Jumping Rope in Physical Education Settings Essay

This article by Susan B. Nye was written to educate all students that jumping rope is an activity that can be fun and enjoyable. The overall layout of this article I thought was well constructed. The article begins with background information about jumping rope and why it is important to incorporate jumping rope in the classroom as well as why it is considered a lifelong physical activity. Then the article shifts toward the basics of jump roping which is laid out in an easy to follow guideline. Moving on, the article shifts to the safety procedure that comes with jumping rope. Then lastly, the article shifts to more advanced jump roping activities that can be played that are fun for all students once each student has shown that they understand the basics and the Ready-Set-Jump protocol. The safety procedure that this article focuses on is described by Susan B. Nye in a three step process called the â€Å"Ready-Set-Jump† protocol. The author did a great job when writing this article so that either a public or private schools can understand and incorporate jumping rope into the classroom. The article states that jumping rope is an inexpensive way to engage students in a lifelong physical activity. After reading that I was shocked to believe that jumping rope was considered a lifelong physical activity. I also did not know that according to this article that depending on the students jumping pace, an individual can burn an estimated 11 calories per minute. Along with burning calories I did not realize that there are different various types of rope: beaded, speed & long handled ropes that were mentioned in this article. The beaded jump ropes are designed for beginning learners because they have a slower rotation rate. They are also better jump ropes for rougher surfaces. Speed jump ropes are inexpensive which can be fit into even the smallest school budgets. The benefits of the speed ropes are that they turn easier and can be easily adjusted to fit all students. The long handled jump ropes are great for beginning to perform tricks such as the criss-cross. The one aspect of the article I really did enjoy reading was the explanation of the safety procedures that are associated with jumping rope. The article describes the safety procedure for jumping rope as a â€Å"ready-set-jump† protocol. The goal of the â€Å"Ready-Set-Jump† is for students to utilize this protocol outside of class to remain safe and have fun. The ready stage in the safety protocol reminds students to fit their own jump rope and to correctly hold the jump rope. Holding the handle by your thumb and index finger is the proper way to hold the jump rope. Correctly measuring the jump rope is another key component to the safety protocol for jumping rope. I did not know this but there are three different measurements: standard, chest and lower rib cage when measuring for the correct jump rope length. The standard measurement is for the beginning learners; the shorter the rope the faster the revolutions per second. The second stage in the safety protocol is called â€Å"set†. In this stage students reinforce self space. The proper self space when jumping rope is two feet above your head, three feet on each side of your body and five feet in front and behind of the individual. The last stage of the safety protocol is simple it allows the students to know that it is time to jump rope and have fun. Jumping rope is considered being a high impact activity that requires coordination, balance and endurance. Jumping rope may be hard for younger students simply because it requires two skills: rope turning and jumping. The most effective way to implement jumping rope in your classroom is to teach it as a station or an instant activity but for short amounts of time no more than three to five minutes long. In conclusion, I totally agree with this article that if implemented properly in the classroom, jumping rope can be a high impact and inexpensive way to engage students in a lifelong physical activity. The author of this article did a great job with the overall organization of the information because it was in an easy to follow format for anyone to read. I can honestly say after reading this article I have a greater knowledge of how effective incorporating jumping rope can be in the classroom for all students.