US Jump-Rope Team Seeks Edge

After a long tenure as an America-dominated pastime, jump-rope has gone global in recent years—and Japanese teams are leading the way. With a key competition on the horizon, the Wall Street Journal reports on a North Carolina team that is trying to reclaim America's glory by taking a page or two from the playbooks of top Japanese squads.

That means copying, and even training with, the Japanese team that won last year's Double Dutch Holiday Classic. Bouncing Bulldogs coach Ray Frederick sent 20 jumpers to Tokyo and Nagoya to study back flips, handsprings and other acrobatic acts. New York's Apollo Theater has already sold out its 1,400 seats for the Dec. 2 event, which will feature 30 teams. (More sports stories.)