Some North Texas athletes are bringing their skills to the national stage. They’re hoping the competition will leave them “jumping for joy.” Noelle Walker explains.
There's jump rope, and then there's double Dutch jump rope.
"It's jump rope and instead of one single rope, we're jumping in the middle of 2 jump ropes," LaDonna Reed said. "It's a 1-2 beat, so they have to be in sync with the rope."
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Reed is the head coach of the Unicorn Jumpers, a youth double Dutch team based in Little Elm.
"It's a sport where everyone is included," Reed said. "The turns are just as important as the jumpers, because if you don't have good turners, the girls can't jump well."
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"Once you learn the first steps how to bunny hop, it's not that hard," 13-year-old Janitsa said. "When I'm jumping, it feels relieving...like it feels free."
The Unicorn Jumpers have been in training to go to the National Double Dutch Championship in Atlanta this week.
"It's a big deal," Reed said. "Because we're the first and only youth double Dutch team to come out of the entire state of Texas to represent Texas on the national stage."
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"We always practice," 7-year-old Grace said. "Sometimes we do speed drills, and we do like jump-jump-jump out, and double Dutch, and my favorite part is, like, the whole thing!"
Double Dutch takes stamina, speed, coordination, and creativity, but it also builds community. The Unicorn Jumpers are named in memory of Reed's youngest daughter, who died at 8 years old.
"She was our little unicorn," Reed said. "So we also use this as a way to keep her legacy alive."
It's also a way to inspire the team to dream big.
"Once it's over, then we can celebrate," Janitsa said. "Because I have to go with the mindset that I'm gonna win!"
"I love to see them, you know, create bonds together," Reed said. "It allows them to know that they can do whatever they put their mind to; if you work hard, you can do anything in life!"
The Unicorn Jumpers leave Thursday morning for Atlanta. The National Double Dutch Championship runs June 6 through June 8.