Sport & Age Group:​ Climbing, Beginner or first time climbers, ages 12 and up

Coaches:​ Tyler Gadigian

Date/Time​: Wednesday, February 20th, 2019. 11:15-12:45 (90 minutes)
Location: ​UNCO Campus Rec Center Climbing Wall
Season​: Pre-season, practice #2
Objective​: reinforce safety practices, teach effective footwork technique, and have opportunity
to practice that footwork in a fun setting. Climbing time and volume are kept low to avoid
exhaustion early in the season, which is especially important for newer climbers
Groups: ​3 groups of 3 if 9 total, or 2 groups of 3 and one of 2 if only 8. Let them choose their
own partners, but emphasize that they should try to minimize size mismatches.
Equipment:
- Climbing shoes
- UNCO CRC climbing wall set boulders
- CRC crash pads
Coach Instructions: ​make sure safety standards are maintained at all times, be available to help
with any climber questions, and give a “last attempt” call 1 minute before switching activities.

11:15-11:25 (10) Warm-up and shoes:

Objective: ​prepare the bodies for climbing, reduce the risk for
injury
● Coach Roles: ​Tyler will lead stretching, Keanna will help
demonstrate and correct form. Keanna will also distribute
climbing shoes as people show up.
Dynamic stretching (use cue of “good posture” to
reinforce safe positioning). The goal is to maintain
blood flow and begin mobilizing necessary ranges of
motion.
○ 20 Jumping Jacks
○ Upper Body
■ 10 I-swings
■ 10 T-swings
■ Arm circles 10 forward 10 back
○ Lower Body
■ 10 Frankensteins
■ 10 Butt kicks
■ 10 side lunges
○ Forearms
■ Wrist rolls (10 each direction)
■ Hand pulls w/ thumb (10 sec each hand x2)
■ Hand pumps (10 out, up, down x2)

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11:25-11:30 (5) Safe Landing (Teaching)
Objective: ​Teach safe landing technique to avoid injury. This
is necessary at this skill level and at this point in the season,a s
newer climbers are often unaware of how to fall safely.
● Stay away from wall
○ Do not lean in to the wall as you fall, keep some
distance by pushing away slightly
● Land with both feet on the pad
○ Try to land with both feet squarely on the pad
○ Landing with 1 foot off creates risk for ankle
injury
○ Don't roll ankles out
● Squat down, lean back
○ Do not land stiff legged, let your knees bend
○ Lean back as you land, not in towards the wall
● Roll to butt if necessary
○ If you are dropping from too high to stay on your feet, let yourself fall to your butt
and roll to your back
○ If you roll forward, you will hit your head on the wall!
● do not put arms back to stop a fall!
○ Possibility of breaking an elbow

11:30-11:40 (10) Traverse (warm up drill)

Objective: ​Climbing specific warm up, getting the fingers
going. This is
● Starting on one side of the wall, climb sideways trying
to go the full distance to the other side without falling.
● Do no climb higher than feet at standing waist height
(~3ft)
● If you fall, get right back on where you fell, or one
move further if necessary
● Do not start until the person in front of you has the
second panel divider
■ Keanna and Tyler will make sure pads
are properly placed and landing areas are
safe, and will be spotting people on high
risk areas
■ People waiting are free to get water or do any other warm up they feel
they need

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11:40-11:45 (5) Footwork (Teaching)
Objective: ​Teach effective footwork technique basics. This is
important because it is the basis for effective climbing and
technical ability.
● Just the tips, rotate the hips
○ Using only the tip of the foot on the hold
○ Placing the foot perpendicular to the wall, then
rotating as needed for directional control
■ Climbing is 3 dimensional, not just up
and down or left and right
○ Show how using the side of the foot blocks
rotation
● Smooth landing (**Quiet feet**)
○ Approach the holds quickly, but slow down for
the landing. Don't stub your toes!
○ Cues​: plane coming in for a smooth landing, “ninja” feet
● No kickstarting
○ Only place your foot on the hold, don't kick the wall and slide down
○ If done incorrectly, it is like you are kickstarting a motorcycle
○ Emphasize the accuracy and inefficiency of kickstarting
○ To combat,​ Watch it land,​ then engage to move
11:45-11:55 (10) Silent Traverse (drill)
Objective:​ Practice new footwork techniques and continue to warm
up
● Traverse again, this time focusing on using quiet feet and
proper placement as just explained. For added challenge, try
not crossing hands or feet.
● Re-emphasize cues as people go
● Tyler and Keanna are still in charge of pad placement and
spotting at this point
11:55-12:00 (5) Spotting (Teaching)
Objective: ​Teach effective spotting techniques for safety of climbers
This is necessary at this skill level and at this point in the season, as
newer climbers are often unaware of how to effectively keep one
another safe.
● Not Catching!
○ The spotter is there to provide a safe landing, not stop
a landing
○ Protect the head and neck!
○ Protect yourself while spotting
■ Don't stand too close or too far
■ Thumbs tucked in (​Cue: ​Spoons not forks!)
● Spotters responsibilities
○ Providing a safe landing zone
■ Clear of objects and people

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 ■ Not letting anyone walk under the climber
■ Making sure landing zone is clear before and during a climbers attempt
○ Giving someone the fall you would want to take
■ You would want the safest, cleanest, best possible fall, so provide that for
your teammates
■ Pay attention!!!
○ Proper pad placement
■ Climbers move, so pads should too!
■ Pad should stay under the climber
■ Move the pad to where the climber is ​most likely to fall
■ No gaps between pads (no death gaps!)
12:00-12:20 (20) Finding Max grade (Climbing time)
Objective: ​Provide time for climbing, exploring limits, and
practicing footwork, spotting, and and safe falling.
● Break into 3 groups of 3 if 9 total, or 2 groups of 3
and one of 2 if only 8
○ Let them choose their own partners, but
emphasize that they should try to minimize
size mismatches for effective spotting.
● Starting with easiest climbs, try progressively harder
boulder problems until you cannot complete one.
○ Try that climb 3 times before moving on to
the next one
● Keep track of what climbs you complete!
● This is a full 20 minutes of time to explore and try
new climbs, use the time to your advantage!
● Re-emphasize footwork cues! This is a time to
reinforce good habits
● One person is climbing, one person is spotting!
○ Groups not spotting each other will get one warning before they have to sit out for
safety reasons.
● If you are struggling, ask a coach for help. Get water as needed if you are not climbing or
spotting.
12:20-12:30 (10) Take away HORSE-type game (fun climbing
competition)
Objective: ​Get climbers to think critically about their climbing through a
competitive game
● Each group pick a climb that all members could complete
● First climbers decides on one hold to take away that they will not use
to complete the climb
● Second climber takes another hold away in addition to the first
climbers hold, and completes the climb.
● If a climber takes away a hold and cannot complete the climb on their turn, they get a
strike and the next person goes. Three strikes, you’re out

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 ● Continue in this pattern until no one in the group can complete the climb. The last person
to complete the climb before it becomes too hard is the winner of the group.
○ Time Permitting: h​ ave the winners from each group face off
12:30-12:40 (10) Cool Down Stretch
Objective: ​Lower heart rate and rest climbing specific muscle groups while increasing lower
body flexibility
Front split progression ​(Left leg forward, the repeat right leg)
● Forward lunge
○ Place left foot forward with knee stacked over heel. Keep the back leg straight
and knee off the ground. Maintain good back posture and broad chest. Start with
hands on forward knee and try to raise arms overhead. Try to create a straight line
from the bottom of the front knee to the back ankle.
● Elbows to ground
○ Keeping proper posture and knee over heel, place palms to ground on the inside
of the front foot. Slowly lower down, trying to get elbows to the ground. The back
knee should still be straight and off the ground. Keep the back as straight as
possible.
● Back leg quad stretch
○ Let the back knee drop to the ground. Plant the hand opposite of the forward foot
(left foot, right hand), reach back with the non-planted hand and grab the foot of
the back leg. Try to pull the heel to the butt. Do not bend at the hip flexor.
● Front leg hamstring stretch
○ Release the back leg, sit up straight, and straighten the front leg. Flex the front leg
toward you, and straighten your back. Take a deep breath, and exhale as you try to
extend your chin to your toes. Keep the back straight!
● Slide down into split
○ Slide down as low as you can into a split. Keep the back leg turned down (knee
toward the ground, not externally rotated). Hold and take deep breaths for 15-30
seconds. Release and shake out the front leg.
● Pigeon pose
○ Plant the hands shoulder width apart, place the left heel to the right wrist and the
left knee to the left wrist. Try to extend the back heel as far back as you can,
trying to touch the left hip/butt to the ground.
● Repeat full routine on the opposite side
● Next practice will be middle split progression, and then overhead mobility. The cycle
then repeats itself.

12:40-12:45 (5) Re-cap

● Safe falling cues
● Spotting cues
● Footwork cues
● Questions
● Thank Assistant Coach
● What to expect next practice