IT is no longer about holding a skipping rope and jumping aimlessly as just a pasttime activity or exercise routine.

In Linden, ‘jump rope’, as the activity is now called, has evolved, and making this possible for the scores of youngsters who are now referred to as “Jump-rope Athletes” is the “Show-Steppers Skip-to-My-Lou Club” which is located at the Mackenzie High School.
Children belonging to this club are trained to do individual, free-style, pairing, double dutch, and last-man-standing among other forms of skipping. With music, they are trained to synchronise their moves, using various routines and choreography.

Youngsters from primary and secondary schools across Linden flock the MHS auditorium on Sundays to perfect their skills at “jump rope”, the new and exciting sport in Linden that is fast overshadowing traditional sports.

The Guyana Skip-to-My-Lou Association has ensured that since the Sports Association of Trinidad introduced the sport to Guyana in 2010 through the ‘Jump Rope for Heart’ programme, it is now being practised here all across the country.
Linden, however, has been making significant headway, with “jump-rope athletes” bringing back to the mining town several of the winning trophies at nationally held competitions. The last time they did was back in February at the Mashramani Skip-to-My-Lou Competition.

Then just recently for Linden Town Week, there was a Skip-to-My-Lou Competition in which schools from all across Guyana participated.

As “jump rope” trainer, Shavin Greene explained to this publication, the sport has seen overwhelming growth in Linden since its 2014 introduction, and while only primary schools were initially involved, now there are both primary and secondary jumpers.
Since the holding of the first national competition in 2017, Greene said, there are now regional camps all across Guyana, which sees him visiting them all to assist with training.

In another few days,on the 17th May, another national competition will be held under the theme “Skip be Fit.” They are currently preparing for a World Championship which will be held in Orlando Florida U.S.A from the 1st to the 10th July. Representing Guyana will be 12 jumpers and three officials. The Show Steppers Club is currently burning the midnight oil preparing for the competition so as to ensure that the Golden Arrow Head is flown high. Last year a small team visited the world jump rope camp and one of the main jumpers was able to get a first-hand experience of what international jump rope standard is all about. Greene said that he is optimistic that the team will make Guyana proud since the club has a lot of strong jumpers. “Last year we went to view the competition and also take part in the camp, this year, world’s would have sent out an invitation, they see the work that we are doing, hosting national competitions, hosting training camps and spreading the sport, so they are encouraged by that, so they sent out another invitation for us this year to compete in the competition. We are very optimistic about it because looking at where they are at now, over the years they have been progressing fast, so there are not far from what we would have seen at the world championships,” he said.

Several fund raising activities as well as sponsorship from corporate Guyana as well as the National Sports Commission are making the trip possible. Donations are however still appreciated, to meet all expenses of the team. Greene reiterated that this is a perfect opportunity for the students and they are looking forward to being there. He explained that Skip to my Lou, as any sport, contributes to creating rounded students who are also encouraged to perform well in academics. In fact, for the Show Steppers Club, it is a must that the students keep their grades up to continue jumping. “In order for you to be a part of the jump rope camp, your grades must be at a certain level, we force education with the jump rope, if my jumpers are not up to scratch with their reports and classes, they would have to sit out of competitions and sit out training until they get their work in order.” Greene posited that it is also a perfect opportunity to keep the youths meaningfully occupied.