REC (RECREATION) TEAM
The REC Team is our introductory-level climbing team at ASCEND. The focus of this level is to learn the language, geometry, and technique of climbing. Our coaches will facilitate an exploration of the sport and work with our climbers to grow a sense of curiosity and excitement for climbing. We will explore the basics of climbing, community, and mentality through 1.5 hr structured climbing sessions run by our crack coaching team. We value the climbing community just as much as the sport itself at ASCEND and our coaches hope to foster a similar sense of community and camaraderie to our youth climbers. This means that along with learning the basics of climbing, we will also focus on team-building skills, and group dynamics. We climbers love to support each other when sending our projects! Our goal with the REC Team is to provide a base from which our climbers can progress into our next level: the INT Team.
Prerequisites: In order to join the REC Team, we ask that our athletes have participated in either an ASCEND Summer Camp, Youth 101, or Family 101. Check out our Youth + Family Introductory Classes.
Minimum Age Requirement: 6 years old
INT (INTERMEDIATE) TEAM
Our INT Team will continue with the topics covered on the REC Team, as well as an introduction to the next set of higher level concepts around climbing and community. The INT Team is also the team where our climbers can explore what it means to them to be a climber. The INT Team is the “bridge” team of youth climbing at Ascend. Climbers on the INT Team are encouraged to try all aspects of climbing, including outdoor climbing and competitions. Our INT Team climbers must have a strong base in the physical and mental aspects of climbing on a team. They must also demonstrate the necessary level of commitment required to progress in this more goal-oriented environment. On this team, climbers will work with coaches to determine specific, attainable goals for each season. Our coaches will then work directly with each climber to achieve those goals.
Along with the technical aspects of climbing, we will continue to foster and grow the supportive community of the A-Team. On our INT Team, we will work with our climbers to help create “good sending energy” for themselves and everyone else on the team. This will be facilitated by careful monitoring of our climbers by the coaching staff, ensuring that our training groups are appropriately organized by age, ability, and level of commitment. We will ask more of our INT Team climbers in terms of finding intrinsic motivation and ownership of their participation in the climbing team. This ownership over one’s growth and development we hope fosters a lifelong love of climbing and the community surrounding it.
Prerequisites: In order to join the INT Team, we ask that our athletes have participated in at least 1 season on the REC Team.
Minimum Age Requirement: 8 years old
ADV (ADVANCED) TEAM
The ADV Team is dedicated to our youth climbers who are interested in training hard and improving their climbing skills, but are not interested in the competitive side of climbing. While the commitment level is slightly lower than that of the COMP Team with practice sessions remaining at 2 hours per session, there is still an expectation that members of the ADV Team are excited by the idea of training and working hard on their climbing. We generally recommend at least 2 sessions/week for our ADV Team climbers and encourage them to climb on their own outside of practice as well. In addition to the climbing focus of the ADV Team, our coaching team will work with the team to begin to explore the broader climbing community on their own time outside of the team structure. We believe in providing our youth climbers with a platform to have a lifelong sport to pursue no matter where they end up in life.
Prerequisites: In order to join the ADV Team it is by invite of the A-Team coaching staff. For any additional questions, comments, or to express interest in more information please reach out directly to [email protected].
Minimum Age Requirement: 10 years old
COMP (COMPETITION) TEAM
The COMP Team is heavily focused on training for and competing in the USA Climbing (USAC) Youth Series throughout the year. This team requires the highest level of commitment to attending team practices and competitions throughout the season. This includes three 3 hour climbing sessions each week, and a commitment to attend enough competitions to qualify for regional rankings. The COMP Team will roughly follow the same A-Team season schedule; with specialized training for those athletes competing in Divisional and/or National level USAC competitive events. As such this team is only open to athletes who have demonstrated the highest level of commitment to climbing and training and have been invited by the COMP Team coaching staff. Along with higher levels of climbing training, there will be more emphasis on pushing limits and practicing mental resilience strategies that support competition at the highest level.
A commitment to the COMP Team is a commitment to intensive training on a consistent basis. We want our COMP Team climbers to make that commitment to repeated intensive training. In order to facilitate this, we ask that climbing takes a front and center role in terms of after school activities. We recognize that many kids participate in a variety of after school activities; however in order to be a COMP Team member we ask that the commitment to climbing over the course of each season takes a prominent role in the lives of each climber.
Prerequisites: In order to join the COMP Team it is by invite of the A-Team coaching staff at Ascend or qualification for the USAC Regional Finals during the previous competitive season.
Please email [email protected] for additional information and for Registration Instructions.