The United Through Sport World Virtual Youth Festival workshop series is just a few days away! Check out the schedule and stay tuned for more information about cheering on our jump rope/rope skipping athletes. 

You can watch the tournament and opening and closing ceremonies live through the Olympic Channel. 

Register for the workshops 

United Through Sport is holding three workshops to kick off the event. In order to attend, you need to register in advance. If you attend all three workshops, you’ll receive special certificate from the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee and the Special Olympics. 

Workshop 1 – Becoming a Successful Change Leader in Your Community Through Sport 

This workshop will take place on November 18, 2020 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. (ICT – Indochina Time). Please convert to your time zone.  

This workshop is presented by Yunus Sports Hub and IOC Youth Leaders. 

Workshop 2 – Clean Sport 

This workshop will take place on November 19, 2020 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. (ICT – Indochina Time). Please convert to your time zone. 

This workshop is presented by WADA and ITA. 

Workshop 3 - I’mpossible and the Paralympic Movement 

This workshop will take place on November 19, 2020 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. (ICT – Indochina Time). Please convert to your time zone. 

This workshop is presented by the Paralympic Committee. 

View the event schedule 

Check out the complete UTS World Virtual Youth Festival Schedule for more details about the event.  

The International Jump Rope Union (IJRU), after much deliberation, has decided to host an online Virtual World Championships in 2021. This will replace the in-person tournament originally scheduled for July 2021 in Ottawa, Canada. The Virtual World Championship Series will include the: 

• Virtual World Championship 

• Virtual Junior World Championship 

• Virtual International Open Tournament 

Due to health and safety concerns, as well as global travel uncertainty, we’ve decided a virtual event is the best way to move forward for 2021. Review the updated IJRU rules for a virtual tournament. We look forward to seeing all of the amazing submissions from our athletes and hope that we can all meet in person again soon. 

Understanding the bigger picture 

The sport of jump rope/rope skipping is facing the same challenges that many other sports are experiencing as a result of COVID-19. In order to continue to offer opportunities for athletes to participate in our sport, we need to innovate and find new ways to host events. Here is a brief description of the bigger picture facing IJRU and many other sporting federations. 

Keeping our athletes engaged 

Global sport is seeing a decline in athlete participation at an alarming rate. If athletes can't engage in the sport of jump rope/rope skipping, they will likely move to another activity. It is important for jump rope/rope skipping to continue to provide opportunities for participation at all levels, including at the world championship level. We believe that jump rope/rope skipping is actually in a unique position. Unlike some other sports, we can participate in and practice the sport without contact while maintaining distance. IJRU, by hosting a Virtual World Championship Series, will develop a model that we hope our members can use to continue offering events. 

Innovation can lead to growth and wider exposure 

A virtual event will drive innovation. In order to produce a successful and engaging virtual production, we need to transform our viewer experience. This innovation will carry over to future in-person events and will help us package jump rope so that we can sell the production of our events within the global marketplace. 

Opportunity for greater inclusivity 

Attending an in-person World Championship can be expensive and unfortunately some athletes and countries are unable to participate. The 2021 Virtual Competition Series participation cost will be significantly less than the cost of attending an in-person event. We hope that this will provide more athletes with an opportunity to participate in jump rope/rope skipping at the highest level.  

Support today means we can host events in the future 

If we don’t have a financially successful event in 2021, IJRU may not have the financial resources needed to produce an in-person event in the future. So support today means ensuring our sport can continue internationally.   

Solidarity 

The sport of jump rope/rope skipping unites us all and we ask our community to come together to support the future of our sport.  

The International Jump Rope Union (IJRU) is excited to announce that athletes from the sport of jump rope/rope skipping will be included in the United Through Sport (UTS) Virtual Youth Festival 2020. This event falls under the banner of the International Olympic Committee, Paralympic Committee, Special Olympics, GAISF, SportAccord and AIMS. This is a great opportunity for athletes from our sport to compete against athletes from other sports within the Olympic movement.  

About the event

The Virtual Youth Festival 2020 provides an opportunity for youth from all over the world to engage in friendly, sport for all competitions in a safe and inclusive digital environment. Athletes only need a recording device, such as a mobile phone and access to Wi-fi to participate. The event also includes educational opportunities from leading international organizations focusing on inclusion, non-discrimination and peace through sport.  

IJRU will be one of more than 80 International Sport Federations involved, and we are honoured to have our sport and athletes compete in this virtual fitness competition. Our athletes will compete in the Max Fit competition. This event tests the contestants’ strength, power and stamina through standardized exercises and fitness drills. How do you think jump rope/rope skipping athletes will compare to athletes from other sports? 

Event date

The Virtual Youth Festival finals will be held on United Nations’ World Children’s Day from November 20 to November 22, 2020 and will be hosted in the Kingdom of Thailand inside a virtual arena venue.  

Stay tuned for more information about viewing the finals and cheering on our jump rope/rope skipping athletes! 

The International Jump Rope Union (IJRU) General Congress gathered virtually on October 3, 2020. More than 77 delegates, representing 33 National Governing Bodies (NGBs) were present at the meeting, making this the largest assembly for the IJRU General Congress. We would like to thank all of our NGBs and delegates for attending and working with IJRU on the advancement of the sport of jump rope/rope skipping. 

Presidential message 

The meeting focused on the theme - “Jumping Through Uncertain Times.” In the presidential message, IJRU President Shaun Hamilton, demonstrated a solid commitment to work with each NGB as the sport of jump rope/rope skipping continues to develop. Hamilton stressed the importance of finding ways to continue to grow and adapt while facing the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“Jump Rope can be an asset to the global sports community, especially during and after this global pandemic. Organizationally, we are willing to meet the challenges we see on the horizon and this 2nd General Congress affirmed our willingness to take bold action.” - Shaun Hamilton IRJU President 

New member ratifications 

Since the last General Congress, in July of 2019, 18 new NGBs have been added to the membership of IJRU. All 18 NGBs were approved by the General Congress. Delegates also confirmed two continental organizations: 

• Pan-American Jump Rope Federation 

• Africa Jump Rope Federation 

Congratulations to all of our new members! View a complete list of IJRU member NGBs. 

Policies and governance 

The General Congress reviewed and approved a variety of major constitutional and policy changes that will help IJRU in our governance journey. This includes the adoption of the: 

• Strategic Plan 

• Ethics Panel Charter 

• Code of Ethics 

• Code of Conduct 

• Athlete Council Charter 

• Youth Development Commission Charter 

• Financial Committee Charter 

• Gender Eligibility Policy  Update

• Ethics Panel Procedural Rules 

We would like to thank all of those who participated in the IJRU webinar on Diversity and Inclusion the sport of jump rope/rope skipping. The webinar took place on Saturday, August 1 and was moderated by the Director of Diversity for Premier Health, Adrian Taylor.   

A special thank you to our panelists for sharing their experiences and perspectives: 

• Janice Harrington

• Keo Mokolopo

• Kim Bradshaw

• Jonathan Mahoto

• Carly Simpson

We appreciate you donating your time to help the sport of jump rope/rope skipping identify some of the barriers that exist within our sport and begin to offer solutions and paths forward.

Watch the recording

If you were unable to attend the webinar, not to worry. You can now watch a recording of the Diversity and Inclusion webinar and share it with others in your organisation.

Next steps

In order to push our sport forward and create a diverse and inclusive sport for all, we need to continue these discussions. IJRU will work with National Governing Bodies, coaches, judges and athletes in order to educate our members on these important issues.

Diversity and inclusion are two of IJRU’s core values. Our upcoming webinar on Diversity and Inclusion in the Sport of Jump Rope/Rope Skipping will look into the ways in which the global jump rope/rope skipping community can eliminate barriers to inclusion and ensure that all athletes, coaches, volunteers and judges have access to our sport.

Date and time

The Diversity and Inclusion webinar will take place on Saturday, August 1 at 12:00 UTC. Everyone who has registered for the webinar will receive a link to the webinar 24 hours in advance.

Meet our Moderator and Panelists

We are pleased to introduce our panelists!

Adrian Taylor, Moderator

Adrian Taylor is the Director of Diversity for Premier Health in Dayton, Ohio. He serves as the key advisor on the research, development and/or modification of diversity programs that support Premier’s business objectives with an emphasis on workforce diversity, supplier diversity and community engagement. He engages the community through various functions and events that reflect Premier’s values and promote healthier living throughout the Dayton region. Some of the events include: Premier Health’s African-American Wellness Walk, serving on the Dayton & Montgomery County’s Public Health LGBTQ Initiative, sponsoring and participating in the annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration, participating on the Dayton Business Journal’s Diversity Committee, and serving on the UD West Dayton Conversation Steering Committee. At the 2017 Southwest Ohio Supplier Diversity Healthcare symposium Adrian received the prestigious Spirit of Diversity Individual Champion Award for the work they’ve achieved in the Dayton area though their supplier diversity program. Premier relentlessly pursues diversity supplier within the southwest Ohio region through outreaches and forums held throughout the year. He also received the Leadership Excellence Award at the 2017 Diversity & Leadership conference for the work Premier is doing in Inclusion & Diversity. He also won the 2018 Asian American Commerce’s Group Supplier Diversity Leadership Award. Through his leadership, Premier Health also won the Vizient Supplier Diversity Excellent Award and the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council’s Class-1 Corporation of the Year Award in 2017. Premier tracks and reports out on demographic information, strategizes for retention and recruitment for diverse employees, and executing best practices for their over 13,000 they manage throughout southwest Ohio on a quarterly basis.

Before joining Premier Health in 2014, Mr. Taylor served in key management roles, earning positions of increasing responsibility in the private sector with companies like EDS, NCR and The Berry Company. More recently he worked for four years in the non-profit sector for the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. As the Manager of Minority Business Retention and Expansion he advocated for and secured over $100M in contracted diverse spend for diverse companies in the Dayton region.

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Janice Harrington, Physical Education Teacher

Janice Harrington has taught elementary physical education for forty-seven years. Twenty-one years in Northern Virginia and twenty-six years in Torrington, Connecticut. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Health and physical Education from D.C. Teacher’s College, which is now known as the University of the District of Columbia. She received her Master’s Degree in Supervision from George Mason University.

Her passion for her field is reflected by the successes of her students, the depth of her program and her numerous awards and recognitions. Her program was first recognized for excellence when she taught in Virginia in 1988. After moving to Connecticut her program was recognized again by the Connecticut Association of Schools in 1995. She received two awards in 1997, one from the Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. as a recipient of their Apple for the Teacher award. The second award was the annual Teacher of the Year Award from the Torrington Board of Education. She has supported the programs developed by the American Heart Association, known as Jump Rope for Heart and the Kids Heart Challenge, from the beginning of her teaching experience. She has also appeared in “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers” in 1994, 2002, 2004-2005 and 2005-2006.

Janice also coaches a jump rope team with athletes ranging from grade 4 to adult. I have been teaching for forty-seven years and coaching jump rope for thirty-eight years. Growing up, my inspiration came from my physical education teachers that exposed me to everything but jump rope. The jump rope I learned was street Double Dutch. That means I took my Mom’s clothes line to make the ropes and we would jump during recess or at home, making up our own rhymes and we counted by tens.

I went to a physical education professional development day where they had a jump rope team, doing a demonstration and teaching the teachers. That was my first exposure to a “Jump Rope Team”. They did it all, single rope, long rope, Double Dutch, they jumped to music and they jumped on pogo sticks and pogo balls.From that point on, Janice has been involved as a jump rope coach with her team competing at American Double Dutch League (ADDL) and USA Jump Rope tournaments.

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Keo Mokolopo, President - Africa Jump Rope Federation

Born and bred in Thaba- Nchu, South Africa, Keo currently an ambassador for the South African Gymnastics Federation and President of Africa Jump Rope Federation (AJRF). She is also on the IJRU Board of Directors representing Africa.

Even though Rope Skipping I started very late in my life (20’s) I have grown to love it and become a 4X World medalist. My passion however is in development (Athletes and Technical, we need both) especially in Africa, my motherland. My dream as the President of AJRF is to see as many African Countries as possible getting recognized by their highest sporting bodies nationally, only then I will know we are doing something right.

With Recognition comes support in all form and funding might also be possible as it is one of our biggest challenges in Africa. This will indeed aid in attendance of World Events as it is the only way we can learn, keep up with Jumping trends and of course make our African mark #ItIsPossible

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Kim Bradshaw, Jump Rope Coach

Kimberly Bradshaw, Coach of the Greenbelt SITY Stars Jump Rope Team has been coaching in the sport of jump rope for 35 years. Kim started in the sport as a Double Dutch competitor at the age of 10 years old in the Washington, D.C. area. She has been committed to the sport and has been blessed to be involved with cultivating a fitness mindset into the lives of thousands of young people - providing them an opportunity to travel the world performing and competing.

Kim is the mom of two adult sons, one of which is a Grand Champion jumper and the other a college student at Delaware State University.

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Jonathan Mahoto

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Carly Simpson, Digital Communications

Carly Simpson holds an MA and PhD (ABD) in Canadian History with a specific focus on the history of gender and sexuality in the twentieth century. Her research looks at grassroots political organizing in the Canadian lesbian and gay movement. Carly has taught courses at the university and college level on a variety of subjects including World Cultures, Multiculturalism, Critical and Creative Thinking, Canadian History and the History of Gender and Sexuality. In 2018, Carly transitioned into her current role in digital communications and web development where she is committed to making the internet a more friendly and accessible space for everyone to enjoy.

Carly has been involved in the sport of jump rope for over 25 years as an athlete, coach and judge and she currently sits on the IJRU Technical Committee and helps out IJRU with digital communications (like this one)!

We would like to thank all of those who participated in the first IJRU webinar on COVID-19 and the sport of jump rope/rope skipping. The webinar took place on Saturday, July 25 and was hosted by reporter and former jump rope/rope skipping athlete, Amy Simpson.  

A special thank you to our panelists for sharing their expertise and knowledge: 

• Denise Fisher 

• Warren Harper 

• Dale Neuberger 

• Luke Winstanley 

• Andrej Kyselica 

• Nika Khoroshikh 

We appreciate you donating your time to help the sport of jump rope/rope skipping understand the challenges and opportunities that we face because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Give us your feedback 

IJRU is always looking for ways that we can improve and serve our members and the global jump rope/rope skipping community. Please take our survey and give us your feedback on the webinar.  

We will use this information when developing future webinars and to consider ways that IJRU can adapt the sport of jump rope/rope skipping at an international level during the age of COVID-19.  

Watch a recording of the webinar 

Did you forget to register? Slept through your alarm? Had other plans? Not to worry! You can watch the COVID-19 Webinar.  

Don’t miss out on our Diversity and Inclusion Webinar 

There is still time to register for our next webinar on Diversity and Inclusion in the sport of jump rope/rope skipping taking place on Saturday, August 1 at 12:00 UTC. IJRU is committed to educating our community on our core values of diversity and inclusions.

The IJRU Board of Directors met virtually on July 18, 2020. Review our meeting highlights to stay informed. 

One Humanity Project 

IJRU has decided to join other sporting federations to participate in the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF)  One Humanity Project. Through this project, we will show how our sport brings individuals together from around the world. 

IJRU Appoints New Board Member 

We would like to introduce Dr. Moagi Sharp as a new Africa Continental Representative on the IJRU Board of Directors. Sharp is from Selebi Phikwe, Botswana and comes to IJRU with over 10 years of experience in sport management. He is the president and founder of the Botswana Wrestling Foundation and has lots of experience working within the Olympic pyramid.  

He started rope skipping in 2018. In 2019, he organized the 1st National Rope Skipping Championship in Botswana. By the time the Championship was held, he had already Registered 30 Rope Skipping Clubs country-wide. Please join us in welcoming Moagi Sharp to IJRU. We are excited to continue to grow the sport of jump rope/rope skipping throughout Africa.  

Membership Update 

IJRU now has 56 members! Please join us as we congratulate the following National Governing Bodies (NGBs) as they achieve new membership status with IJRU: 

• Chinese Taipei – Taiwan Kinetic Art Association moves from Observer to Provisional membership 

• Italy – Italian Federation of Acrobatic and Choreographic Sport (FISAC) gains Provisional membership 

IJRU membership allows you to take part in IJRU tournaments and participate in the IJRU General Congress, Technical Congress and provide representation on IJRU committees and panels. For more information on how to become a member, please contact us at info@ijru.sport. 

Committee Charters 

As our organization continues to grow, we are in the process of developing a variety of committees to help govern our sport. At the July Board meeting, we reviewed and approved the following committee charters: 

• Finance Committee Charter 

• Athletes Council Charter 

• Code of Ethics 

• Code of Conduct 

We will be posting these documents on our website in the near future.  

Have you registered for our upcoming webinar on COVID-19 in the sport of jump rope/rope skipping? The International Jump Rope Union (IJRU) is committed to ensuring that our National Governing Bodies, clubs and coaches provide a safe and healthy environment for athletes in our sport. We will discuss some of the challenges that COVID-19 presents for the sport of jump rope/rope skipping and look into potential risk mitigation and digital strategies.

Date and time

The COVID-19 webinar will take place on Saturday, July 25 at 12:00 UTC. Everyone who has registered for the webinar will receive an email with a link to access the webinar 24 hours in advance.

Meet our moderator and panelists

We are pleased to introduce our expert panelists!

Amy Simpson, Moderator

Amy Simpson is a professional news anchor and reporter. She has experience covering current events, politics, crime, military, severe weather, and business. Amy was a competitive jump rope athlete for a decade as a member of the Kangaroo Kids from Columbia, MD. She competed at the international level in both Canada and South Africa.

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Dale Neuberger, Director of BCW Sports Practice

Dale Neuburger is Director of BCW Sports Practice – North America, one of the world’s leading sports management consultancies. He has served in a variety of leadership roles within the Olympic Family as a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the U.S. Olympic Committee. He was Deputy Chef de Mission for the U.S. delegation that won 101 medals in Athens in 2004.

His volunteer service in aquatics includes serving as Vice President of FINA (International Aquatics Federation); President of United States Aquatic Sports; President of USA Swimming; and, Chairman of the Board of the International Swimming Hall of Fame. He has been Event Director for swimming competition in three Olympic Games.

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Denise Fisher, MBA, BComm (Sports Administration)

Denise Fisher is the founder and Head Coach with Jump Rope Revolution in Edmonton, Canada set to launch post-COVID. She has been involved in the sport of jump rope/rope skipping for over 30 years as an athlete, coach, judge, and Director at the provincial and national levels. She has worked in the Canadian amateur sport system for over 20 years including working in High Performance and Olympic Preparation for the Canadian Olympic Committee, where she was selected to the Canadian Mission team for three Olympic and two Pan American Games.

Denise was invited to be a torchbearer for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games for her support of teens wishing to be more physically active. She has served as the Executive Director of three provincial sport organizations (figure skating, rugby and cheerleading) and is currently the Manager of Youth, Competitions and Sport for Special Olympics Alberta. She is proud that her daughter, Deanna, remains competitive in the sport of jump rope/rope skipping where she has won several Canadian and Canadian Grand Championship titles.

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Warren Harper, Global Sports & Event Industry Practice

Warren Harper is the leader of the Global Sports & Events Industry Practice, based in Atlanta. In this role, he specializes in the provision of risk management, insurance and risk mitigation consulting services to global sporting event and entertainment clients. Services provided include exposure identification and assessment of operating plans for all organizing committee functional areas, contingency planning, operational readiness exercises, development of risk management games operating plans, and the implementation of risk financing strategies.

Warren has over 35 years of experience in the insurance and risk management industry as a commercial lines underwriter, insurance broker, risk manager and consultant. Consulting activities have involved integrated program planning and management for a variety of clients in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa and Bermuda.

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Luke Winstanley, IJRU Vice President Oceania

Luke has been involved with Rope Skipping in Australia for more than 10 years; the first two years as an involved parent, and the remaining years as a combination of committee member at the local, regional, national and/or international level.

Since 2012, Luke has held Executive positions within Skipping Australia and in 2016 was elected to the position of Vice President – Oceania for FISAC-IRSF. Luke brings a working knowledge of sports administration, business process and systems governance and best practice to assist with organizational development, business process improvement and strategic planning in his role as a business consultant. He believes there are untold opportunities for development of our sport across the globe and would like to be involved in that development.

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Andrej Kyselica, Microsoft Software Engineer

Andrej maintains the scoring and live results technology used for IJRU tournaments and and is a member of the IJRU Championship Organizing Committee. He is also a member of the IJRU Innovation Committee and supports the Board of Directors executive committee on strategic projects. Previously, he led on-site and online event production for World Jump Rope Federation’s championships. A software engineer by trade, Andrej has worked at Microsoft since 2005 based in Ohio in the United States.

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Nika Khoroshikh

Nika, is from Russia, Rostov-on-don and is a competitive athlete on a team called “Kreativ”. She has competed for 7 years and has participated in several international tournaments. Nika has a strong passion for jump rope and wants to work hard to help the sport gain more popularity. Nika leads online classes with members from her team in order to continue jumping throughout COVID-19.

 In order to help our community grow and flourish during these times, IJRU is hosting an educational webinar series that will focus on COVID-19 and diversity and inclusion in the sport of jump rope/rope skipping.  

We invite athletes, coaches, volunteers and NGB leaders to take part in these important discussions. You can register for a single panel or attend all three! These free webinars are open to everyone. 

Please register at least 24 hours before the start time in order to reserve your spot.

Schedule 

Check out the panel dates and times: 

• July 25, 2020 at 12:00 UTC – Jump rope/rope skipping and COVID-19 - practice guidelines, risk mitigation and digital strategies

• August 1, 2020 at 12:00 UTC – Diversity and Inclusion in Jump Rope/Rope Skipping 

Jump rope/rope skipping and COVID-19 – practice guidelines, risk mitigation and digital strategies

Are you ready to get back to practice? Do you have any safety measures in place to ensure that your athletes, coaches and volunteers are safe? In this panel, medical and sport experts will raise awareness on what safety guidelines to consider during practice, performances and competition for coaches, athletes and volunteers during COVID-19. 

Each area of the world has different health and safety guidelines and restrictions. Our panel will explore risk mitigation strategies to consider during COVID-19. If your organization is unable to come together for large events or even smaller practices, you may need to consider new technologies and pathways. We will explore the use of technology as a way to reduce risk through the potential of online training and events. 

Diversity and Inclusion in Jump Rope/Rope Skipping 

IJRU would like to continue to invest in our core values of diversity and inclusion. How can we ensure that the sport of jump rope/rope skipping is a safe space for all athletes, coaches, judges and spectators regardless of race?  

This panel will continue conversations about race, diversity and inclusion in the sport of jump rope/rope skipping. We hope to help raise awareness, promote discussion and begin to offer potential solutions to counter racism in jump rope/rope skipping. 

Survey doesn’t load? Click here

In order for our sport to reach new heights, we need to take into consideration the health and development of young athletes. As a result, the IJRU Board of Directors has established the Youth Development Commission.  

This group will look into the development of young athletes and will advise the Board and other IJRU committees about rules, events, programming and more. This includes the establishment of grass roots, organized and educational programming that focuses on the principles of Long-Term Athlete Development. This commission is tasked with the growth strategy of our youth and to bring our sport to youth around the world. 

Apply today 

Are you interested in joining the Youth Development Commission? Do you have a passion for athlete development and youth programming? Please complete the Youth Development Commission Application and submit it by email to IJRU at info@ijru.sport by July 15. 

As a member of this group, you will be expected to attend meetings and complete tasks between meetings as assignment by the Commission Chair. 

Minimum Qualifications 

Below are the minimum qualification for the Youth Development Commission. Please only submit an application if you meet the minimum qualifications. In order to sit on the Youth Development Commission, you need to: 

• Belong to an IJRU member country  

• Be at least 18 years of age 

• Be able to read and write in English 

We will give priority to those applicants with work or educational experience in: 

• Developing youth programs 

• Youth education 

• Organizational leadership 

• Education in health sciences, medicine or education 

Please note  

Youth Development Commission members do not represent their National Governing Body as a delegate. They are IJRU official representatives from a particular country. 

Selection process 

The Board of Directors will review all nominations and make a final decision at our board meeting on August 15. We will take all applications we receive into consideration when appointing members to the Commission.  

All successful applicants will receive a letter of appointment by August 19 and the Youth Development Commission will begin meeting in September.  

Youth Development Commission Charter 

Review the Youth Development Commission Charter for full details about the objectives and mandate of the Youth Development Commission. 

We would like to thank all of those who apply. Only those who have been selected for appointment will be contacted. 

We are pleased to announce that the Global Association of International Sport Federations (GAISF) has renewed IJRU’s Observer Status for an additional two years. This is a tremendous milestone for IJRU as we continue to grow our global community.

In 2018, with the help of GAISF’s guidance and full support, the IJRU was created as a united entity from former rivals. This is a fantastic example of what can be achieved through compassion, unity and teamwork, values that are intrinsic to sport.

Now, through the tireless efforts of the entire IJRU team to further our development as an International Federation, and the continual guidance of GAISF, our organisation has an additional two years to work towards fulfilling the GAISF Membership criteria.

In order for jump rope/rope skipping to gain full GAISF membership we will need to have 40 members recognised by their respective national sport authorities. At present, there are 20 members who have received national recognition, and we would like to congratulate these National Federations:

• Australia

• Belgium

• Botswana

• Brazil

• Denmark

• Finland

• France

• Germany

• Malaysia

• Mozambique

• Pakistan

• Peoples Republic of China

• Puerto Rico

• Republic of Korea

• Singapore

• South Africa

• Swaziland

• Sweden

• Switzerland

• Trinidad and Tobago

We strongly encourage all IJRU members to continue striving for national recognition, and know that IJRU will do all that we can to help our members achieve this aim. If you have any questions, or need support from IJRU, please do not hesitate to reach out at info@ijru.sport.

Together, we celebrate this incredible milestone we have reached. These accomplishments have only been possible through the powerful and unified efforts of our entire community. Only by working as a team will our successes continue as we walk together on our journey to GAISF Membership.

Thank you all for your great work.

The IJRU Board of Directors met electronically on June 6, 2020 to discuss memberships, committee charters and rule updates. Please review the board meeting highlights to stay informed. 

Finland gains full IJRU member status 

 We would like to congratulate Finland (Finish Gymnastics Federation) as they move from observational to full membership status with IJRU! 

Youth Development Commission

Over the past few months, the IJRU Board of Directors and Technical Committee have been discussing the position of youth within the sport of jump rope/rope skipping. We believe that in order to ensure that young athletes have opportunities to access our sport and excel, we need to focus on developing a youth strategy. This strategy will help inform future decision-making around competition events, structures, rules, training techniques and programming for youth in our sport.  

The IJRU Board of Directors approved the establishment of a Youth Development Commission and Charter so that we can begin this important work. In the coming weeks, we will put out a call for volunteers to sit on the Youth Development Commission. Please stay tuned for more information. 

Board of Directors approves IJRU rule updates 

The IJRU Board of Directors reviewed and approved all rule proposals presented by the IJRU Technical Congress. We would like to congratulate the Technical Committee and Technical Congress for their great work. Learn more about the rule updates and Technical Committee report. 

Event postponements 

Due to COVID-19 the following events have been postponed: 

• IJRU 2020 has been postponed and will be held from July 19 to July 26, 2021 

• ISF 2020 Gymnasiade Summer Games  

• TAFISA 7th World Games (fall 2020) 

We will keep our members posted once we learn more information about the rescheduling of these events. 

IJRU has secured the location and dates for the 2021 IJRU World Championships. Given there are still significant global uncertainties about the  impact of COVID-19, we are not able to 100% confirm the 2021 tournament details. Some of the details may change as the global pandemic evolves, but at this point in time, we are planning to hold the 2021 IJRU World Championships in Ottawa, Canada. 

We would like to thank the global jump rope/rope skipping community for your support and understanding during these uncertain times. 

IJRU 2021 location and dates 

IJRU 2021 will be held in Ottawa, Canada at TD Place Arena from July 19 to 26. We understand these timings overlap with the revised 2021 Olympic dates, however, within the three month window, this was the only time we were able to secure the event venue. Communication with GAISF has been undertaken. 

Age categories and rule updates 

In order to ensure those athletes that have already qualified, and to provide a fair environment for all, the IJRU Technical Committee is in the process of reviewing the rules to add clarifying language to minor sections of the rulebook. We are also using data from the 18 tournaments that have taken place worldwide using the IJRU rules in 2019/2020 to make small modifications and ensure the best possible judging system for our athletes and sport. 

All rule changes and age category clarification for 2021 will be finalized and communicated in July, 2020 after receiving approval from the Technical Congress and Board of Directors. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the IJRU Technical Committee at tcom@ijru.sport if you have any questions about the rules.  

Next steps 

We will be releasing new registration and pricing packages in the next few months that include details about registration dates and deposits. Please continue to follow the IJRU news and check your inbox for regular updates. 

Looking forward to seeing you all in Ottawa, Canada in 2021! 

Dear National Jump Rope Federation Members - International Jump Rope Union (IJRU), Athletes, Officials, Volunteers.

As you all know, the entire global community is focusing on the current and potential impact of the Corona-virus. The IJRU Board of Directors met today to discuss the escalation of the COVID-19 situation and how it may affect our upcoming World Championships scheduled for 5 – 14 July 2020 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

After long and careful evaluation, IJRU is announcing the postponement of this year's World Championships and International Open Tournament. The World Health Organization has declared Corona-virus to be a global pandemic. Whilst the Championships are still a number of months away and the impact created by this global crisis is partially unknown, IJRU consider an early decision is in the best interest of our global sporting community.

We are disappointed that the inaugural unified IJRU World Championship will not take place as planned, but the health and safety of the local community, athletes, volunteers, sponsors, officials, vendors, and everyone involved with the event is of paramount importance to us. We are planning to hold the Championship on another date and will explore options for a suitable time-frame in 2021.

This was not an easy decision, nor one taken lightly. Like other world sporting events cancelled in recent days; there will be an adverse impact on many people. The hardship this decision will create for our valued stakeholders is the sad reality of what is happening in the world with this health crisis. We ask that our community come together as a global sport and do all we can to protect one another.

As I’m sure you can appreciate, at this time we are not confirming new dates for

the 2021 Championships, however as soon as we have more information, the IJRU Board will be in touch with National Governing Bodies to discuss our options. Similarly, IJRU will be in contact shortly to finalise refund of deposits already paid.

We apologise for any inconvenience this causes and wish you health and happiness in your part of the world. Thank you again for your commitment to our sport and your support of the International Jump Rope Union and its mission.

Yours in Sport,
Shaun Hamilton
President, International Jump Rope Union  

IJRU is excited to partner with Double Dutch Contest World (DDCW) to host the DDCW Finals at the IJRU 2020 World Championships!

How do I qualify?

There are two ways to qualify for the DDCW Championships:

1. Attend a DDCW qualifying tournament held by your country's organization

2. Participate in the IJRU DDCW qualifying tournament in Ottawa

To participate in the IJRU DDCW qualifying tournament in Ottawa, athletes need to qualify through their National Governing Body (NGB). Each NGB can qualify 1 team in each age category.

What are the age categories?

The IJRU DDCW qualifying tournament in Ottawa will have the following age categories:

• Under 19 (12-18)

• Open (19+)

These age categories align with the IJRU age cut-off dates. Each NGB can send 1 team in the above age categories to the DDCW qualifying tournament hosted by IJRU prior to the DDC Finals in Ottawa.

If you qualify through another DDCW qualifying tournament, you may have athletes under the age of 12 qualify in the DDCW Junior age category.

DDCW Finals age categories

The DDCW Finals event which will be held in conjunction with the IJRU 2020 World Championships in Ottawa, is run by the JDDA/DDC and the competition has the potential to have 11 and under athletes.

The DDCW Finals will run the following age categories:

• Junior (ages 5 to under 13)

• Under 19 (ages 12 to under 19)

• 19+

Although IJRU is committed to making our competition system compliant with the age restrictions applied to some of our NGBs, we are also aware that some countries have already selected or started the selection process for DDCW 2020.

We are allowing the DDCW rules for 2020 in order not to disadvantage the athletes. However, we would like our member countries to notify the attendance of under 12 athletes in the DDCW junior category and send an exemption request as soon as the selection is completed. IJRU will also hold continuous discussions with our NGBs as well as JDDA/DDCW for future championships in 2022 and beyond.

What are the DDC rules?

The IJRU DDCW qualifying tournament and DDCW Finals being held at the IJRU 2020 World Championships in Ottawa will follow the DDCW rules.

Are you excited to participate in the International Sport Federation (ISF) Gymnasiade Summer Games 2020 in Jinjiang, China? You will get to compete alongside young athletes from a variety of sports around the world. Learn more about the Gymnasiade Summer Games.

How do I register?

To register for the ISF Gymnasiade Summer Games, you need to speak with your local IJRU National Governing Body. Don’t miss out on this opportunity. Registration is already open.

You will register as part of a national delegation. Please review the Gymnasiade Summer Games Bulletin 1 for more information about official delegations. As an NGB, you will need to reach out to the ISF School Sport Entity in your country for registration details.

Events

Check out the jump rope/rope skipping events that will be featured at the ISF Gymnasiade Summer Games and start practicing today!

Girls events

• 1x30 Single Rope Speed Sprint

• 1x180 Single Rope Speed Endurance

• Triple Unders

• Single Rope Individual Freestyle

• Single Rope Pairs Double Under Relay

• Double Dutch Contest Speed

• Double Dutch Single Freestyle

Boys events

• 1x30 Single Rope Speed Sprint

• 1x180 Single Rope Speed Endurance

• Triple Unders

• Single Rope Individual Freestyle

• Single Rope Pairs Double Under Relay

• Double Dutch Contest Speed

• Double Dutch Single Freestyle

Mixed events

• Single Rope Pairs Double Under Relay

• 4x30 Single Rope Speed Relay

• 4x30 Double Dutch Speed Relay

• Double Dutch Contest Speed

• Single Rope Pairs Freestyle

• Wheel Pairs Freestyle

• Double Dutch Singles Freestyle

Any gender (boys/girls/mixed)

• Double Dutch Contest Freestyle

Age categories

In order to participate in the ISF Gymnasiade Summer Games 2020, you must be born in:

• 2002

• 2003

• 2004

• 2005

The Gymnasiade Summer Games is for school-aged athletes. 

Flight discounts

If you register before March 31, 2020, you may be eligible for an 80% flight fare discount. Please review the Gymnasiade Summer Games Bulletin 1 for full details about flight fare discounts. 

Delegation details

Each School Sport Entity may enter a maximum number of 18 persons: 

• 12 girls and/or boys

• 2 coaches

• 1 team official (Doctor, Physiotherapist, Trainer, Statistician, Team manager)

• 3 judges

Participation limits

Review the participation limits for each national delegation.

Individual events: 

• 2 athletes per delegation

Team events: 

• 2 teams per delegation

Judges per delegation:

• From 1 to 5 athletes = 1 judge

• From 6 to 10 athletes = 2 judges 

• From 11 or 12 athletes = 3 judges

Please note

• All judges must have a valid certification distributed through IJRU.

• Each athlete can only participate once in the same event. For example, an athlete who has participated in Girls Singles Rope Pairs Double Unders relay, cannot also participate in the Mixed Singles Rope Pairs Double Unders relay 

We’re SO excited to announce a new tournament that will be taking place from April 9 to 13, 2020 in Shizhu, China. Do you think you can be the next Jump Rope King? The Chinese Rope Skipping Association presents, the China International Jump Rope King Championships. Compete for cash prizes against athletes from around the world!

Register now

Don’t miss out on this unique tournament! The registration deadline is February 15, 2020. Please contact your National Governing Body (NGB) to register. Contact lm@crsa.cc if you have any questions about the tournament or registration process.

Win cash prizes!

The winner of the China International Jump Rope King Championship will win a trophy and $8,000USD! Second place will take home $2,000USD and third place will receive $1,000USD. 

The top three in each individual event will also win cash prizes. Check out the Jump Rope King Championship Flier for more details. 

Free event packages

Wait there is more? The Chinese Rope Skipping Association will also offer 5 free event packages to IJRU members. Contact lm@crsa.cc for more details! These packages include:

• Transportation between Chongqing airport and the hotel

• Local transportation

• Dining

• Accommodations

• Competition entry

• 1 day of sightseeing

Event details

The China International Jump Rope King Championship will include 5 of the sport’s most exciting speed events: 

• 30 second speed

• 3 minutes speed

• Triple unders

• Single rope pairs double unders (2x30)

• Double dutch speed (1x60)

Athletes will compete in each event and the top 20 overall will face off to compete for the title of Jump Rope King. In this round of competition, athletes will perform a set routine and see who can complete the routine the most times within a set amount of time. Is anyone else getting excited for this?

Review the Jump Rope King Championship Flier for full event details.

Start practicing

Watch this video and start practicing the set routines so you can become the Jump Rope King!

Promotional video

Check out this promotional video and start planning your trip today!

After several years working together on the formation and creation of IJRU, for the final time, on December 15, 2019 the FISAC-IRSF membership gathered for a general meeting.

The assembled member countries voted to officially dissolve the organization. We ask the global rope skipping/jump rope community to join us in celebrating the achievements of FISAC-IRSF while looking towards the future.

“I would like to express my sincere appreciation to everyone I have met during my time serving for our wonderful sport of Rope Skipping as a board member. All the athletes, coaches, judges, officials and enthusiasts. You have been my inspiration and motivation during all years. My respect and gratitude also go towards all the founders and former board members who worked selflessly to advance our sport. Without your diligent service, Rope Skipping has never been brought up to this height.” - Takashi Ogawa, President

FISAC-IRSF helped lay the foundations of our sport in the international sporting community. IJRU plans to build upon the work of FISAC-IRSF and World Jump Rope Federation to help our sport reach new heights.

“On all my years as a FISAC-IRSF board member, I always believed that we were all starving to bring our Sport of Rope Skipping/Jump Rope one year at a time to the Greatness it is now, we still have many hurdles to go through in the future, but united, I believe we will surely reach our goals” - Ron Kappert, Executive Director, Past President 2000-2011

FISAC-IRSF through the years

For the past 24 years FISAC-IRSF has helped grow and promote the sport of rope skipping/jump rope around the world:

1. The first organization to promote rope skipping as a sport was the “International Rope Skipping Organization” (IRSO) founded by Richard Cendali which was essentially an American organization with two non-Americans on the Board of Directors who were elected by the US members. This organization split in the early 1990’s with a new organization, the “World Rope Skipping Federation” (WRSF) being formed in competition to the IRSO. In October 25, 1995 both these organizations dissolved and became the USAJRF

2. February 25, 1996 the founding meeting took place, Countries represented at this foundation meeting were Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden (representing the European Rope Skipping Organization, ERSO), Australia, USA, Canada and Hungary, it became the meeting of the first truly international rope skipping organization in both scope and representation, A draft constitution and the name “Federation Internationale de saut a la Corde” (FISAC) were adopted. By-laws were discussed and adopted, and the organization was up and running, Its first Board of Directors consisting of President, Eric de Boever of Belgium, Vice - President: Greg Bannerman (Australia) Secretary: Geert Hoste (Belgium), Treasurer: Jean Hodges (USA) Advisors: Josh Henson and Nancy Bell (AAU) and Board members Kajsa Murmark (Sweden), Eric Herber (Netherlands) and Richard Cendali (USA). To help the new organization establish itself, a first World Championship event was scheduled to be held in Sydney, the *1st - Australia in 1997. Rules were developed and adopted and these still form the basis of our current rules of competition. Eight countries competed, some under the FISAC flag as at that time they were not full members (USA, South Korea, Sweden, Hungary, Belgium, Canada, Denmark and the host Australia).

3. In 2000 Ron Kappert was elected President (2000-2011). With the original founding board members staying on for many more years, FISAC under his guidance was reconstituted and incorporated in Montreal, Canada, and the English translation “International Rope Skipping Federation” (IRSF) was added to the name. Additionally, an official color logo was designed and later added to the bylaws and constitution. Under the new constitution “Continental Organisations” were formalized and tasked to further develop rope skipping in their respective regions, by holding competitions, coaching and training initiatives.

4. In February of 2018, FISAC-IRSF and WJRF announced the intention to merge the two organizations to form the International Jump Rope Union. According to former FISAC-IRSF President, Takashi Ogawa, this decision was simple; in order to move the sport forward, FISAC-IRSF and WJRF needed to create a unified international organisation for the sole management of the sport at the international level.

Past tournaments

• 1997 Australia

• 1999 St. Louis, USA

• 2001 South Korea (Masters only)

• 2002 Gent, Belgium (Teams only)

• 2004 Gold Coast, Australia

• 2006 Toronto, Canada

• 2008 Cape Town, South Africa

• 2010 Loughborough, United Kingdom

• 2012 Tampa, USA

• 2014 Hong Kong, China

• 2016 Malmo, Sweden

• 2018 Shanghai, China

Thank you FISAC-IRSF

We would like to thank all of those who volunteered their time and energy to FISAC-IRSF over the years. There have been hundreds of people who have combined to provide their support, energy and involvement to progress our sport. Every athlete that took the floor and all of the parents, family members and volunteers that made this organization a success should celebrate the success that FISAC-IRSF has created.

We are excited to continue pushing our sport to new limits and we can’t wait to see what the future has in store!

The IJRU Board of Directors met electronically on December 7 and 8, 2019 to discuss membership, board and committee appointments and more. Read our meeting highlights to stay informed.

IJRU appoints new board member

We would like to welcome Lindley Langhorne as the new Pan-American Continental Representative on the IJRU Board of Directors. Langhorne is from Guyana and comes to IJRU with 10 years of experience as the Senior Physical Education Officer for the Ministry of Education. He is also the current president of Jump Rope Guyana. We believe that Mr. Langhorne’s skill set and experience will help IJRU promote our sport and expand our membership in the Pan-American region.

New member National Governing Bodies (NGBs)

IJRU continues to grow! Join us in welcoming our new members:

• Austria - Rope Skipping Verband Österreich, RSVÖ

• Belgium - GymFed, Rope Skipping Belgium

• Swaziland -  Swaziland (Eswatini) Gymnastic Federation

 IJRU currently has 49 members and we are well on our way to our membership goals.

Hong Kong update

Over the past year and a half, IJRU has worked with the Hong Kong Rope Skipping Association and the Hong Kong Rope Skipping Federation. This includes a two-day face-to-face meeting, which was held in Hong Kong in the month of October, with six of our board members attending. 

The IJRU Board of Directors is committed to ensuring the attendance of the Hong Kong athletes at the IJRU 2020 World Championships. 

Ethics panel

We are in the process of reviewing all applicants for the IJRU Ethics Panel.With all interviews complete, the IJRU Board of Directors will review each candidate and notify those who have been selected before the end of the year. We would like to thank all applicants for their time and we look forward to working with you in the future.

Technical Committee appointments

IJRU approved new members for the Technical Committee. Individuals will be contacted over the next few weeks and the new Technical Committee will start meeting shortly. 

We ask the entire jump rope/rope skipping community to join us in thanking all members from the initial technical committee for their tireless work drafting our rule set. Some members will continue in this role, while others will take on new roles within our organization.

Technical Congress

Does your country want an opportunity to provide input and feedback about proposed rules before they are official? Each National Governing Body has an opportunity to appoint 2 delegates to the IJRU Technical Congress. Between the 2 delegates, each country will receive one vote on all proposed rule changes.  

Send an email to info@IJRU.sport to appoint your national Technical Congress delegates. NGBs can appoint delegates at any time, however, we recommend that you provide these names as soon as possible, so that you can have your say.

The following countries have provided the names of their Technical Congress delegates:

• Australia

• Botswana

• Canada

• China

• Denmark

• France

• Germany

• Japan

• USA

Please check back regularly for more news, announcement and board meeting highlights!