Jesse White Tumbling Team
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The Jesse White Tumbling Team is an team of acrobats that was founded in 1959 by Illinois athlete and politician, Jesse White. Their acrobatic performances can frequently be seen during half-time shows for the National Basketball Association, the National Football League and Major League Baseball games.
White, who still coaches, created the team for children residing in Chicago's inner city housing projects. It serves a juvenile delinquency prevention program. Members are required to abide by White's rules, which include staying in school, maintaining a "C" average in academic coursework and staying away from gangs and drugs. Since the team's inception, over 10,000 children, ages 6 and up, have participated in the program.
The Jesse White Tumbling Team makes over 1000 appearances each year. It has appeared the movies Heaven is a Playground, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and The Meteor Man. They have also performed at the half time of almost every NBA team, as well as two presidential inaugural parades.
The organization consists of four components:
- The Tumbling Team
- The Training Program
- The Tutoring Program
- The Scholars Program
