As Tuesday's practice came to a close, Bouncing Bulldogs head coach Ray Fredrick took his time as he looked around at his athletes, who were waiting to leave.
If anyone can tell me what ‘maximum effort' means" you all can go" he announced.
Scanning the room in the silence that followed, he eventually pointed to a young girl on the rope-skipping demonstration team.
Maximum effort means always giving your best"" she said, quoting the team motto.
The maximum effort"" of the athletic display of daring back-flips and elaborate footwork that drew hundreds of Chinese and international spectators at last month's Beijing Olympic Games" where 10 team members performed will show in the full team's demonstration Saturday at University Mall.
The performance will recognize all members of this year's National Championship team in a two-hour show of both solo and team routines.
A 10-member delegation from the Carrboro-based team chose to forgo the World Rope Skipping Championship in South Africa in favor of touring and performing during last month's Beijing summer Olympics.
During the trip which was paid for through fundraising" the team gave both scheduled and impromptu performances in Beijing and experienced the games firsthand.
""The opportunity of the Olympics — especially in a place like Beijing — was unusual" so it made sense to skip out on Worlds and use our money for Beijing this year" said Erica Zenn, a Durham Academy sophomore.
She said the most memorable performance of the trip was an impromptu demonstration given in a park surrounding Beijing's Temple of Heaven, a historical Chinese landmark.
It was really exciting being part of the Olympic experience"" Zenn said.
As an organization dedicated to teaching young people peer-to-peer leadership and communication skills, Fredrick said the Bouncing Bulldogs' mission extends far beyond just building athletic excellence.
To build leadership skills, daily practices are run strictly by older jumpers, with minimal involvement from Fredrick.
Rarely ever do you see me coaching or raising my voice"" he said. It empowers the young people.""
And promoting student growth is what the team is all about.
""Our team is a lot like a family"" said team captain Mary Benton, a senior at Carrboro High School. And our coach is like our second dad.""
These family-like bonds proved to work well for the first team ever to win a national championship five consecutive times.
The Bulldogs' more than 100 jumpers include 18 world champions"" many of whom perform in international shows every year.
Fredrick said performances add to the team's mission of connecting people through the sport.
""Our whole thing is about connecting our world to make it a better place"" he said.
ATTEND THE SHOW
Time: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday
Location: University Mall, 201 S. Estes Drive
Info: www.bouncingbulldogs.org
Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.
