A double dutch-ess of tennis and jump rope

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Amanda Schubert, women's tennis

By: Mary Doman

Posted: 5/1/08

Sophomore women's tennis player Amanda Schubert has made it pretty far in life. At only 19 years old, she's made it to one of the nation's top universities and has taken two Centennial Conference titles.

Just this week, she took a 6-4, 6-0 win over Swathmore to claim the Blue Jay victory. Most would attribute these achievements to long hours on the court, a personal tennis trainer or a magical tennis racket of sorts. Believe it or not, though, the secret to Schubert's success doesn't reside in her tennis racket.

"Although tennis has gotten me to the NCAAs, I have always said that jump rope has gotten me the furthest as a person," she said.

Amanda Schubert is not only an exceptional tennis player, but she's also a champion jump roper. She started jumping at a young age, and joined a local team in elementary school. "I was so into it, that I would jump rope for hours on my driveway after camp," she said. Her team, The Swingers, travelled all over Virginia and the East Coast, competing in local and regional competitions. Even at a young age, Schubert thought her future was set: a life-long career of double-dutch and single rope (her two best events).

In junior high, her life bounced in another direction. "I started playing tennis in the 7th grade, after I realized that jump rope was not yet an NCAA sport."

Though she had to say goodbye to her double-dutch dreams, Schubert's hands didn't stay empty for long after she traded her jump rope for a tennis racket. Though she wasn't familiar with tennis at first, the sport soon captured her heart. Tennis proved to hold as much, if not more, enjoyment than jump roping.

"When I was learning new jump rope tricks, I'd come home with whip marks all over the backs of my arms and legs," she said. "When I was learning new tennis skills, though, I'd only have maybe a sore forearm." What an upgrade!

These days, Schubert's past the days of learning the basics. This season, she's focusing on her doubles matches- "especially my volleys and court sense." These details fall into a lifelong relationship with her sport.

"Once you have the skills, tennis is something you can do your entire life," she said. "I'll definitely be one of those ladies playing in leagues at the local club!"

When she's not in the club, though, you might catch Schubert back on her driveway, jumping rope. "I like to jump rope in my spare time," she said. Schubert also jumps rope during tennis training to help her warm up and increase her heart rate.

And even though jumping rope may not have earned Schubert as many medals as playing tennis, Schubert's fans appreciate her jump rope skills just as much as her tennis skills.

"Wherever I have played tennis, whether I'm playing at a school or a club or a clinic, I've always had to give a jump rope exhibition," she explained. "Unfortunately, people tend to remember my jump rope skills over my tennis ones," she said, "...but that's alright."

Next time you see Schubert, make sure to congratulate her on her tennis accomplishments over the weekend. Then, maybe you could ask her for a little single-rope exhibition. If you're lucky, maybe she'll say yes!