The World Ninja League values the community’s interest in its policies. The following statement addresses recent concerns regarding the league’s exclusivity policy and invites the community to comment and share their opinions.
For over a decade, the World Ninja League has invested in the growth of the sport and supports all organizations working toward that shared goal. The organization’s current policies are similar to those of other sports organizations that have sought to prioritize and maintain consistency and brand quality, benefiting both athletes and spectators, while abiding by all rules and regulations regarding antitrust and anticompetitive laws.
The information provided in this statement is intended to foster an open dialogue and provide a platform for the league to receive feedback from the community. The organization is continually seeking ways to improve the sport for the betterment of the community and is receptive to suggestions on modifying existing policies. As always, the team values the community’s input and will dedicate the necessary time to ensure it is serving the community to the best of its ability.
The League recognizes the importance of encouraging innovation while also maintaining the standards and structure that the community expects and enjoys. As such, the exclusivity policy is designed to ensure that all gyms are committed to prioritizing athlete safety, while also providing a consistent competition experience. Over the past decade, the exclusivity policy has enabled the World Ninja League to do just that by protecting both the integrity of the WNL competition system and the contributions made by WNL’s partner gyms, athletes, and event organizers.
The WNL requires all affiliated gyms to adhere to rigorous standards before hosting a World Ninja League competition, ensuring the safety, well-being, and overall experience of the community. These required standards include mandated training courses, event and coach certification exams, compliance with a strict Code of Conduct system, and safety standards such as required background screening and SafeSport training to protect our community’s youth athletes.
The exclusivity policy serves as a framework that encourages gyms to prioritize athlete safety and uphold consistent standards. By agreeing to the policy, gyms commit to meeting key requirements before hosting World Ninja League qualifiers. This shared commitment helps ensure that all qualifying events meet a baseline of quality and safety, supporting a reliable and trusted competition environment across the sport.
The WNL’s 60-page Official Rulebook has been developed over the last ten years with community input. It includes comprehensive rules, standards, and instructions for hosting competitions and for handling various scenarios often encountered at ninja competitions. To support the complexity of hosting ninja competitions, the league has continued to develop extensive training materials to assist facilities.
The exclusivity policy upholds the rules and best practices established by the World Ninja League team and provides consistency across competitions. This consistency helps athletes, coaches, and families become more familiar and confident with the league’s rules, structures, and formats, and supports the introduction of new formats through repeated experiences.
The exclusivity policy has enabled the World Ninja League to openly share tools, resources, and operational knowledge with its network of partner facilities, such as scheduling systems, livestream documentation, and vendor recommendations. By protecting these types of shared contributions, the policy supports consistent improvement of local events, contributes to the growth of the sport, and creates more opportunities across the ninja community.
Throughout the past decade, other organizations have successfully grown alongside the World Ninja League. This healthy competition has encouraged all leagues, including the WNL, to continually raise their standards, enhance their offerings, and remain responsive to the needs of partner facilities and the community.
While the exclusivity policy maintains high standards, it also allows flexibility to support local events and non-competing activities. This flexibility has supported collaboration amongst state and regional leagues and opportunities to introduce new ideas that differentiate its model from that of the World Ninja League. The World Ninja League values these local partnerships and remains committed to ongoing dialogue to better support regional needs and challenges.
The World Ninja League remains committed to aligning itself with the best interests of the ninja community and would like to provide an opportunity for individuals to share their perspectives on the organization’s policy. The survey linked below has been created to help the World Ninja League board of directors and stakeholders hear the voices of the community and guide informed decisions on future policies. Please take a moment to share your experiences with the organization.
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