Mission Statement:
The Hot Dog USA Jump Rope Team is dedicated to the promotion of the sport of jump rope as a life-long physical fitness activity. Our purpose is to inspire, motivate and educate people of all ages, while fostering local, regional, national and international jump rope competitions, workshops and performances.
Team History:
The Hot Dog USA team has been performing, competing, and teaching jump rope workshops around the country and around the world since 1980. Based at Helen Keller Elementary School in Kirkland, Washington, the team consists of about 50 boys and girls ranging in age from 6 years old to adults. Hot Dog USA is a proud member of the national jump rope organization USA Jump Rope (USAJR). We are coordinating partners with World Jump Rope.
Team Training:
Elite members of the team train six days per week when preparing for national and international-level competition, working to perfect speed, endurance, technique, strength, and freestyle skills. Hot Dog USA also has a Junior Team for younger jumpers that encourages fitness and acts as an introduction to competition.
Performance Group:
As a non profit organization Hot Dog USA raises money for travel and team expenses by performing at schools, community groups, and other sports events such as half time entertainment.
Community Service:
Hot Dog U.S.A. is also a demonstration team for the American Heart Association that performs at schools and community events to promote the “Jump Rope For Heart” program.
Coaches:
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Coach Amy Canady was a teacher at Helen Keller Elementary School for 15 years, but now owns and runs Evergreen Athletics and Eastside Gymnastics Academy. She was one of the original jumpers on the Hot Dog U.S.A. team, and is a former National and World Champion. Amy has been coaching since 1987, and has been head coach of Hot Dog USA since 1992. Amy used her jump rope talent to win the titles of “Miss Kirkland”, “Miss Seafair”, and first runner-up to “Miss Washington”, all of which helped to fund her college education while also providing exposure for the sport of jump rope. Amy has also held many leadership positions in the sport of jump rope. She served for 11 years on the board of USA Jump Rope (USAJR), which is the national governing body for the sport of jump rope, as well as serving on the board of FISAC, which is the international governing body for the sport of jump rope, for 5 years. In the past she has served as President of USAJR, the chair of the National Competition Committee, as a National Tournament Director, and as treasurer for FISAC. Currently, Amy and her husband Dennis are organizers of a new organization called “World Jump Rope”, and will be running the World Jump Rope Championship and Camp this summer in Washington D.C.
Coach Kathryn (Katie) Isenhart started jumping on the Skiperiors jump rope team when she was five years old. Throughout her years as a jumper she has done many performances, countless competitions and qualified to compete at the national level nine years in a row. Katie has also taught many summer jump rope camps and after school programs in the Seattle area. Katie stopped competing the year she had her son, Jarell (who is now a Hot Dog USA Junior Team jumper), but she continued to be part of the jump rope community by serving as a judge at local and national competitions. In 2010 she became the head coach of the Skiperiors team, and she enjoyed the year she got up spend with those jumpers and learned a lot as a coach. She became a Hot Dog USA Coach for the 2011-2012 season, and she has loved every second of it! In addition to her jump rope activities, Katie also works a Montessori Pre-School Teacher. Coach Carla LeRoy spent seven years as a teacher at Margaret Mead Elementary school. Carla has been jumping with the team since she was in Kindergarten. Carla is the most decorated athlete in the sport of jump rope today! She has numerous National, Grand National, and World Championship titles, her most recent being 2004 World Octathalon Champion, which she won that summer in Australia. |
Head Coach Nick Woodard is a native of Houston, Texas. He graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business with a concentration in Business Management. Nick began jumping rope at the age of 6 with a team called Razz-Ma-Tazz and has now been actively involved with the sport for 21 years. Throughout Nick’s jump rope career he has been blessed with many opportunities to travel around the world promoting the sport through workshops, exhibitions, shows, competitions, etc. He has earned several titles including Grand National Champion and Grand World Champion. He has traveled to 30 states within the United States as well as 16 countries across 5 continents. Notably, in 2012, Nick received the honor of jumping at the Olympic games in London with Get Tricky, a well-known jump rope performance group. Nick has also performed with Cirque du Soleil, jumped for several television networks, and been featured on a documentary called JUMP!. Currently, Nick resides in Seattle, Washington where he serves as the head coach for Hot Dog USA, competes at the international level, and leads the ambassador group for World Jump Rope. Nick Woodard’s passion for children, athletes, and the sport of jump rope is evident to everyone he meets. He consistently serves as a valuable leader in the sport and strives to use his abilities to positively impact everyone around him. Nick is thankful for the gift of jump rope and looks forward to many opportunities to expand the sport in the future.
Coach Christi Hartman is currently a para-educator at Helen Keller Elementary working with special needs children. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Recreation from Seattle Pacific University. Christi was a competitive gymnast for 12 years in the independent club system and a former All-American at the university level where her career included a National Championship win at SPU. A longtime Jazzerciser, Christi’s current athletic activities also include competitive relays, marathons, and triathlons. In fact, Christi and her husband have even completed the Boston Marathon! Christi is married and has two daughters, both members of Hot Dog USA. |
Cameron Simmons – Because he loves to compete, perform, and really just everything about Jump Rope, Cameron joined WEjumpROPE to do what he loves most. His favorite part about the sport and team are the adventures together and traveling alongside other jumpers. Cameron has been jumping for about 7 years.