Jump DC broke ground in the double dutch world by winning the world title in double dutch in the world invitationals in Sumter, South Carolina. Together with other competitors from 15 states, the group flew to Sumter recently to compete against some of the best jumpers in the country.
Sharde Perry founded and owns the local team, which had only five members as of 2019. Her ambitions were put on hold when COVID struck, but she restructured and resumed in 2022. Reflecting on the team’s journey, Perry told The Informer, “It is like a dream come true. To realize where we came from in this process and to achieve this at this point is remarkable.”
Sherita McGill was the ideal addition to the team when she was taken on as a coach, having reached out to Perry multiple times. Currently, the team has 28 members (one male), ranging in age from 5 to 16, from various quadrants of the city, as well as a handful from Maryland. They are divided into two groups: those in kindergarten through second grade, and those in third grade through seniors in high school. The group practices three times a week.
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As part of their preparation for competitions, the group started going on trips to New York and other locations to take on some of the nation’s more popular programs.
Arayah Armstrong, 11, who first started with the program three years ago, said of their recent win, “When I first heard them call Jump DC as the champion, it was disbelief. There were a lot of good teams there who were amazing. When I saw all my teammates jumping up and down, that’s when I knew it was real. We had done it.”
The outlet revealed that, despite its achievements, the program is facing financial problems. Because there is no substantial sponsor, the team relies on small fundraisers and donations to finance its expenses. To pay for travel, lodging, meals, gas, team registration, and other costs, the team needed to fund $20,000 in total.
All of their hard work paid off, though, when Jump DC received an invitation to take part in a demonstration wearing their championship jackets as part of the Juneteenth celebration.
In addition, comedian and actor Kevin Hart has chosen JUMP DC to feature in his documentary, “Majic Between the Ropes”.
Perry declared, “This is big for Jump DC. We are excited for the opportunity.”
Historians trace the origin of the game double dutch to ancient Phoenician, Egyptian, and Chinese rope makers. Dutch settlers brought the game to what is now New York City and there, English observers named it, according to the Informer. It became a competitive team sport in 1973 thanks to David A. Walker and Detective Ulysses Williams. The following year, the first tournament was held with around 600 students.
