Jumping rope is great for the body and heart

Tri-Force Jump Rope Precision jump-rope team recently put on a show at Hunter Magnet Elementary School in Raleigh to get students excited about the activity.

“They practice really hard and look how fast they were going,” fourth grader Araia Tate said.

“I thought they were going to fall and hurt themselves,” fourth grader Rrin Timmerverg said. “I can tell they have been practicing because you can't do that the first time you start jump roping.”

Alex Gizzi, 16, caught jump rope fever in elementary school when she joined Tri-Force.

“It's something that you can do that no one else does, and you meet good people,” she said. “It's a good thing to know how to do. You stay healthy and it's just a lot of fun.”

“Jump rope is a way to get them physically active without them really knowing about it,” said Tyler Perez, Tri-Force assistant coach.

Perez said jumping rope can be a full-body work out. There are always new moves to learn, and all you need to get started is a rope.

Tri-Force‘s demonstration likely lured more children to the school's jump rope elective, one of several physical education classes the school promotes.

“For me, it's finding the right niche for kids. You know, everyone's got an interest in something. Everybody's good at something. It's finding something the kids like,” said Chad Oliver, a physical education teacher at Hunter Magnet Elementary School.

Jump rope teams across the country compete in all levels of competition. They perform at half-time shows at college and professional sporting events and during televised parades.