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"Skipping would be a high-level concentration sport because
you always have to be thinking of what you want to do next, where
your rope is and your jumping in. There's a lot of coordination
involved, and skill, and stamina."
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Richard Krahn knows what he's talking about when he makes
that sort of statement. He has been involved with skipping since
1982, and he has worked with a lot of different skippers.
Krahn says skipping "is a great cardiovascular fitness
activity." He notes that it builds strong hearts, strong
lungs, stamina, coordination and a variety of things." That
is why when different
professional athletes, like boxers and football players, are
conditioning, they often skip. It prepares them for other physical
activity. |
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Krahn and a teacher at Parkland will be the coaches of the Year
2000 skipping team at Parkland Elementary School. The skipping
team usually has from six to eight students, who range from grade
four to grade eight. They will begin practicing and performing
around the beginning
of January. The skipping team is called "Heart Beat."
This team works hard at their different routines and skipping.
They perform at different schools throughout Manitoba. They also
skip at the Southland mall during Celebrate Education Week and
do performances at other community activities. Previous teams
have also skipped at Hutterite colonies, the 55 Plus Games, and
at half-time at basketball games at GVC.
There is competitive skipping, but the skipping team at Parkland
does not participate in that. They skip totally for fun and everyone
is a winner. When the coaches look for hopeful members for the
skipping team, they look for good skippers. Good skippers have
the ability to work hard. Theyalso have a good attitude, are
coachable, put in a good effort, and are willing to learn new
things.
The skipping team members are chosen from a skipping club
that runs two lunch hours every week from January to the beginning
of March. The students learn how to skip in double dutch, chinese,
and single rope. They also learn different tricks.
Krahn says he has participated in coaching this sort of thing
because he enjoys working with the students. Their motivation
encourages him. He also said he does it because it's fun. |
