Dana Thomson had never juggled before, but that didn’t stop her from tossing around a few balls Sunday afternoon.
Some of her friends, as well as experienced jugglers, joined in on an MSU Juggling Club practice held in the courtyard behind Case Hall.
“Yes, I’ve always wanted to learn,” Thomson said. “It seems like a fun thing to be able to do.”
But the no-preference freshman said she discovered juggling is much harder than it looks. She concentrated on trying not to drop three balls as a club member nearby juggled seven balls at one time.
But club founder Kacie Kruckeberg, who showed Thomson some tips on how to toss and catch the balls, said there is one main difficulty to juggling - attitude.
“I think the hardest part is not getting too frustrated and giving up,” the international relations and German freshman said. “Because if you really want to do it, and you practice and you keep it up, it comes naturally.”
The club practices 5-7 p.m. Sundays in the Case Hall cafeteria, and in the courtyard when weather permits.
Kruckeberg became interested in juggling when she saw a video about the skill given to her stepfather two years ago, she said.
She wanted to get students involved, so she took the initiative and founded the group two months ago.
“I wanted to have a juggling club here at MSU, because I found that when you have other people to juggle (with), it motivates you to learn new tricks and to practice and things like that,” she said. “It’s hard to do just do it by yourself and to keep the enthusiasm up.”
Although the club practices only for fun, its members are considering performing their juggling skills at Party at the Aud next fall.
Beginners start with little balls and can eventually start juggling clubs and lit torches, once their skills progress. Some members even ride a unicycle while juggling.
Kruckeberg said practice, patience and equipment make a good juggler. But she said one of the best parts about juggling is being able to see the progress.
“A lot of times, especially in classes, you put a lot of time into a paper, but it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel and all the results of your hard work,” she said. “Juggling is something you can see immediate results in. It’s fun.”
But the group is not limited to college students. Members vary in age from 11 to 57, and all experience levels are welcome, Kruckeberg said.
Lansing resident George Ruetenik has been bringing his 11-year-old son, Greg, to various juggling practices for four years now. The pair practiced with the MSU club Sunday.
“I thought it’d be a great activity for the family,” Ruetenik said.
Greg said he thinks the best part about juggling is being able to show off his skills to his friends, and hearing they think it’s cool.
