This past September, I (Daniel) accepted the opportunity to coach the Newfoundland Junior Climbing Team. Head coach - Sarah Spurrell - is a close friend and we both passionately nerd out about climbing training and coaching. We train 16 psyched kids from ages 11 to 18 who practice two to three times a week for 3 hours. Of the many lessons I've learned in the past 4 months, I believe there are three important differences between training oneself and coaching other climbers. To be effective at self-training, one should 1) possess some knowledge about training and technique, 2) learn to listen to signals coming from the body, and 3) implement a consistent training plan. To be an effective coach, one should 1) possess a tremendous amount of knowledge about training and technique, 2) learn to teach athletes how to listen to signals from their own body, and 3) implement a coaching plan that is entirely flexible for the athletes. So, before starting my new role as coach, I scoured the internet for books about climbing technique. I wanted a book with 1) a thorough breakdown of climbing technique, and 2) a plethora of drills. Among the limited number of climbing technique books in publication, "Rock Climbing Technique" stood out because I thought John Kettle was convincing and knowledgeable on the Training Beta Podcast and the posts on his Facebook Page are thoughtful and interesting for climbers and climbing coaches alike. $25 CAD on Amazon
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