Teanna Rose is the unexpected coach of Abilene’s only competitive
jump rope team, the Neon Twisters.
Eighteen years old and a senior at Cooper high school,
Teanna took over as sole coach of the team two years ago, after her young co-leader
Kaitlin Copelin died suddenly.
Teanna was a student at Bassetti Elementary and
started jumping at age nine. After seven years of competition, the P.E. teacher who
coached the team was ready to step down. At the time, the team was named the
Jammin’ Jumpers.
“I was captain on my other team, so was already teaching the
younger kids,” she explains. She describes feeling bad that they were just
getting started, and might not be able to continue in the sport without a coach.
So she and another 16 year-old teammate, Kaitlin, decided to take over. Then
after a short illness, Kaitlin died.
Teanna wasn’t sure she could go on by herself. This wasn’t
the way it was supposed to be, but she took a step at a time.
The sport itself appears to have brought healing.
The first jump rope team was the brainchild of Cheryl Edgar, who was
inspired after finding out about competitive jump rope during involvement with a Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser.
Says the former coach and advisor via email, “… the [Neon
Twisters] carry on in honor of Kaitlin … [and are] preparing for the national
Jump rope competition in Long Beach, California in June of next summer.”
Teanna says, “It’s a super competitive sport, but we all
kind of cheer each other on because we go to the same camps. There are
workshops and camps all over Texas and the U.S.”
Going far beyond simple rope skipping or playground double-dutch,
competitive jump rope moves include the diamond, the eggbeater, and the rainbow.
“Freestyle jump rope is gymnastics, in the rope,” says Coach
Rose.
She comments on four different aspects being judged:
accuracy and flow, diversity, multiples – which include repeat movements and
footwork, and creativity.
The team practices for two hours at a time, twice a week at
Bassetti Elementary. Beginners start off learning basic footwork and then “work
their way up to the fitness.” They also learn how to be good turners. “Turners
have the hardest job,” says Teanna.
“People are surprised at how good it is for you – jump
roping for 30 minutes is like running 40 miles or something.”
The Neon Twisters team consists of girls and boys, ages
kindergarten through teens. The sport has no age limit however, and Teanna says she’s seen 70 year-olds out there.
To make possible travel to competitions, the team solicits sponsors
from businesses. They haven’t been able to afford to attend all events.
“My favorite thing is meeting all the new people,” Teanna says
wholeheartedly. “We’re all part of USA Jump Rope.”
When asked how she manages coaching, being a student, and
working part-time, Teanna answers, “Oh, um, it’s craazy…”
She relays that she’d originally planned on attending a university
out of town, but is now considering Cisco College in Abilene to begin her
studies, so that she can stay on as Neon Twisters coach.
Fun
videos of team jump rope routines. One set to Beyonce’s
“Move Your Body” song.