Coaching

So this year I was the coach of Central Rock Gym's Team Ascension. It was my first year coaching and it has been such a great experience. As our team practices come to a close with Divisionals this weekend, I'd just like to take a moment as reflect on what a great experience this really has been.

During the summer of 2010, I worked incredibly hard to prove that I was qualified for this job. Yes, I am young and yes, I had never coached before. But, I knew the kids and I knew that I was mature enough to do the job right. When we first started the team in September of 2010, I was expecting there to be only about 12 kids....we had 36 kids show up to practice on out first day. Now, I don't know if the right thing was to be nervous at that moment (as I was the only coach at the time), but I was so f***ing psyched!

Jumping right into bouldering season with the kids was a really great time. I learned so much as a coach, climber, and person. I learned how to decipher routes and problems fast so that I could help the kids with beta. I also learned the right way to do moves and the wrong way to do moves, just by watching 36 different body types try the same problems. I never realized how beneficial the problem solving aspect of climbing was until I had this technique under my belt. Now when I compete I can decipher routes in less than 30 seconds, where a year ago it would take me a couple of minutes.

I realized just how great coaching was when I competed in the first of the Dark Horse Series in November 2010. My perspective on competing had completely changed. Since I promoted greatness while coaching, I had to be great not for me, but for them. I was to be professional about competing for them. I was to put on a show as a climber for them and the rest of the crowd. As a competitor, I realized that I was meant to inspire more than climbing as a personally fun sport.

As great as competing is and as much as coaching has helped me with it, nothing will ever come close to the feeling of seeing the climbing team kids reach their goals. I think that I get more excited than them! After coaching someone and watching someone for so long, it just feels amazing when they complete this great feat. It just feels so rewarding when you see hard work paying off. It is very inspiring.

Being able to be immersed in climbing as I am now is really a breathtaking experience. As I would eventually like to meet my own professional climbing goals, there will always be another passion of mine and that is coaching. Nothing will ever live up to how much fun coaching is, and I am so happy to say that I will be coaching Team Ascension next year as well. Ultimately, I am getting my degree in exercise science while coaching at Central Rock Gym so that I have the opportunity to help others reach their goals as I have.

Team Ascension, I'd like to thank you for a wonderful year and I am excited for the years to come! You all have changed my life so completely and I don't ever want to go back. You've inspired me to take climbing to the next level and help others complete their goals. Don't ever forget how great you all are!