Jumping to Victory

A common misconception of jump rope is that it's not a real sport. The Annandale Terrace Jumpers beg to differ.

The AT Jumpers are the precision jump rope team of Annandale Terrace Elementary School. The team is nationally renowned for its success in major competitions such as the USA Jump Rope National Tournament and the AAU Junior Olympic Games. The Capitol One-sponsored team has performed at the University of Virginia, the University of Maryland, and at other major events in the metropolitan area, including the South Lawn of the White House.

Coach and founder Martha Huggins said the Annandale public school students, ages 8 to 14, are goal-oriented and poised.

"They always do their best, learn to keep a smile on their face and keep going," said Huggins. "They know that the last thing that happened doesn't necessarily affect the next thing they're going to do. The show must go on."

The team competes in local and regional competitions in Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina as well as in national competitions in Florida, Virginia and Tennessee. The AT Jumpers are also a State Demo Team for the American Heart Association.

Some team members placed in the top 10 at competitions this year. "I think all of the kids did their personal best in all of the required categories, so they were all really excited about that," said Huggins.

Huggins is very enthusiastic about the opportunities the team receives from traveling to competitions and performances. "It's been a pretty positive deal for the kids," said Huggins. "They get to go places and meet people. They also develop a positive, larger view of the world around them and a new way of relating."

Huggins founded the team in 1996 as an after-school outreach program for students at Annandale Terrace Elementary School, where she is one of three physical education teachers. Many students at the diverse school are second generation immigrants who speak English in addition to their native language.

"I just thought this would be a great fit for our school," said Huggins. "It doesn't take up a whole lot of space, it doesn't cost much money to buy a jump rope and it isn't language dependent. You can demonstrate how to jump rope without it being language intensive."

Huggins said that the team was initially just a recess activity and eventually developed into after school practices. "It started as a small group and grew into more students," she said.

There are currently 24 students on the AT Jumpers team at the elementary school and the competition group varies each year. The team has third through fifth grade students who participate in competitions until their junior year of high school.

Each October, students interested in joining or staying on the team can participate in tryouts. "We do our best to come up with a good team for the year," said Huggins. "I don't think we've ever had a kid drop out."

The students are perfectionists about their own routines, but also develop strong connections with their teammates, according to Huggins. "The older kids effectively mentor the younger kids and teach them new skills," said Huggins. "They learn new things when they start the team and teach them to others before they leave the team."

Music is a significant element to the sport. The students are allowed to build their routines around a wide range of music: from country to classical, Michael Jackson to Janis Joplin. Huggins also encourages team members gearing up for competitions to suggest new ideas for music.

"It's a great way for the kids to be active," said Huggins. "It's a beautiful meld of music and physical activity. The musicality is appealing to a lot of kids."

Another important bonus to the sport of jump rope is the cross-brain activity it helps create which enhances brain force and can improve learning. "[Cross-brain activity] is very positive for development, especially for kids that are developing reading skills and learning a new language," said Huggins.

Current AT Jumper judge and parent Thu Pham said her son Jesse joined the team last year and loves it. "He enjoys learning all of the jumping routines and tricks," said. Pham.

"The kids' ability to perform is a result of hard practices and passion," said Pham. "[Jump rope] is good for the heart, muscles, endurance and flexibility. I think we should have more jump rope programs in local schools for the kids to be exposed to the sport. But of course, we need devoted, passionate coaches like Mrs. Huggins."

To learn more about the AT Jumpers and find out where they'll be performing next, visit http://lovepe.tripod.com/ATJumpers/index.htm