Hi I'm Zac the Wall Sharks coordinator at Climb Fit.

When I was a young child, climbing wasn't  considered by parents as a viable option for after school sport, it was only seen as a fun recreational weekend filler. I was lucky I had a mum that saw the benefits of climbing and that I was able to start my climbing journey young.

Just over 10 years later, I'm now a climbing coach and I've been lucky enough to witness and reap all the physical, mental and social benefits climbing has to offer. Since I started as a 10 year old in kids club, climbing has changed from a hardcore enthusiast sport to a worldwide phenomenon featured in the Tokyo 2020 olympics. I hope that in the next 10 years climbing is just as popular as soccer, rugby and AFL.

Ball sports, like the ones mentioned above, are still the hallmark of most kids' after school routine. They offer a reliable set of skills and benefits that have been tried and tested for years. Climbing offers all the same benefits but goes the extra mile with a few unique propositions.

Below are 4 reasons why your child should give climbing a try as their next go-to after school sport.

Climbing as a form of exercise offers kids the 3 pillars of any good sport - and while ball sports offer some of these benefits, climbing delivers them in a fun and unique way.

• A climbing session is equivalent to a full body gym workout! Kids will build their strength to climb a 7+ metre wall, which is no easy feat.
• Climbing requires you to place yourself into an array of strange and exciting positions. Your child will be getting the equivalent benefits of a yoga class!
• A wall is like a moving puzzle for climbers which builds on the fly critical thinking and problem solving skills making your child a puzzle master.

A unique benefit of climbing is that it requires trust and commitment. These qualities are not taught but are gained through experience and are especially beneficial to young teens.

• When You climb you need to develop trust in your ability, trust in your body and trust in yourself. Many kids are just learning how to build this trust and climbing will help them on this journey.
• Commitment is another important aspect of climbing. Whether you need to commit to that big jumpy move, commit to putting your feet on tiny holds and commit to your unique way of climbing a route, climbing always requires you to make difficult but fun choices .
  
• The height factor also plays into the climbing mentality, teaching kids to face their fears and learn how to cope and push themselves in a safe environment is not something that all sports can offer. Coping with, learning from and conquering fear is a unique part of the climbing experience.

Climbing is a sport with discipline and commitment options, which means the sport can be flexible to your child's needs.

• Climbing can be a hobby, a form of exercise, casual or competitive sport. There are more local options for both casual and competitive competitions for youth climbers with chances to progress and compete against your peers. 
• Climbing comes in different flavours (disciplines), if your child likes short challenging puzzles they might like bouldering, if they like long endurance activities they might like lead climbing or if they love quick fire competition they might be more of a speed climber. 
• There are different styles of climbing, comp style which is more dynamic like parkour and old school which is more technical and representative of climbing outdoors. Whatever your child enjoys there is an option for them in the sport of climbing.

Life can be overwhelming for kids and teens. School, social lives and other factors can cause a lot of anxiety and stress. Climbing offers a safe space and a unique challenge to relieve issues outside the climbing gym.

• The fun and engaging challenge of climbing draws climbers into the moment forcing them to forget any troubles and focuses their mind on the task of completing a climb.
• The social factor of working with other climbers and competing in a friendly social way, creates a positive environment for kids to feel included and valued.
• Climbing offers kids the freedom to choose and challenge themselves creating a sense of self accomplishment and ownership over their progression and development in the sport.

If you want your child to experience the fun and challenging world of sport climbing, Climb Fit offers classes after school for kids and teens.

Wall Sharks (link) is our introductory offering welcoming climbers 10-17 at any skill level. We also offer chances to progress with invite only classes which are for Intermediate and competitive level climbers, these are subject to your climbers skill level and ability. Our coaches (private coaching) climb almost everyday and are committed to help your child reach their climbing goals whether that be completing a new grade or training to become an athlete.

If you want your child to participate in a holistic sport that is unique and offers all the benefits of regular sport and more! Start your child's climbing journey with Climb Fit, use the link below to book in now!

WALLSHARKS - BOOK NOW