For More Than 30 Years, Bayside Skippers Have Brought Joy To Brewster Jumpers

BREWSTER – For more than three decades, the Brewster Bayside Skippers have been jumping for joy. 

Since its formation in 1993, the Brewster-based jump rope team has grown to become the Cape’s premier jump roping organization. 

“Right now, the kids are all from Brewster, but we’re open [to other towns] as long as parents are willing to drive their kids to practice,” said Rebecca Stevens, a former Skipper who now coaches the team alongside another former Skipper, Sara Trauterman. “We have different tiers for the team, and we work with the Brewster Recreation Department to have shorter sessions during the summer that kids from all over can come to.”

The team was started by coach Paul Mullin and led by John Hammond for more than 20 years before Stevens and Trauterman took over the reins. 

The Skippers practice Tuesday and Thursday afternoons as well as every Saturday in addition to attending a couple competitions each year. This past weekend, the team headed south for an AAU qualifier.

“We had five kids on our varsity team go down to Churchville, Md., outside of Baltimore, for an AAU qualifier,” Stevens said. “It was our midseason qualifier to qualify for the AAU competition at the end of July in Houston.”

Although she has transitioned to coaching, Stevens still has fond memories of her own jump rope career, especially the national championship she earned in the Double Dutch competition. 

“It was very much an underdog moment for us because back in the day, there were at least 1,000 kids jumping at every competition,” Stevens said. “Every time we’d go, we’d see these insanely talented jumpers doing Double Dutch. 

“We always felt like we had to emulate this and that, and then all of a sudden it was us one day.”

While the Skippers and the landscape of the sport were drastically impacted by the COVID pandemic, the enthusiasm for the sport remains intact around Brewster. 

This year’s Skippers squad features children in grades five through eight who compete in timed competitions as well as freestyle and Double Dutch. 

“The organization and sport have gotten a little bit smaller over the past few years, but I feel like the Bayside Skippers are more top tier now and other teams look up to us,” Stevens said. 

A major part of the appeal is how accessible jump roping is. While many sports require a large financial commitment, jump roping is convenient and affordable for families from all walks of life. 

“I’ve heard from a lot of parents that they are so happy their kids are able to compete and enjoy the sport because I hear it’s a lot more expensive to do gymnastics and other sports,” said Stevens. “We definitely do a lot of fundraising — we travel to do different demos at schools around the Cape. Everyone pitches in, and it’s nice the kids have a place they can go with it.”

Visit brewsterbaysideskippers.com for more information about the team or email brewsterbaysideskippers20@gmail.com to become involved.