JUGHEADS
Youth Juggling Company, LLC
5905 Concord Avenue
Edina, MN 55424
jugheads@comcast.net
612.229.3348

JUGHEADS Journal January, 2004

JUGHEAD LETTERMEN!
JH is now a “letter-winning” activity

Thanks to the initiative of parent Diane Harr in collaboration with Wendy Arneberg, JUGHEADS Ultimate Club members are now able to earn Edina varsity letters! While the downside is that there is a very narrow field among the Jugheads who will be eligible to letter any given year (non-Edina Public School students and EPS students younger than 9th grade and/ or not in Ultimate Club are ineligible), this new privilege will serve to further reward the handful of teens who have chosen to make juggling one of their primary high school activities. Furthermore, this new reward will be an incentive to younger EPS students aspiring to the top level of JH involvement by 9th-12th grade. Below is a slightly abridged version of the lettering standards (very similar to the Ultimate Club standards); the full version will be posted on our Web site. Prospective letter winners need fill out an application and pay $20 to the EPS Athletic Department by March in order to letter this year.

EDINA H.S. JUGGLING LETTERING STANDARDS
(proposed 7/29/03; revised 1/09/04)

Age Requirement: 9th -12th grade at Edina High School
Time Requirement: Attend at least two juggling clubs per week (one club = 2 hours). Throughout the school year, most Ultimate Club members will have spent well over 200 hours in juggling-related activities (e.g., performing, practicing, learning new routines). The minimum time requirement (September through July) is 150 hours of direct JUGHEADS involvement.

Performing / Competition Standards: Publicly perform a juggling specialty act (solo or team) three times within a year (which may or may not include the annual “Juggle Jam”). Furthermore, a juggler must compete in at least five (5) competitions throughout the year, either on stage, in technical contests (e.g., 8 club passing endurance at MadFest), or joggling (e.g., 400 meter joggling race at Buffalo, NY). The JH coach must approve qualifying venues for these performances and competitions. Examples of qualifying venues include: state competitions (e.g., State Fair Talent Contest), international competitions (e.g., the I.J.A. Festival), community service performances (e.g., Children’s Heart Link Carnival of Hearts), and regional festivals (e.g., MadFest or MONDO Fest).

Technical Juggling / Personal Character Standards:
See the Ultimate Club section or the yellow winter registration form handed out with this month's newsletter.

MONDO JUGGLEFEST
60+ Jugheads to attend on Feb. 7
For the 10th year in a row, Jugheads of all ages and ability levels have the opportunity to attend the MONDO Juggle Fest! Like the last few years, MONDO (a regional juggling festival in its 15th year) will be held at Concordia University in St. Paul. 45 Jugheads attended as a group last year, and it was truly a highlight of our winter. I’m limiting our group to 60 Jugheads, but kids may attend on their own if they prefer. Sign up via the attached form by Jan. 23.

BUFFALO I.J.A. FESTIVAL
Identical info. meetings: Jan. 13 and 22
Next summer marks our 9th consecutive trip to the I.J.A. Festival, held July 12-18, 2004 in Buffalo, NY. There will be identical info. meetings on Tuesday, Jan. 13 and Thursday, January 22 at 6 p.m. in the ECC Auditorium. Every potential Buffalo Jughead, experienced in the I.J.A. Festival or not, is required to attend one of the meetings in order to go to Buffalo with our group. Logistics, estimated costs, and details on the festival itself will be covered. Perhaps of paramount importance, we’ll discuss our Chaperones’ Jughead Behavior Contract and the eligibility requirements for a Jughead to attend the festival with us.

CLUB SPOTLIGHT: High School Club
Young club of old kids changes focus
Unique among the roster of JUGHEADS clubs is the High School Club. Marked by “punchcard” attendance rather than all-or-nothing commitment, the kids are free to decide any given week whether to go to juggling or not. This year, the club took on a more focused atmosphere as seven members of Ultimate Club attend every week in lieu of their requirement to go to Tuesday or Friday I.J.A. Club. The result is that there is a lot more juggling goin’ on as kids prepare for upcoming performances and follow up newly learned passing patterns. All participants enjoy the laid-back, accepting, and socially warm feeling of H.S. Club.