‘It’s very exciting’: Wagener Double Dutch team named national champions
WAGENER, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - An Aiken County Double Dutch team is celebrating a big win.
The Epoch Girl Squad is one of only two Double Dutch teams in South Carolina.
They just won a national championship title at their most recent competition in New Jersey.
Coach Lacie Doolittle has been involved with Double Dutch her whole life.
“I started Double Dutch when I was in the first grade,” said Doolittle. “The PE coach and PE teacher at my school would handpick students from schools to be a part of her team.”
Eventually, the original team in Wagener faded out, but it was her coach’s dying wish for her to keep it going.
“On her deathbed, she asked me to keep the sport alive, get it back up and going,” said Doolittle.
She started the Epoch Girl Squad Double Dutch team in June 2022.
Now, a year later, they’re national champions beating out teams from much larger cities.
Hailey Jackson, a member of the team, said: “It’s very exciting. It’s fun. It may be a little hard, but once you get to know how to do it, it’s fun.”
My ‘Jewel Adams Moore, another member of the team, said: “They have huge teams bigger than ours and it makes me feel happy. One of our coaches she’s always reminding us that we’re going to be the first team in Wagener to win our first year.”
Team Ali Williams and Paris Hart said it’s an accomplishment they earned with a lot of dedication.
Williams said: “You have to practice every day. You can’t miss practice and you have to focus and don’t play in practice.”
Hart said: “It takes hard work but it’s fun but you’re going to have to push yourself.”
They’re working hard for more than just trophies and championship titles.
Doolittle said: “The future is them. So I’m training them up and raising them up now so that they can be the best. I want them to be champions in and outside of the ropes.”
Doolittle said she’s turning her ion into purpose.
“Kids need positive things. And that’s what I’m striving to do for these girls and for others,” she said.
The program is also a youth ministry and outreach program.
Doolittle said she would love to see Double Dutch catch on in surrounding areas so they could host tournaments locally. She also added that she is thankful for the community’s and those who let them use their buildings for practice space.
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