Skipping their way to health and happiness

Young people from the Kipohtakaw Education Centre on the Alexander First Nation skipped their way to a total of $2,000 for charity on March 1.

"The Alberta Heart and Stroke Foundation just couldn't believe that we raised that much, especially since we're a small community," said Tracy Matkea, a Grade 6 teacher at the school.

The Alexander High Hoppers rope skipping team raised the money for the foundation through two-and-a-half hours of skipping. The team also hosted a skip-a-thon, which involved approximately 120 kids from grades one through six to skip along with the team in hopes of creating awareness about staying active.

Like Kipohtakaw, hundreds of schools from Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut participate in the foundation in-school skipping program every year to raise funds for research into heart disease and stroke.

Matkea founded the skipping team more than 15 years ago and said she "never thought it would grow to be what it is today."

"The High Hoppers have become a real household name," said Matkea. The High Hoppers is the first all-Native co-ed competitive and demonstration rope skipping team in North America. They present their intricate skipping demonstrations at schools, conferences and other events.

In 1994 they were invited to perform at Disneyland in California during an education conference. Matkea said she would never forget a demonstration from one of her students who became entangled in the rope. It was a testament to the skipper and the skip coach that she was able to get untangled and go on to finish her complex trick. "And I thought, 'You know what? I've done my job.' It was just wow."

Aside from learning new tricks, Matkea said that this skipping program is about more than just getting the rope over your head and under your feet. It leads participants into an active lifestyle. "I've noticed that it does get them to make healthy choices," she said.

"It does keep them away from drugs because a few of them have told me that they were at a party and they were being pressured into smoking and they have a reason to say no because they are in training," said Matkea. "It gives them an excuse to make that healthy choice, and with peer pressure nowadays, sometimes that's what they need, is that excuse."

What kids really need these days is confidence and the push to not give up and to be proud at the same time, Matkea addsed.

"We've done a couple of demonstrations for our school and the younger kids just look up to those kids (on the skipping team). For me to sit back and see the role models that they've become, and they don't even know it, is great," she said.

Cassandra Arcand agreed.

"I like the challenge of learning new tricks," said the 12-year-old. She said she also likes the fact that skipping keeps her in shape and that's one of the things that she tells young people to try and get them to join.

"I would also tell them that it's a lot of fun and it definitely builds confidence."

As for 12-year-old Faron Lafleche, he is more interested in travelling to compete against other schools but said he enjoys working as a team.

"It's fun and it keeps me in shape," said Lafleche, a Grade 6 student.

Every September students from grades one to six try out in the hope of becoming one of the next High Hoppers. Matkea says that it's not as easy as it looks. She said that about 60 youngsters try out and they pretty much weed themselves out because "we don't ever kick a kid off."

"The kids who watch have no clue just how much work these kids have done to get where they're at," said Matkea. "It's a lot of work. I mean a lot."

As for the 15 youth that are on the skipping team now, Matkea said she is blessed because most of them are powwow dancers, which means that they are "just so naturally light on their feet."

"This year is probably my most talented team, but that doesn't mean they're as good as the other teams yet but certainly the potential is there," she said.

The skipping team meets two to three times a week to practice, however when they approach a demonstration date, they will practice four to five times a week, during lunch hours, after school and even sometimes on Saturdays. The after-school practices run from 3 p.m. until 4 p.m. and sometimes later, and "the sweat is just pouring off of them when they're done."

"It's a huge commitment from the kids if they want to excel at this," said Matkea. "They are required to skip at least half an hour at home every night and we know which ones do and don't."

Matkea pointed out that not only are the kids committed to this sport, but the parents are as well. She said there's a lot of parent participation ensuring that their kids are at each and every practice.

The enthusiasm is especially strong in the area of fundraising because if it wasn't for the parents' support, the team would be without uniforms and they wouldn't be able to travel.

"We really credit the parents because it's huge what they're responsible for," said Matkea.