On a December weekend, a group of Bouncing Bulldogs members traveled to the state of Oklahoma to teach a jump rope workshop for American Indian youth. The youth attending the workshop represented more than 100 Indian tribes from all over the United States. The youth were representative of the following tribes:

 Absentee- Shawnee | Acoma | Ak Chin | Alabama- Coushatta | Alaska Natives | Apache of OK

Arapahoe | Assiniboine and Sioux | Blackfeet | Burns Paiute | Caddo | Cherokee 

Cheyenne Arapaho | Cheyenne River Sioux | Chickasaw | Chippewa -Cree | Choctaw

Citizen Potawatomi | Coeur D’ Alene | Colorado River | Colville | Comanche

Coushatta of  Louisiana | Crow | Delaware | Eastern Shawnee | Eastern Shoshone 

Fort Belknap| Fort McDowell | Fort Mojave | Fort Sill Apache | Gila River | Goshute

Hav Asupai | Ho-Chunk | Hoh | Hopi | Hualapai | Iowa of Oklahoma | Jemez | Jicarilla Apache

Kialegee | Kickapoo of Kansas | Kickapoo of Oklahoma | Kiowa | Klamath | Lac Du Flambeau

Laguna | Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara (MDA) | Menominee | Mecalero Apache | Miami

Minnesota Chippewa | Moapa Paiute | Mohawk of NY | Muscogee (Creek) | Navajo | Nez Perce

Nisqually | Nooksack | Northern Cheyenne | Oglala Sioux | Omaha | Oneida of NY 

Oneida of Wisconsin| Osage | Otoe-Missouria | Ottawa | Passamaquoddy | Pawnee

Ponca of Nebraska | Ponca of OK | Prairie Band Potawatomi | Put Allup | Pyramid Lake Paiute

Red Lake Chippewa | Rosebud Sioux | Sac & Fox of Ka and NB | Sac & Fox of OK

Saginaw Chippewa | Salish and Kootenai  | San Carlos Apache | San Felipe | San Ildefonso

San Juab Southern Paiute | Santa Clara | Santa Ysabel | Santo Domingo | Seminole of Florida

Seminole of Oklahoma | Seneca | Shoshone | Shoshone-Bannock | Sisseton-Wahpeton

Skull Valley Goshute | Sokaogon Chippewa | Southern Ute | Spirit Lake | St.Croix Chippewa

Standing Rock Sioux | Table Mountain | Taos | Te-Moak Shoshone | Tohono o’Odham

Torres--Martinez | Tulalip | United Keetoowah | Upper Sioux | UTE  | Ute Mountain

Warm Springs | White Mountain Apache | Wichita | Winnebago | Yakama | Yankton Sioux

Yavapai-Apache | Zia | Zuni

The Bouncing Bulldogs members taught over 60 youth different styles of jump rope including: Single Rope, Traveler, Two People One Rope, Chinese Wheel, Double Dutch, and Long Ropes.  Many lessons and life skills were exchanged between workshop participants and instructors. Many of the youth were hesitant to jump at the beginning of the workshop, but once they were given a rope, an energetic atmosphere filled the gym as many of them began to take a liking to the sport.  The lesson learned was, “Never say you cannot do something until you try.” From a teaching perspective, we learned how to better adjust our teaching styles in order to successfully engage many different attitudes and personalities.

Our trip to Oklahoma was a great act of community outreach for the Bouncing Bulldogs program because we taught American Indian youth a whole new way to stay physically fit while having fun.  The Bouncing Bulldogs would like to thank the individuals and groups who organized such a special event in Oklahoma, and for showing us hospitality and love.  The trip was fantastic from beginning to end and will never be forgotten.

This time of the year, you can feel the constant energy buzzing around the Bouncing Bulldogs gym as the team continues to train for the exciting event held at the Apollo Theater.  Team members have dedicated their time to training for speed and fusion so that they are prepared to compete against the best in the world at this famous competition.  At practice, speed scores are beginning to increase, fusion routines are coming together with that “X-factor” and team chemistry is at an all-time high.  Although only some of our jumpers will be competing at the Apollo this year, all jumpers are in the gym training hard and supporting each other.  We strive to keep up this energy and excitement as we continue our training.

As the Bouncing Bulldogs are in the middle of their intense training for competition, we would like to take a moment to give thanks to a few groups for all of the hard work that they do for our program:

First of all, thank you to all of the parents who continue to support the program and dedicate their time to help out whenever needed.   Next, thank you to the older jumpers (i.e. alumni) that have been through the program for coming back and helping out whenever you can.  Also, thank you to all of the new families for joining the program; we sincerely hope that you have enjoyed (and will continue to enjoy) your time on the team.  Thank you to all team members who continually push each other to be the best they can be.  Last, but definitely not least, thank you to Coach and Mrs. Fredrick for your dedication and passion for the sport of jump rope and of course, The Bouncing Bulldogs, for the past 28 years.  This team would not be where it is without you! This program is truly about teamwork and we could not continue without the support of every single person and group involved so we thank everyone! 

The Bulldogs wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving and we look forward to seeing everyone after the holiday! 

Emmy S. 

Seeds
The number grows each year
Tiny, small, miniscule,
Some cracked around the edges,
others golden
With their smiles, all were chosen
But even the shiniest wasn’t yet dug

They enter the gym shyly, not
Knowing what to expect
Feet too slow, arms too fast – miss
It’s a wonder the floor lays un-
wrecked

But on the other side,
Experienced spring high
Untouched by their web of ropes

Tall and skilled,
Their branches swoop low
Pulling the seeds up
Lifting them to a new height
saying, “you go”

And the seeds have yet to go
With each bounce, surrounding
themselves with the promising moist
dirt
Double under, triple, quad, their
Interest sprouts quickly
As does the Bulldog shirts

With each bounce
An A in the grades
With each bounce
A relationship made
With each bounce
I know the seeds grow trunks and
Leaves and they reach the clouds like
a rocket lifts, 3-2-1
With each bounce
I can see the trees, untouched by
Autumn, they are fully grown now,
helping other seeds
With each bounce
A forest is made

Whitney W. 

The Bouncing Bulldogs have recently started training for a competition at the world famous Apollo Theater.  It has become a tradition to compete at the Double Dutch Holiday Classic every year in Harlem, New York, adding on to an exciting fall season.

The Double Dutch Holiday Classic competition will consist of speed, compulsory, and fusion.  Starting in September, the hardest working Bulldog jumpers are grouped based on skill level, attitude, dedication, and grade.  Speed is an integral part of the training process.  It is very important for each group to pick the two best turners and the two fastest speed jumpers in order to be successful in the 2 minute and Double Dutch pairs speed events (one person jumps speed for 55 seconds, and the other person jumps for the remaining time).  The Compulsory event, unique to the Double Dutch Holiday Classic, is a single and pairs event that combines speed, synchronicity, and technique. However, the highlight of the Classic is its Fusion event.

Also originating in Harlem, David Walker created Fusion: Double Dutch with a WOW factor! Fusion combines Hip Hop dance and jumping skills designed to bring the audience to their feet. It is the highlight of the whole Apollo experience because it allows the Bulldogs compete with, as well as learn from, other jumpers from around the world.

Our Bulldog Fusion groups are in full creativity mode.  They choreograph their own unique routines to upbeat music that appeals to the Apollo audience. We are also developing the fusion skills of our younger jumpers by letting them practice jumping to the beat of music, and doing fun drills that involve dancing and rhythm. Jumping at the Apollo is an experience of a lifetime, and we are excited to prepare all of our jumpers for an enjoyable and successful experience on one of the most widely recognized stages in the world!

Anna R. 

As the Bouncing Bulldogs kick off our 28th season, we are beyond excited to see new faces walk into the gym!

The beginning of the year is all about developing new skills and relationships. Our goal is to inspire younger jumpers to improve their skill level, be creative in stringing together sequences of skills, and discover the hope and joy that is generated through jump rope. Building relationships also plays an essential role in our curriculum. The Bouncing Bulldogs welcome individuals from a variety of backgrounds, and our classes and practices are designed to promote teamwork, healthy communication, diversity, and unity. Specifically, group activities such as Double Dutch and Chinese Wheel allow jumpers to improve their coordination, make friends as they work with different people, and have fun!

Not only are practices designed to initiate new ideas and connections, they also emphasize the importance of teaching and peer leadership. Younger jumpers are empowered by middle and high schoolers where both groups are benefiting from one another. As relationships form, it is amazing to see how jumpers build on their foundation and pass on what they have learned to the next generation of jumpers. Developing teaching skills is a significant part of the Bouncing Bulldogs program as it is important to give back to the community, be able to adapt to different abilities and personalities, and spread enthusiasm for jumping rope.

Our 25th annual workshop is approaching, and it is exciting for us as jumpers to help plan and prepare for such a fun event that has been effective in spreading the sport of jump rope on an international scale. The workshop encompasses all of the qualities that we implement into our classes, camps, and practices: building relationships with people from all over the world, teaching, learning, improving jump rope skills, and much more. We encourage anyone and everyone (no previous experience required) to attend our workshop on Saturday, November 1 at East Chapel Hill High School!