04-13-2023 Howard Magazine - Flipbook - Page 41
John Moses, from left, Foster Sariscak, Sam Scott and Mason Meek, all members of Kangaroo Kids precision jump rope team, practice the double dutch at the
Meadowbrook Athletic Complex.
Jasmine Wright, 15, of Ellicott City, is also on
the competition and travel teams and has been
involved in the program for about seven years.
She said being a part of the team has brought
a sense of camaraderie.
“The big thing that stands out to me is the
sense of community in the team and how everybody is super, super close,” she said. “There’s
maybe like 40 kids on the team and we’re all
super duper close.”
Meek said when it came to encouraging her
children to stay with the sport, it didn’t take
much.
“I didn’t have to [encourage them],” she said.
“It’s their passion, they love it.”
Meek’s involvement in the organization began
as a volunteer helping at performances. She later
moved on to serving as secretary of the board
of directors, then started coaching classes and
performances as her children advanced through
the program.
She said she wanted to be a part of the organization because she believes in the sport.
“This organization has meant a lot to all of
us. ... My older son has gone on to become a
professional jump roper,” she said. “The jump
rope community is the nicest people you’ll ever
meet, so it was very important for me to keep
Kangaroo Kids at the level where it needed to be.”
Brian Meek said he wanted to be a part of the
organization to help the program progress.
“[The previous head coach] who had been a
coach for like 35 years, was getting ready to leave
and he came to me and said, ‘Hey, we really need
some help, we need somebody to be able to keep
this program moving forward,’” he said. “I was
elected onto the board as president and I’ve been
serving there ever since.”
He said he is proud his children have been
able to go so far in the sport.
“It means a ton because not just how far
they’ve gone, but how they’re able to continue
to give back,” he said. “It’s really neat to see these
kids that I had that knew nothing about jump
rope go into this program and then come out on
the other side as somebody that has learned how
to coach and learn how to really master a skill.”
Like her older brother, Jenna participated in
the competition, performance and travel teams
and now serves as a coach on the competition
team.
“My favorite part about coaching is watching
the kids develop and fall in love with the sport
that I also love,” she said. “I have gotten to watch
kids grow since they started when they were 6
[years old] and see how far they’ve come.”
Coached by his sister, Mason is on the competition and travel teams, a junior coach and team
captain and serves as a AMJRF ambassador
where he works to develop and grow the sport
of jump rope.
He said the biggest challenge he faces is
convincing the public that jump rope is not just
for children and he hopes to use his position as
an ambassador to help it become more mainstream in the future.
“[I hope] to spread the sport of jump rope and
to raise awareness for it and show that it’s more
than just a playground activity that people think
it is,” he said.
To find out more about how to get involved in
Kangaroo Kids, visit kangarookids.org.
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