By Jordan Richart

For The Tribune

What started as an effort to raise awareness and money for the American Heart Association has become a longstanding tradition unique to one Seymour school.

That tradition is the Margaret R. Brown Elementary School Bouncing Bears, a performance jump rope team that performs jump rope moves at school and public events.

The team has 29 participants this year from first to fourth grades, led by Regan Hendrix, a second grade teacher at the school. The team allows kindergartners but doesn’t have any on the team this year.

The Bouncing Bears was formed in 1991. It was started by teachers Sharon Wood and Jennifer Regruth. It kicked off Jump Rope for Heart, but it has since become a team that performs at the school, during halftime of local basketball games, in nursing homes and other events.

“They’ve taken bigger trips than just jump roping in front of the school,” Hendrix said.

Hendrix is in her first year as the coach but has served as an assistant in the past.

“It’s definitely been harder than I thought, but I knew it wouldn’t be easy,” she said. “It’s a lot to get 30 students to do a routine and transition to other parts of a routine, but it’s been fun.”

She is supported by five others, including teachers Missi Belcher, Lizz Patterson and Jennifer Regruth, librarian Kelli Moore, secretary Kayla Hamm and instructional aide Mackenzi Delph.

The team’s season runs from September until the end of January with practices and performances.

“We have to practice in the fall in anticipation of the performances in the winter,” she said.

Practices feature warmups, work in specialties and tricks. When a member of the team finds a particular specialty they’re good at, that is the move they will do during their solo part of the performance for their group.

“Some of them can do double unders, others do crisscross, so it just depends on their skill levels,” Hendrix said.

Performances always include a varsity boys and girls basketball game at Seymour High School during halftime, a boys basketball halftime show at Trinity Lutheran High School, two nursing home visits and two performances for their own school.

The team recently performed on back-to-back nights at the Seymour High School games.

“We usually do Brownstown or Medora performances but couldn’t work it into the schedule this year,” Hendrix said.

One of the Medora performances in the past has been at a Medora Timberjacks game.

Karma Amburgey, a team member, said it is exciting to perform at games, and being part of the team has been very beneficial to her.

“I learn about teamwork,” she said. “We all have to work together for the show.”

Montse Mora Barradas, a student who is on the team, said the performances can be intimidating until the routine begins.

“I get a little bit nervous, but then I start jumping, and I feel energetic and proud of myself,” she said.

Her sister, Itzel, agrees.

“I feel nervous at first, but when the music starts, I feel very excited and confident,” she said.

This year’s routine features Kidz Bop songs. The beginning starts in a line dance-type routine and then moves into double dutch, then the wheel, long rope and jumping in singles.

“It’s technically four different moves where they need to know what they’re doing during three songs,” Hendrix said.

The team does the routine in an impressive 7 minutes.

Navaeh Cherry said she enjoys seeing her friends at practices and hearing people in the stands during performances.

“I really like performing at the games and hearing the people cheer for us,” she said.

Some of the students may come from a different country and may not speak much English or are English language learners, Hendrix said, and seeing them participate is something she enjoys observing.

“This is the perfect thing for them because you really don’t even need to worry about whether or not you can speak the language because you can see it and then go do it,” she said. “Teaching them to do a trick or working with another partner to do a trick, they can sometimes translate how to do a trick with one another.”

Hendrix said she has asked students to teach others certain tricks with somewhat of a language barrier, but they’re usually able to learn from one another throughout the practice.

“They don’t have to use the academics part of school to fit in and learn and be with one another,” she said. “That’s one of my favorite things to see.”

Hendrix said the Bouncing Bears also provides an opportunity for students who don’t play organized sports an opportunity to be part of a team and enjoy the camaraderie that teams have.

“It gives them the opportunity to be a part of something outside of the traditional sports,” she said.

Hendrix said she is thankful for the support she receives from the school and community and the dedication from the other coaches who help make the team what it is.

“I get the title of the coach, but it takes way more than that with the six of us,” she said. “Everyone knows the saying that it takes a village, and we have a strong village here, and they love kids.”