I spend much of my time coaching large groups of school children. It is fantastic to be able to expose so many willing learners to the wonders of climbing. I am constantly encouraged as more self driven, talented individuals arrive at our training sessions. Southern Rock is fortunate to play an integral role in coaching three schools teams.
Thomas More College (high school) has for years been under the guidance of a well respected member of the climbing community, Gerald Camp. This school has produced some of the countries most formidable climbers including Benjamin and Rachelle de Charmoy, Dave Richardson and the up and coming Michael Van der Ham. Coaching TMC high school has been an interesting journey. It is fantastic to see climbers go from learning to tie a figure of eight knot to redpointing a difficult route in a few short years. With the help of an infallible self belief, these learners show what it takes to be a climber in the true sense of the word. Many of them have fantastic cliffs within five minutes of their houses. They seek climbing partners and are willing to do everything they can to get onto rock.
This year Thomas More has reintroduced their primary school to climbing. This has been a huge step in getting younger children into the sport. Coaching this team is incredibly refreshing. As climbing is such a natural movement at a young age, I am always astonished at how efficiently these youngsters move on the wall. In the years to come, I have no doubt that they will be the ones to push the limits of rock and competition climbing in South Africa.
The Durban Girls' High School team have a special place in my heart. It astounds me that these young ladies have so much passion. There is not a single DGHS climber that does not take the competitions a little too seriously. I am always reminded of where I came from, as a DGHS old girl. These young ladies come from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. They continue to show me their desire for mastery, striving for perfection in every training session and at every competition. I would love to see them joining Southern Rock for the monthly Outdoor Days where they can refine their technique and see that climbing is more than just competition. It is a lifestyle choice where results are only reflected in ones own improvement.
However great it is to be introduced to climbing through the school system, I continue to see the benefits that individual and small group coaching can have. The climbers that I worked with on this level show quicker improvement and a positive training ethic. The key element of individual coaching is that I have time to focus on the physical and mental requirements of each climber. For example, the climber that exhibits natural body positioning would not benefit from hours of repetitive drills in backstepping and drop knees, in the same way that many of the stronger climbers will not get much benefit from hours of campus training. I can tailor each session to encourage strengths and improve on weaker points of each climber. It is also useful to be able to see if a climber is having a good session and get to the route of why they are doing well on that day versus less successful days. Different personalities respond well to different approaches and in a large group it is difficult to appeal to everyone's learning preferences.
Southern Rock has a team of coaching staff for every level. Michael Van Der Ham who has an excellent approach to conditioning for climbing. He knows how to make you work harder than you ever thought possible. Jo Maré has experience in coaching gymnastics and is excellent at technical movement coaching. He is very good with the younger climbers and uses a gentle approach. I have been coaching climbing for almost 5 years. I have local and international competition climbing experience. The heart of my coaching is in preparing individuals to seek mastery. My coaching style changes constantly and varies between climbers and changes with their different stages of development. I love coaching everyone from beginners to elite level. I focus on the goals of the individual, whether that be rock specific, competition oriented or general fitness driven. I am passionate about encouraging mental and physical athletic growth.
For more information on small group and individual coaching sessions contact Southern Rock on 0317053842.
