I've recently been asked to put pen to paper listing what my ideal team program would look like..
I'm pretty sure a new gym or private training facility is out of the question.
I have a bunch of ideas but wanted to see what other coaches thought. Anyone have anything they would want for their team?
Ideal Team Program
(17 posts) (9 voices)-
Posted 1 year ago #
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i would love to run a team in Hawaii
Posted 1 year ago # -
I think one aspect of an ideal program is to have a thorough plan thought out and agreed upon prior to the season. This is regarding the trips, comps and outings more than the actual program content itself. Parents respect the fact that you have gone to great detail to plan trips, work in visits to othe gyms etc and scheduled the comps and compiled the waviers registrations etc. That is worth great value to your program as a whole and they'll pay for it because it's justifyable.
iPhone = no spell check!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Second the comment from Donovan. With everyone having chronically over-busy lifestyles, it gives parents a chance to plan for the season. They may not agree with the schedule but parents don't like surprises, especially when it comes to travel and travel costs.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Thanks for the responses. Tyson- I don't think they have a soccer team in HI....
Does anyone have any training tools/equipment they wished they had?
Certain program support form the gym?Posted 1 year ago # -
Well seen as you ask on routesetter forum; I would like it if the gym had at minimum one competition style route for each division up at all times. Therefore say every 3 weeks (or whatever the route setting rotation is) a new comp quality route goes up for my kids to train onsighting and then later on train redpointing techniques. This I would imagine to be very time consuming but seen as you ask for "ideal".
I would also recommend training tools such as 15^ 30^ and 45^ walls with different campus rungs, training holds , PVC pipes etc so that you can train power and endurance when necessary. A dumbed down version of a ben moon system would work well. I say dumbed down only because moons programs are for well advanced climbers (in my mind, not really for the rec climber becoming a team member).
Posted 1 year ago # -
Some really neat ideas so far.
I find that having a dedicated area for the team to meet is extremely valuable. The space needs to be big enough for the whole team to spread out for stretching and non-climbing work outs. A place that is relatively quite and away from the action of the rest of the gym that gives the team a "home." I'm not talking about the back corner where the kids show up and dump their bags. Lots of gyms have a birthday/meeting room that works great. The coaches and team can post training notes on the wall (week/monthly goals, upcoming comps and outings, etc.), and generally have a "space" that is their own.
You can incorporate a bit of a training center into the space by providing pull-up bars, campus ladders, hang boards, rings, free weights, and all the other tools you want to add.
Having such a space focuses the training, removes distraction, and provides a venue for all sorts of team activities.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Great ideas. I like having a comp route per category worked into the setting rotation. A separate room would be ideal if we had that option. It didn't take me long to figure out to have the kids facing away from the main climbing area while I was talking.
I'm thinking about asking for the ability to bring in outside instructors like a Pilates instructor or something... Anyone had success with something like this?
Posted 1 year ago # -
I would think a gymnastics coach might be of interest. You could probably get some great consulting out of them on rings training, isolation exercises and loads of core strength exercises.
Posted 1 year ago # -
"I would think a gymnastics coach might be of interest. You could probably get some great consulting out of them on rings training, isolation exercises and loads of core strength exercises."
I agree 100%. I have used gymnastics in practice before with great results. There is a higher emphasis on "correct" body position and "proper" technique in gymnastics. Sure, you can do a handstand...can you do a handstand without moving your legs AT ALL or keep your head perfectly aligned? The most basic training in gymnastics can cripple those of us who don't have the background.
Posted 1 year ago # -
can we move this to the coaches forum? seems to be appropriate.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Ideal coaching program
Youth dedicated facility.
Large fitness area with bodyweight exercises and tools.
Heartrate monitors linked to coaches computer for higher end kids when they are training
Closed to the public while training is going on.seamless crashpad system
varying wall angles encompassing 2500sq ft of surfaceM.rougeux.....look into low end UFC fighters. My neighbor was a fighter, he came in and did a special conditioning workout, and fighter training is extremely TOUGH and those boys are in incredible shape.
Posted 1 year ago # -
An ideal team program would be based on the goals of the team. If it is to do well in competition climbing, I would say the following: Train inside, outdoor climbing does not transfer unless you are a beginner with poor footwork. The focus of training needs to be on the most important skill, which is technique, and the most important muscle group, which is core. Volume training at 50-70% of your max level on bouldering problems is the key. This will improve your technique and core strength, which will allow you to complete harder problems in competition. Outside of very few youth competitors, and I mean 2 or 3 that I can think of, technique and route reading skills are not very good. Volume improves both of these. All the off the wall training is a waste of time, including any cardo training, in 99% of the youth athletes.
Keep it volume based, interval based, bouldering based, and fun....Keep it simple...
Posted 1 year ago # -
William, I am sorry but I disagree that all the "off the wall training" is a waste of time. I am not trying to pick a fight, but here is my opinion.
There is three goals as a coach.
1) protect your athletes bodies, from temporary and permanent injury
2) make sure they have fun
3) make them climb harder.They cannot have fun or climb harder if they are injured, and they will not climb harder if the program is not fun.
Antagonist muscle training, and postural training is so so so important to any training program. If your kids don't have balanced bodies they WILL get hurt.
William, volume training is amazing, its how we start every training program, with an endurance phase focused on building up base technique skills, route-reading skills but mostly to get the kids back into it. They are given time to try projects but are encouraged to get on as many routes as possible. But even in this stage once a week the kids do a 45 minute workout that includes rings, wrist curls, the Core Posture Progression, and a series of other exercises designed to balance there bodies, and during there second training night they do a 45 minute stretch routine.
The antagonist training and stretching time happens the whole way through the training program, wether its endurance, power or power endurance.
Too many coaches over work there kids, I am not saying you do and I am not here to ridicule those coaches. They have a training philosophy that they believe in and thats fine, but I'm not having my kids end up like a bunch of 1960's russian gymnasts who cant walk and don't start puberty until there 20
if you have any questions e-mail me! kaleb@wallnutsclimbing.com
Side-note: where is this coaching forum I'm kind of confused about all of that.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Would someone please say more about what "volume training" is?
Also, Kaleb, I'm not sure what you meant by "endurance phase focused on building up base technique skills". That sounds like two distinct things, endurance and technique.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Lachelt,
I really common thing to do at the beginning of a training program is general endurance. Have the kids climbing with a focus on volume (number of moves) not difficulty. This will give them a base level fitness that will allow them to progress to the harder phases (power & power-endurance).
Part of preparing them for these harder phases is making sure there technique is good, they are climbing with good posture and that they are breathing properly.
Since the climbing in the general endurance phase is around or below there on-sight level it allows them to focus on these things while still gaining general fitness.
The stage in there training is essentially preparation for the two harder stages.
At least thats the way out program is run. I would love to hear what other people are doing though!
Posted 1 year ago # -
I feel like all of the kids I have on the team benefit greatly from "off the wall" training. I can see where a complete beginner may want to focus on being on the wall and climbing as much as possible,as long as they have a "average" level of fitness, to develop the basic movements and foundation of climbing. Most of my team members are a bit beyond beginner and have a solid foundation of climbing skills to build off of. If I kept them on the wall cranking to their hearts content I would have injured and hunchbacked climbers. From everything I've read body weight exercise are good to go for youth athletes and I try to incorporate them into every session.
I start my team out in the beginning of the season focusing on hand strength, core strength, and finger strength. For most of the kids this is done by time on the wall as well as some grip specific training and of course their favorite- core exercises. I don't necessarily look at this as endurance but I'm picturing it to be somewhat similar as what Kaleb is talking about. I work power and then power endurance towards the end of their cycle as that tends to be what you lose the fastest.
I encourage my kids to get outside as much as possible. I think it pushes their technical ability as well as their mental game. Then again Smith is our backyard so it's all about the techie climbing.
My biggest challenge this year is the soft skills side of coaching: motivation, taking ownership, responsibility, etc.. I'm doing a more formal goal setting and ownership deal with them tonight that I've stolen from my wife who is a life coach... we'll see how they take to it.
Kaleb: I think the coaches forum can be found on the main page to the left under welcome to routesetter.com "And new to the Routesetter.com family is the recently added Coaches forum." Not sure of how else to gain that forum directly.
Posted 1 year ago #
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