double Dutch and other large group jump rope tricks,” Hoit said.
The team’s practice music is a variety of upbeat tunes. The team’s routines are created by Hoit, kindergarten teacher Kimberly Carns, and the older students on the team. Many students come in with some basic jump rope skills through their physical education classes, Hoit said.
“In physical education at Greystone we teach a unit in jump rope, where they learn the basic skills of jumping rope,” she said. “Since this is our first year as a team, jumpers must be able to jump using the single bounce for at least 30 seconds. Most tricks are performed using the single bounce.”
Next year, Hoit said, the jumpers will come into the club with a long list of tricks they already know — at least two tricks are learned at every practice. Some of their favorites: criss-cross, double under, helicopter, jogger, boxer, side swing cross and the toad, Hoit said.
“We tell them they are professionals,” Hoit said.
The team’s last performance of the year will be for the team members’ families.
“It will be a fun time for the students to show off the tricks they have learned,” Hoit said.
It is an experience that has been beneficial to the students involved, she said.
“The goal for the jump rope club is to share the joy of jumping rope by performing the art of jump rope,” Hoit said. “It is a wonderful feeling looking forward to something that we enjoy, especially when it is at school and even more special after school. These students get excited when it is Thursday and they can stay after school to do something they love — jumping rope.”
Hoit hopes the club will be around for years to come after a successful first year.
“Next year we will continue to practice, practice and practice,” she said. “The next step is to create a longer routine and learn two routines. Jumpin’ Jags will definitely be around for the years to come!”
