Climbing coaching: a fun but challenging job

A professional coach is prepared for meetings, plans far ahead of where the athlete is today, is present for their athletes, is available, and treats their job with respect. A professional doesn’t show up to meetings—whether in person or virtual—late, unkempt, impaired, or distracted. Early is on time, and on time is late.

A professional doesn’t give out "bro discounts," provide special treatment to certain athletes, or dismiss any concerns an athlete brings to a session.



Professionals spend time learning, questioning their beliefs, and striving to improve. They are humble, grateful, and kind.

What we know now is not enough.



When new coaches join our team, they receive a list of recommended books, videos, and other resources that we have found useful. Our team meets monthly for additional education, and we read a couple of books a year as a group. Our coaches attend courses, take lessons, and continuously seek knowledge to improve. Our competitive advantage comes from learning together and always striving for growth.



If you have a bunch of letters after your name and believe you know everything about coaching climbers, this is not the team for you. We don’t care if you’re a doctor, a 20-year veteran, or a personal trainer. We care about whether you’re a good person, work well with others, and are willing to adapt.

Blind optimism is foolish, but negativity and blame help no one.



Instead of telling athletes what they’re doing wrong, we start with what’s right. Instead of focusing on external factors, we help our athletes concentrate on what they can control. We encourage gratitude for every session—whether good or bad—because each one shapes them into the climber they will ultimately become.

We don’t sit in coffee shops all day—we stand in gyms. We stretch, lift, ride bikes, and boulder. We experiment with new exercises and programs, actively working to improve in our sport.



We believe that every coach on our team must understand the struggle of being a climber. We train. We try different diet strategies. We test programs. If a coach on our team isn’t training themselves, they won’t be as effective as they could be.

Ownership means taking responsibility. Extreme ownership, a term coined by Jocko Willink, means taking responsibility for all outcomes.



If an athlete fails to complete their program, what was our role in their failure? If they fail due to fear, what could we have done differently? If they burn out from training, what did we do wrong?



It’s easy to create a hard training plan and blame the athlete when they struggle. Creating great training is difficult, and taking responsibility when it doesn’t work is what a great coach does.