VRG Climbing Teams

There is no application process for current athletes. 

 Practices for current athletes will begin during the first full week of January:

• Comp Team: Monday, January 6th
• Rec Team: Tuesday, January 7th

Attend trial week of practice. 

For the Spring season, instead of hosting an all-Team clinic, we will offer athletes the opportunity to participate in a trial week of practice with their desired team. This trial week will serve as a period for both the athletes and coaches to determine if the team is the right fit.  During this time, athletes will still be assessed on the same criteria as in the team clinic (see assessment details below) 

Fill out athlete questionnaire  (please send to johanna@valleyrockgym.com by THUR JAN 2ND)

1. Applicant Name & Age 
2. How long have you been climbing for?
3. What do you love about climbing?
4. Why do you want to join one of the VRG Climbing Teams? 
5. What team do you want to join?
6. What are some of your short term goals? (1-6 months)
7. What are some of your long term goals? (6 month - years)
8. What do you consider your strengths as a climber? What is something you'd like to improve on?
9. What do you currently do for your personal climbing practice (i.e. warm up, workout, stretching)? How many days do you currently practice a week?
10. Have you ever been on a team before? What does being on a team mean to you? What role(s) did you play on the team?
11. What other sports, practices or exercises do you engage in? What is your commitment level to those other sports, and will they conflict with your commitment to the climbing team? If so, when in the year and what days of the week?
12. Is there anything else you'd like to share about your climbing, training, or life? 

Fill out 3rd party questionnaire from teacher, coach, or instructor (please send to johanna@valleyrockgym.com by THUR JAN 2ND)

1. Name and email address
2. What is your relationship to the individual and how long have you known them?
3. What is their learning style?
4. What areas does this individual excel in? What areas do they struggle in?
5. Please give us three positive characteristics about this individual.
6. How do they work with their peers? 
7. How do they handle conflict, stress, and feedback? 
8. Is there anything else we should know about your experience with this individual? Do you foresee any challenges that this individual could have on a team?
9. Optional: Anything to add!?

 When: First week of Practice

• Comp Team: January 6th, 8th and 10th 4-6:30pm
• Rec Team: January 7th and 9th 4pm-6pm

Where: 

• Valley Rock Gym, meet in the lobby area 10-15 minutes before practice starts

What to bring: 

• Water bottle & snack
• Comfortable athletic shoes and clothing
• Leave phones and electronics in a cubby!
• Climbing shoes (you can rent these if you do not have your own)
• Chalk bag 

For current athletes wishing to remain on their respective teams, regular team dues will be charged on the first day of practice.

New athletes or those transitioning between teams will pay a fee for the Trial Week of Practice. Once team rosters are finalized, athletes who make the team will pay a prorated amount for the remainder of the month.

Cost for Trial Week:

• Recreational Team: $48
• Competitive Team: $60

 Mission:

Our aim in holding the VRG All Team Clinic is to bring all of our athletes and coaches together to engage our team community in a collective learning opportunity! In this, we hope to gain greater insight into the interests, capacities, and goals of our developing athletes, and dispel any preconceived notions of hierarchy in our team offerings. This clinic is an opportunity for athletes to connect with their peers and the broader team community, as well as an opportunity for coaches to connect with all of our athletes to promote greater colleagueship in the support and guidance of all of our young climbers. 

Environment:

For the VRG All Team Clinic, we will be requiring athletes to sign up for one session with a cap of 15 climbers per session.  All coaches will be present, offering us the opportunity to thoroughly observe and collectively assess our young athletes (see ‘Assessment’ for details).  The clinic will follow the model of a typical practice (i.e. Warm-up, Skill Instruction, Skill Practice, Projecting, and Workout) with each coach leading a segment. Each athlete will be meeting with our Youth Program Director for a brief informal interview to distill their goals, and share their experiences to date with climbing, climbing programs, and climbing teams.  

Assessment:

What we, as coaches, will be assessing in our climbers at the VRG All Team Clinic is as follows:

• Willingness to learn and receive feedback
• Self motivation/internal drive
• Genuine enjoyment of climbing
• Coachability
• Willingness to try, and accept any results
• Climbing etiquette
• Relationship to their teammates and coaches

By assessing the climbers in these areas, and referencing them with information given in the coach athlete interview, we aim to develop a detailed picture of the athlete, and by doing so collaborate as a coaching team to best serve our athletes in reaching their goals, enjoying their successes, and developing new goals.

Competition:

At the VRG All Team Clinic, it is our goal to steer clear of competition between athletes. The whole premise of a clinic vs. tryout is to avoid the anxiety that comes with being assessed based on performance alone. We believe that the healthiest form of competition for young athletes is one that is intrinsically motivated, and founded on the desire to improve for improvements sake. This said, once a healthy foundation for internal competition is formed, external expression of one's abilities can be rewarding, balanced, and healthy. At VRG, we are more interested in cultivating a lifelong love of climbing and developing the skill, dedication, and motivation that this sport asks of its participants.

 The VRG Comp. Team is a home for athletes who are internally driven towards competition with themselves, and aim to excel in the sport of climbing. As a team, our focus is on fostering a healthy drive to improve the skills the climber has already developed in climbing at a high level. By prioritizing climbing hard, resting with intention, sport specific training, cross training, and athlete nutrition, our coaching staff will support athletes in moving towards their potential as a climber, at competitions and for life. 

 The Comp. Team requires a high level of commitment that originates from the climber to push themselves during practice. Practices will be fast paced, strenuous, and ask athletes to embrace discomfort with the goal of learning how to effectively manage the stress of competition. Their commitment must extend beyond themselves, supporting their teammates and listening to their coaches observations and suggestions. Comp. Athletes must find joy in seeking their potential as a climber, and be driven to push past their comfort zone. This aims to help climbers progress in skill, fitness, and determination to succeed, whilst respecting personal boundaries and avoiding the potential for burn out. 

 The Comp. Team coaches will actively track athlete progress in the following aspects:

• Willingness to learn and receive feedback
• Self motivation/internal drive
• Genuine enjoyment of climbing
• Coachability
• Willingness to try, and accept any results
• Climbing etiquette
• Relationship to their teammates and coaches

 The VRG Comp. Team’s goal for competition is to foster healthy internal competitive drive and prepare athletes for external expression of this drive at local comps, and progressing to USAC comps when the climber is mentally and physically prepared for its rigors if desired. Comp. Team climbers must have the desire to compete in local comps at least in the future to join the Comp. Team.