July 27, 2005
Kids jump at chance to exercise
130 area youth work with jumprope expert at part of TCAPS's Every Step Counts program
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Jacks, scissors, skier, bell - 130 area youth worked on basic and advanced jumprope moves Monday and Tuesday, thanks to the Traverse City Area Public School's Every Step Counts program.
Jumproper expert Rene Bibaud of Seattle was again in town to transfer her enthusiasm and energy about the sport. More than 90 members of the Boys and Girls Club as well as 42 members of the Traverse City Area Public Schools Summer Adventure Camp jumped with Bibaud at Traverse Heights Elementary School.
Bibaud, a world champion jumproper, also had students jumping solo on one leg and learning the ins and outs of Double Dutch. She also led students in games such as cat and mouse that improved their skills enter and exiting a moving rope.
"I didn't know how to do Double Dutch well but I'm learning," said Jim, 14, a member of the Boys and Girls Club. "It's fun."
Jim embodied the can do everybody try their best attitude Bibaud instills in her students. Fear, embarrassment and frustration are not a problem in Bibaud's world, where the words 'I can't' are not acknowledged.
"Everybody here is going to be challenged by something new," Bibaud told participants. "If you don't know how to jumprope, you'll learn. If you already know, you'll learn something new."
"Everybody's going to learn at a different pace, take it one step at a time," she added.
Bibaud, who will return to the area in November to participate in a state-wide conference of physical education educators, has taught jumprope at area schools. She also helped kicked off the Let's Get Moving Northern Michigan program in May, which promotes physical activity in the region.
Her regular visits can only help kids around the region maintain enthusiasm about jumproping specifically and physical fitness in general.
"The consistency of my visits is really going to make a difference in helping things stick," she noted.
The Every Step Counts program is a three-year grant, $1 million from the United States Department of Education. The grant, which is administered by Patti Tibaldi, has a goal of increasing children's physical activity and improving their nutritional choices.
With a recent study showing that 40 percent of K-6th grade students in TCAPS are obese or at risk of obesity, and another one documenting a lack of cardiovascular fitness, Every Step Counts aims to boost activities at school. Other facets of the program include nutrition education and professional development for physical education staff throughout the Traverse Bay Intermediate School District.
Bringing Bibaud in for a summer visit is a way to reach different groups of children.
"Obviously we're excited because we think we're reaching an element of children that we don't generally have access to," said Tibaldi, who is also the athletic director at West High School, of Bibaud's work with members of the Boys and Girls Club and Summer Adventure Camp.
The best part about a jumprope is the accessibility. For low-income families, the low-cost jumprope is an easy purchase and children can jumprope anywhere.
"Jumping rope is something all kids can do and it really doesn't break the pockets of the parents to do it," said Christal Wilcox, director of operation for the Boys and Girls Club. "Our kids do tend to come from disadvantaged circumstances so this is perfect, they don't have to have a gym membership or equipment or backyards at home."
"They can jumprope on sidewalks, front yards or even in the kitchen if their mom doesn't mind," added Wilcox, noting that the Boys and Girls Club plans to purchase 100 jumpropes for participants and 100 for the club.
Sara Weatherholt, the district child care coordinator for TCAPS, brought 32 children to Bibaud's program Monday and Tuesday afternoons. She also encouraged staff from the 16 elementary schools' before and after school programs to attend.
"For the staff, we realized that we have to have these programs for the kids," she said. "What we hope to do is start a jumping club with our kids, all 16 of our elementary have before and after school programs so we hope to continue this work."