This story is jointly published by nonprofits Amplify Utah and The Salt Lake Tribune to elevate diverse perspectives in local media through student journalism.
Two handles with a cable strung between. These simple parts, together, create the sport known as jump rope — which some may simply see as a playground activity, but is much more to performance groups across Utah.
The teams who make up Utah’s jump rope community apply fast-paced jumping to upbeat music, with a mixture of acrobatics, dance and teamwork. Their goal is to introduce the sport and grow the love for it.
“I just love the sport of jump rope and how it promotes creativity, teamwork and athleticism,” said Carly Anderson, 17, a member of the UpLift Jump Rope team. “I just love working hard at it.”
Evolving from the playground, jump rope has established a reputation as a legitimate sport. Since the first organized competitions began in 1973, the sport’s growth and development led to the creation of the International Jump Rope Union. The IJRU and the American Jump Rope Federation present teams and athletes with a stage, allowing them to showcase their talents and vie for the top spot on the podium.
Rachel Field, head coach and founder of UpLift Jump Rope, said Salt Lake City hosted the American championships in 2024. Field said her team attended, “and that was the first time that we had competed at that high level.”
In between events, teams put on performances to grow the sport. Taking the stage at halftime shows, school assemblies and other events, athletes showcase their talents, in a mix of individual and team stunts, performing acrobatics while jumping in sync to upbeat music.
Jono Jenkins, a University of Utah senior and casual jump roper, witnessed one of these performances while working at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
“A lot of the tricks look flashy and cool,” Jenkins said. “You are whipping around this jump rope at high speeds, making noises, which looks cool.”
(Rachel Field) Performers with UpLift Jump Rope — from left: Aleah Hales, 13; Eliza Hales, 15; and Cheyenne Crabtree, 15 — complete an acrobatic double Dutch move.
The team Just Jumpin’ created the foundation for Utah’s jump rope scene when it launched in 2003. Today, the team is nationally ranked, with a premier team of 16 jumpers. Proficient and enthusiastic, Just Jumpin’s competitive team travels across Utah, performing and teaching jump rope.
Kathryn Ozmun, the head coach of Just Jumpin,’ has been a part of the program since its origins as an after-school club.
“I moved to a new school when I was 10, and it happened to have an after-school program where they jumped,” Ozmun said. “I started going, and I just loved it, and I begged the teacher, ‘We need a team, we’ve got to have a team.’”
Choosing audience members to perform alongside them, Just Jumpin’ aims to get people of all ages active.
“It doesn’t really matter your age, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve done it, it doesn’t matter your body type or any of those things,” Ozmun added. “There is a place for everybody in jump rope.”
In 2018, UpLift Jump Rope expanded the scene, becoming Utah’s second official competitive team in the sport. UpLift was a project born out of Field’s love for the sport.
“I wanted to start a team so that it would bring us to our community and also be an option for my kids to participate in, if it was something that they wanted to,” said Field, who is also the organization’s head coach.
Community is an important part of jump rope, Field said, “because jump rope is such a small kind of niche sport.” In addition to the community connections teams make, those involved in the sport form tight bonds as teammates and coaches.
Some members stay on their teams for years, Field said, “so I’ve been able to be with some of these athletes for eight years and watch them grow up — not only in the sport, but grow up as people.”
It creates a sense of self for our jumpers,” Ozmun added. “Because it is so unique, we are kind of a little family.”
Anderson has been performing and competing with the UpLift team for five years. Sharing the stage with her fellow teammates, Anderson now considers them close friends.
“A lot of my teammates don’t go to the same school as me, but we spend so much time together,” Anderson said. “I spend more time with them than my friends at school.”
And, like any big family, there’s always room for more. Ozmun said workshops and classes are scheduled regularly for new jumpers.
The Just Jumpin’ workshop, Ozmun said, includes a jump rope and a ticket to an upcoming performance. Those who sign up will be taught a routine, and get to perform some of it with the teams. Information is available at Find out more online at UpLiftjumprope.com and JustJumpin.com.
“It is really just an intro,” Ozmun said, “if you’ve never jumped before, or if you’ve gotten a little experience and you want to do some more.”
This article was written by University of Utah student journalist Robbie Pearson for the Spring 2026 Voices of Utah capstone class. It is published by non-profit Amplify Utah to elevate perspectives in local media through emerging journalism.