ANTELOPE VALLEY TEAM LEARNS THE ROPES.

Byline: Joanne Crawford Education

An Antelope Valley woman who has formed an independent jump-rope competition team is encouraging physically-fit boys and girls and adults of all ages to come work out with the group.

The High Desert Revolution team, coached by Laura Campbell, currently is made up of three boys and 11 girls, all under the age of 12, plus a few other youngsters who are working out with the group and hope eventually to join.

Campbell, a self-taught jump-rope competitor and athletic director at Pinecrest Elementary School in Palmdale is hoping to draw more attention to the activity and invites anyone interested to participate in the team's practices.

Jump-roping offers many advantages, including being inexpensive, versatile and best of all, a wonderful way to stimulate the mind and teach spacial awareness, Campbell said.

``It's so cheap,'' Campbell said. ``The amazing thing about it is that you can do it by yourself, you can do it with a pair, with a whole big group, in a double Dutch or whatever. You have those choices and it's using the left side of the body and the right side of the body.

``It's a brain stimulant. You are working on coordinating your ropes in front of you. That's why I've found it to be a great thing to coach. I've coached football, T-ball and things like that for my own kids and for me it's like the ultimate because of all the choices you have.''

People should not feel insecure about not having previous jump-rope experience, but it is important for jumpers to handle themselves well in front of a crowd, she said.

``They basically work out with the team,'' Campbell said. ``Sometimes they come once a week, sometimes they come twice a week. I have about four kids who show up and kind of hop in the wings and practice. You have to try out. All those kids have had to try out in front of me and in front of other kids to show their tricks. You have to be able to handle the pressure of doing it in front of someone and feel that pressure that people are watching and be able to make that athletic grade.''

The team practices Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Palmdale Elks Lodge, 2705 E. Ave. Q, and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. at George Lane Park, 5520 W. Ave. L-8, Campbell said.

Campbell had never jumped rope before watching a team perform in 1993.

Then a physical education teacher at Pinecrest Elementary in Lancaster, Campbell started experimenting with teaching jump-roping skills to her students. The idea eventually evolved into a full-fledged, official ``Jump-rope for Heart'' team that complied with American Heart Association standards, she said.

``That happened because a lot of time the American Heart Association contacts all the schools and asks if you want to do a ``Jump-rope for Heart,'' Campbell said. ``They do jump-a-thons and raise money. And I'm thinking, how very cool.

``I contacted them and asked them about what type of paraphernalia that they had and they gave me a book in 1997 that has all these tricks in it. And what I did was study the tricks that were in the book. No one was teaching me. I would look at it and then analyze it and then I would grab a kid that was athletic and say, Can you do this? because I kind of had to see it to learn it myself. It's like learning it the hard way, but that's what we did.''

Eventually, the Pinecrest students starting showing off their jump-rope skills in Heart Association demonstrations to illustrate the importance of good health. In return, the students receive jump ropes and other supplies.

This past year, the team separated from the school, was named High Desert Revolution and began performing at competitive events.

Two of the students who won medals at a regional jump-rope competition in San Jose will represent the team at the USA Jump Rope National Championships in Orlando, Fla., Sunday through June 28, Campbell said.

The entire team also qualified for the event, but enough funds could not be raised in time to confirm travel plans for all the students, she said.

In addition, nine of the 14 students will go to Cleveland the week of July 31 to compete in the Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympics, Campbell said.

The team is seeking sponsorships to cover the upcoming competition trips.

For more information on donations and practicing with the High Desert Revolution, contact Campbell at Pinecrest Elementary in Palmdale at [phone].