Jump Club, Seattle has arrived at the Joel E. Smilow Clubhouse & Teen Center!

This summer, Club kids have the chance to participate in single rope and double dutch skills classes offered twice a week June – August through Jump Club, Seattle. The classes are open to the public and funded by the Get Moving Initiative, a grant offered through Seattle Parks and Recreation to get people moving throughout the summer, especially in under-served parts of the city.

Jump Club, Seattle was founded by Mikelle Page, who aims to have a positive impact on children’s fitness and well-being through jumping rope. She hopes to encourage healthy lifestyles and address growing obesity rates for children, especially in South Seattle, through teaching kids how to insert exercise into their daily lives and make smart nutritional choices. She chose to offer the program in the Rainier Vista area because it’s where she grew up and currently lives, and she was excited about serving the youth around her.

“My program goal is to reach kids who may not have access to, or interest in organized sports and give them an outlet for fun and fitness,” she says. “I hope to motivate my participants with leadership, training, and accessibility, and inspire them to take the sport back to their families and friends. I am driven by the idea of re-igniting the historic game and returning jumping rope as a popular inner-city youth activity.”

Last week, Mayor Jenny Durkan visited jump class to encourage kids.

The grant not only allows for Mikelle to teach the classes for free, but also to provide ropes to all participants to keep after the program, which she says will help “practice and reinforce their skills away from Jump Club.”