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!
Photo Courtesy of Keystone Climbing Consultants A retail shop contains several hidden benefits for your customers, employees, and your gym as a whole. Sure, the shop’s main objective is to make sales to turn a profit, ultimately adding to the overall value of your business. But a retail shop... Continue Reading
When planning a climbing season, climbing camp session, or any type of climbing program, the first thing to consider is desired outcomes. In other words, what are the goals you as the coach would like to see your participants reach? By identifying outcomes at the beginning stages of planning, a... Continue Reading
Photo by Kyle Somers/The Crag The first time I participated in a climbing competition was an absolute disaster. It was a citizen's comp at my local gym. I was 20, fairly new to climbing, and I showed up alone. I competed for less than an hour and was so disheartened that I threw my scorecard in... Continue Reading
Have you ever gone to a movie theater that doesn’t serve popcorn? I haven’t. The movie ticket is only $14, but then the popcorn is $6, and I’m going to need a Coke to wash that down, so that’s another $3. It’s a classic story of add-ons. Although I ended up... Continue Reading
2020 will forever be seared into our collective memory as the year COVID-19 ravaged the country and the world. Yet, when most businesses were bunkering down to ride out the storm, Oso Climbing Gyms took a gamble and opened its doors for the first time last May. Located in Dallas's Design... Continue Reading
The Climbing Wall Association is thrilled to welcome our new Executive Director, Paula Horwitz, to our team. Paula joins the CWA team with an extensive background in executive leadership of non-profit and membership-driven organizations, particularly in niche, passion-driven industries. "I am... Continue Reading
Photo by Irene Yee This installation of Projecting Anti-Racism is a case study of the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) and its implementation of affinity programming. As more folks challenge the outdoor industry to be intentionally anti-oppressive, the work goes beyond inclusion to... Continue Reading
In part one of this series, we examined behavioral management and different types of disruptive behavior. We’re continuing to expand on this while providing tactics for effectively handling these issues and proactively using empathy as a coach. While addressing challenging behaviors, it is... Continue Reading
Congress added another $1.9 trillion to assist with recovery from the pandemic with the passing of the American Rescue Plan earlier this month. But many climbing gym owners are wondering where the support is for their businesses. It’s still possible that another stimulus bill could be... Continue Reading
About a year ago, you were probably making some hard decisions. You were at least contemplating them, and the implications of what this new flu-like virus was going to do to your business, your family, and your community. Slowly, then painfully fast, the world changed, and we all came to realize... Continue Reading
Behavior management is a challenging skill to develop for coaches working with youth. It takes consistent practice and requires the coach to evolve along with their groups. Effective group management for youth teams includes a variety of tools that, when implemented appropriately, keeps the group... Continue Reading
The CWA is excited to open recruitment for the Industry Practices Committee! This group of industry professionals will help rewrite the current “Industry Practices: A Sourcebook for the Operations of Manufactured Climbing Walls.” Despite the immediate troubles of the COVID-19... Continue Reading
