Why People Hire Climbing Coaches
Supercharging Progress
My mom didn’t keep too close an eye on my career. She seemed to think I was some sort of climbing guide or that I taught “climbing safety.” As much as I might have told her that I worked to help people get better at the performance end of the sport, she didn’t quite get it. To her, either you knew how to climb or you didn't. Once you knew how, you were all set.
My mom represents of much of the population, and this is indicative of the climbing gym industry as a whole. Too often, gyms hire anyone who will take the job of team coach, and occasionally, they’ll let someone with some letters behind her name do some personal training in the weight room upstairs..
All this is to say that the gym industry is missing out on both a revenue stream and an opportunity to enhance member success, and thus retention. Coaching for sport is a billion-plus dollar industry, and our sport is just starting to learn that. In our gym, over half our revenue comes from coaching, which is about 5x the national standard. Imagine a Movement gym doubling their revenue by simply adding better services…and reducing the need to just fill the gym with as many people as possible, just to break even.
Climbing coaches (and good strength coaches) can make a world of difference in a person’s gym experience.
So what does a climbing coach do? Why in the world would a person going out to climb rocks in the sun, or even trying to redpoint a line of plastic blobs on overhanging plywood need coaching?
Coaches coach. They are professionals. They are not expert climbers who occasionally give advice based on what they, themselves did in their last workout. A professional coach understands an athlete’s training and health history. They know how to modify exercises to train around injury. They take an outside look at the athlete’s practice and performance habits, and try to help them correct errors.
A coach helps a climber “keep the goal the goal.” Coaches are less emotional about training than their athletes are. They are not impulsive, and don’t change programs continually based on the last podcast they heard or because they saw someone doing a new exercise in the gym. They understand how long effective programs must last, and build expectations around them.
They help with smart exercise selection and scheduling. Many of us just have one exercise for “pulling strength,” one hangboard workout, and one way of scheduling. Chances are, the plan we fell into is not the optimal plan. An outside set of eyes can help us determine better cycles of work and rest, and alternative exercises that can help us move our climbing forward.
They can help with perspective. Why aren’t things going exactly according to plan? What other factors might be playing into my performance? A coach can offer not only advice but a sounding board to work through issues in the gym.
A coach can show us when to hold back and when to go hard. Most of us train “medium.” We go into the gym each time and train until our skin is shot or our muscles give out. We rest a day, then go back in and do it again. Some days in the gym should be easier, some even harder. A coach can help us sort out when it is time to go harder, and when we’ll get better by going easier.
It’s an investment. Just like saving money for the future, hiring a coach can help you avoid injuries and stay strong for a long and productive career. The number of times I hear people say something like, “I’d give anything to climb ______,” always surprises me…especially when they don’t even do the simplest things. Investing in the structure and education you get from a coach, not to mention the actual coaching, is putting money in the bank for your climbing future. If a lighter rope and more expensive shoes didn’t do the trick, perhaps having someone else look at your climbing practice will.
When it comes time to level up, we usually don’t have the resources within ourselves. The fastest way forward is not through purchasing stuff, nor is it usually just doing more of what we are trying. Our best investment is in getting help from someone who knows how to help us.