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!
In the previous two articles, we explored how routesetters and coaches can collaborate to enhance athlete development and the overall gym experience. This final story will dive deeper into actionable steps both parties can take to foster a strong, ongoing partnership, addressing the final hurdles... Continue Reading
Professional development is key in maintaining and attracting quality talent in any workplace. Many small indoor climbing gyms may struggle with integrating this into budgeting and schedules. This can even occur with larger gyms, too. One of the struggles in our industry is that with its rapid... Continue Reading
Turnover rates in any service industry are relatively high. One saving grace for indoor climbing gyms is that your employees are likely passionate individuals who truly care about climbing and want to make a positive impact. However, this also means staff may tolerate working conditions that are... Continue Reading
Rock climbing is what brings our indoor climbing gym communities together, and for good reason. Climbing is fun, challenging, fosters social interactions, trust building, healthy competition, and fitness. The sport’s popularity is snowballing in large part because of the inherently... Continue Reading
Like any good event, the CWA Summit is dynamic. It changes from year to year in small but meaningful ways based on the feedback received from our community. As a member-based non-profit, this is your event. Because of this, the CWA works hard to meet the differing needs of all our members across... Continue Reading
Climbing facilities face various challenges, from consistent operations that keep up with industry trends to finding new ways to engage members. You may not realize that the CWA has a network of committees working behind the scenes to address the issues you deal with daily. These committees are... Continue Reading
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
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
