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!
The 2022 CWA Summit starts on May 18, 2022 – which means it’s officially less than three months away. To help you prepare to join us in Salt Lake City, we’re excited to highlight another conference session. In both the Coaching & Training and Program Management tracks,... Continue Reading
Like with any job, performance evaluations are a valuable tool. Assessing how a routesetter is progressing and what they need to work on serves as an opportunity to provide feedback on how the overall routesetting program is running. There are several ways to conduct an evaluation depending on... Continue Reading
USA Climbing Olympic athlete Kyra Condie competing at the IFSC World Cup semi-final bouldering event in Salt Lake City, Utah in May 2022. Photos: Jake Byk/CWA Only a handful of years ago, competing in the Olympics seemed like an unrealistic dream for young climbers. Yet, last year in Tokyo, U.S.... Continue Reading
Brick and mortar businesses like ours only have so much they can grow – a space to house what we offer, a space to house those that make or deliver what we offer, and after that...no more. That’s why it's important to consider scaling: growing beyond the single location and duplicate... Continue Reading
Mike Meyers, 47, at The Crag Nashville. Photo by Kyle Somers. Think all the way back to the ’90s when Spandex was neon, and everything was rad…or is that now? Chris Sharma and Lynn Hill were shining a spotlight on the sport, gyms were starting to pop up, and climbing was becoming... Continue Reading
Photo taken at The Front Climbing Club Many of us underestimate the impact we have on each other. As coaches and instructors, it's important to consider our role as leaders in our climbing communities. We get to influence the next generation’s perspective in climbing and in life – but... Continue Reading
Photo provided by Hailey Caissie Parents have spent more time with their children the past year homeschooling, overseeing dining room Zoom, and more. As we open our doors and rebuild our communities, it’s important to focus on parents who are coming in and engaging with children most... Continue Reading
Image provided by Caroline Treadway “But don’t you feel lighter?” I overheard this at my local climbing gym the night after interviewing Caroline Treadway, the documentarian who recently released her breakout film, LIGHT, about eating disorders in climbing. I’ve been... Continue Reading
It’s hard to believe we have been staying home, wearing masks, and social distancing for a year. As vaccines roll out, many of us may feel like we’re coming around the corner with the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, it is essential to remember that the pandemic’s effect on mental... Continue Reading
In our previous discussion about the long term athlete development model, we reviewed the history that led to the creation of the program. The goal of the LTAD model is to ensure the quality of sport and physical activity, and to keep athletes and/or participants engaged in sports and recreation... Continue Reading
The pandemic was a shock to the climbing industry. In addition to other disruptions to daily life, gym closures have been devastating to the entire industry. It’s clear that the path forward cannot be the same one previously taken. A new path forward has to be forged. The Climbing Wall... Continue Reading
With the Olympics now hosting climbing as a competitive sport, many young climbers have far greater dreams than those who came before them. Now youth can dream of podiums, medals, and national flags. Social media is bringing the best of the best front and center on our Instagram and Facebook... Continue Reading
