The Climbing Wall Association's blog is a place for indoor climbing professionals to find useful and relevant information from industry and business experts. Stay on top of best practices, thought leadership, and trends by subscribing to our newsletter!
As we read in Part 1, so much of what routesetters are responsible for impacts the experiences of competitive athletes training in the commercial gym space. Article At A Glance Writer: Andrew Carter Smith, Head Coach at Triangle Rock Club in North Carolina. He specializes in content... Continue Reading
Building a top-tier coaching team can be what makes or breaks a program. Creating cohesive staffing that supports one another, communicates well, and compliments each other’s skills is critical in any workplace. Within a climbing team, it can have massive impacts on the program and your... Continue Reading
Regardless of the industry, the company or the exact job title–middle management is a notoriously difficult and stressful job position to hold. No matter what, you are always in the middle. You are a supervisor, but also need supervision. People report to you, but you also report to people.... Continue Reading
While the latest industry trends suggest now is a good time to expand, there is a lot to consider before opening a new facility. Most notable—especially for smaller organizations—is how to maintain the culture we have developed with one gym at two, three, or five gyms. Article At... Continue Reading
Managing your marketing from a social media account is an easy, free way to advertise yourbusiness and there isn’t only one way to do it well. There are multiple avenues you can go down as a climbing gym to have a successful and engaging platform depending on your available resources. While... Continue Reading
Eating disorders and RED-S have been hot topics in the climbing world in recent years, and particularly in competition climbing of late. In just the past year, two members of the IFSC Medical Commission resigned from their positions, climbers voiced their desire for more extensive athlete... Continue Reading
Sponsored Content Brought to you by Warrior's Way. The most challenging moment for climbing coaches is when their athletes are shut down, unwilling, or unable to engage in an activity the coach thought was appropriate. The youth athlete that boulders V9 and has only redpointed 5.11c. The thought... Continue Reading
For many gyms, the busiest hours are weekday evenings, likely when the bulk of adult and youth programming occurs. A dedicated programming space, or programming-focused space, is vital to successful programming and the interactions between the average member and your programming during busy... Continue Reading
“Well, it is that time of year again . . .” . . . is how I was going to start this article about how to implement new ideas into your gym. I am writing this in January, 2024, deep in the New-Year-Resolution-Boom (NYRB) of gym usage. You are likely reading this near the end of Q1,... Continue Reading
When it comes to working with local climbing organizations (LCO’s), often the first thing that comes to mind are organizations that primarily focus on access to the outdoors. However, there are LCO’s out there who are working toward expanding the indoor climbing community.... Continue Reading
I am going to start by expressing a potentially contentious opinion: I love The Catcher in the Rye. While not everyone familiar with the novel may have enjoyed it, the story always resonated with me: a coming-of-age tale where the protagonist struggles with his perceptions of adulthood,... Continue Reading
Staff and members alike often share a common complaint: too many children. While striking a balance between child-focused offerings and your adult population is challenging, with intention it can be executed beautifully. Article At A Glance Writer: Tuesday 'Kirby' Kahl,... Continue Reading
