EDGE BLOG

Team Fundraiser 

On March 17, Team kids took several hours out of a beautiful Saturday and committed to making a contribution to the Edgeworks community by belaying anyone who asked; even some who didn’t ask! I’m proud of the way they represented Edgeworks Climbing, and they exceeded expectations for a lot of guests and members in the gym. Way to go Team!

This event was part of a fundraiser that ran for the month of March. The team distributed coupons for discounted Clip and Climb passes, and for any that were redeemed Edgeworks Climbing donated $10 to the Team. This resulted in a $290 windfall! Thanks for supporting our crushers Edgeworks Climbing!

All work and No Play…

Training for comps isn’t all work and no play. Recently Coach Josh took advantage of April Fool’s Day, albeit a day or two late. A few times a year, the Team will do a classic CrossFit workout called a “Murph” which consists of a one mile run, 100 Pull-Ups, 200 Push-Ups, 300 Air Squats, and another one mile run; all modified to fit the ability of the athlete. On April 2nd and 3rd, Coach Josh added a double “Murph” to the workout board, which all the kids are accustomed to checking as soon as they arrive at the gym. Thinking that the kids would complain or rebel, we were prepared to enjoy the looks on their faces when we revealed the joke. The joke was on us. Almost every kid was enthusiastic, or at the very least, resigned to digging in and doing the work, even going so far as to be disappointed when we called it off! Gotta give it to the kids who are willing to put in hard work every day with a smile on every face!

Upcoming Events

 –  April 7 Local comp @ Redmond Vertical World

 –  April 21 Local comp @ Island Rock Gym, Bainbridge Island

 –  April 28 Local comp @ ClubSport, Tigard, OR

April Birthdays

Maya: April 6  |  Gabriel: April 10  |  Grace: April 17

Social Media

Check the lobby bulletin board, Facebook and Instagram for Team Edgeworks news and information.

Next PCA Meeting

April 16, 6:30p in the upstairs lounge.

Contact Info.

Lisa Ferazza, Team Manager
Phone: 253-564-4899
E-Mail: lisa@edgeworksclimbing.com

Team Fundraiser 

During the Month of March, guests holding a limited edition coupon from Team Edgeworks will receive 30% off the normal Clip & Climb rate. Edgeworks Climbing will donate $10 for every coupon redeemed to Team Edgeworks. As a bonus, on March 17, from 1:00p – 4:00p Team Members will be available for any member or day pass holder who would like a belay on top-rope, or beta on their current project.

For Team Members, if you’d like to inspire and encourage people in our community on March 17, ask one of your coaches to sign you up. Make sure to wear your Team shirt on that day so that you are easily identifiable as an “expert”.

Sport and Speed Season 2018

The local Sport and Speed season is almost here! We have begun training in preparation for longer routes, comp belays, and sport leading. Competitors are shifting focus to fitness, endurance training, learning to lead climb and belay, or refreshing their abilities, and getting used to longer routes with a looser belay similar to the belay at comps.

The dates that coaches will be available at local competitions are:

– April 7: Vertical World, Redmond, WA
– April 21: Island Rock Gym, Bainbridge Island, WA
– April 28: ClubSport, Tigard, OR

Be on the lookout for more season information coming in your email inbox. Included in the email are more dates, van info, and links to event invitations.

Honoring the Game

“Honoring the Game” is a Positive Coaching Alliance principle about sportsmanship encouraging leaders, coaches, parents and athletes to respect all aspects of their sport. The ROOTS of Honoring the Game is an acronym which stands for better respecting: Rules, Opponents, Officials, Teammates and Self.

Rules
The rules of a sport have been developed and modified for a reason. Rules keep the game fair, and they also keep athletes safe. Don’t try to work against the rules or bend them; respect the role they play in your sport.

Opponents
As you want respect, give respect to your opponents. As Jim Thompson suggests in his book, “fierce and friendly” opponents are what we should strive to be and have in competition.

Officials
Officials are doing the best they can to enforce the rules and maintain a safe environment for play. They are people too, doing the best they can, and there is never an excuse for disrespecting officials.

Teammates
Make your teammates proud by doing the best you can (on and off the field) and by supporting them in all their efforts.

Self
Finally, and most importantly, you have to respect yourself in order to uphold an honorable approach to sports. Set high standards and live up to them.

Upcoming Events

Team Fundraiser
March 1 – 31

Team Belay and Beta Day
March 17, 1:00p – 4:00p
Edgeworks Climbing

Social Media

Check the lobby bulletin board, Facebook, Instagram, and the Team Blog at edgeworksclimbing.com for Team Edgeworks news and information.

Next PCA Meeting

Mar. 19, 6:30p in the upstairs lounge.

Contact Info.

Lisa Ferazza, Team Manager
Phone: 253-564-4899
E-Mail: lisa@edgeworksclimbing.com

USA Climbing: Bouldering Youth Nationals

The 2018 USA Climbing: Bouldering Youth National Championship will take place at Salt Palace Convention Center in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. Three of Team Edgeworks’ competitors will be competing on the national stage along with some of the best climbers in the country. The event schedule and running orders can be found on usaclimbing.org. The competition will also be streaming live on the website.

Nervous? Try Courageousness, Compassion And Competitiveness

Courage is embracing being uncomfortable. It is alright to accept that you have fear. Compassion is trusting yourself. You need to trust that your process and you as a person can overcome any obstacles in your way. Lastly, to deal with being nervous, be competitive. Get excited for whatever is about to happen. Get excited about being able to go out on a big stage and perform your best. All you can control is your effort and focus. Do not get worried about the results because they are out of your control. Get excited about the opportunity to compete.

Upcoming Events

National Championship
February 9-11 @ The Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, UT

Team Gear Orders
Order deadline: February 12

Lock-in
February 23, 9:00p – February 24, 8:00a

Social Media

Check the lobby bulletin board, Facebook, Instagram, and the Team Blog at edgeworksclimbing.com for Team Edgeworks news and information.

Next PCA Meeting

Feb. 19, 6:30p in the upstairs lounge.

Local Season Update

The 2017/18 bouldering local season ended with record numbers of Edgeworks youth participating in at least one competition.  Over 30 kids in our youth program, Junior Climbers as well as Team Climbers, competed in our own Black Light Bouldering Competition on October 28! The Regional Championship is coming up in December, and we have 29 eligible Team members, up from 21 last year.

Championship Season Is On The Way!

Championship comp formats are markedly different from local formats and require different strategy. A championship comp is a one or two day event following an “onsight” or “flash” format. This format is different in that viewing another climber on a route, thus gathering “beta” or insight about the route, is strictly prohibited. We will be practicing bits and pieces of this format daily until the competition. Expect more details in the coming month as we prepare. We will be talking to the kids about rest, nutrition, and how to manage nerves. Look for an email in the coming soon that has a list of things to pack in the competitors “comp bag”.

Effort As A Habit

The Positive Coaching Alliance is a national non-profit organization dedicated to developing better athletes and better people through youth sports. Their website PCADevZone.org has lot’s of article and videos covering many facets of youth sports. Recently, they shared an excerpt from Jim Thompson’s book “Elevating Your Game” that discusses effort and effort goals. It emphasizes setting ‘effort’ goals over ‘outcome’ goals. They mention avoiding the Talent Trap. “Many athletes believe their abilities are fixed (based on the amount of talent with which they were born). This reflects a “fixed” mindset. We encourage you to take a growth mindset and approach ability with the belief that effort and hard work can increase your talent level.” To read the excerpt, click here.

Upcoming Events

“Practice” Regionals @ Climb Tacoma

TBA

Next PCA Meeting

Nov. 20, 6:30p in the upstairs lounge.

Bouldering Season!

Bouldering season is here! Check the Team Family Roster/Schedule for updates to our schedule. Some local Region 101 competitions coming up:

10/14 – Seattle Bouldering Project

10/21 – Seattle Stone Gardens

10/28 – Edgeworks Climbing Gym

Coaches will be at the SBP comp on October 14, and the Edgeworks Blacklight Comp on October 28; one more comp is yet to be determined.  For info about the Roster/Schedule, see your Team Handbook. For access to the Roster/Schedule email lisa@edgeworksclimbing.com for the link.

Team Potluck

Thank you to everyone who attended the Annual Beginning of Season Team Potluck! It was great to see everyone again after a long summer vacation. Coaches, climbers, and families all enjoyed an array of food (including some really awesome salsa; thanks Nic!), some slacklining, socializing, tree climbing, and a brief presentation by coaches.

GroupMe

GroupMe is a group messaging app that team families use to communicate with each other for a variety of reasons; planning events, arranging carpools, etc. If you would like to join the conversation email lisa@edgeworksclimbing.com with your cell phone number and I will pass on your information to Tiffany Andrews who will add you to the group. Remember to reply to the invitation right away to activate your membership in the group.

NEW!

We now have a Team Handbook that contains everything you need to know about who we are, our structure, tryouts, practices, competition, our community, the schedule, and how to contact us if you have any questions. They are available at the front desk.

Upcoming Events

September 1

USAC Annual Membership registration open

Social Media

Check the lobby bulletin board, Facebook, and Instagram for Team Edgeworks news and information.

Next PCA Meeting

No meeting in September. The October meeting will be held early to prepare for the Blacklight Bake Sale. October 9 at 6:45p in upstairs lounge.

Team Edgeworks at Nationals

Kohle Andrews and Ethan Riggle travelled all the way to Kennesaw, Georgia last month to compete in the USAC Youth National Sport and Speed Championship. We are proud to say that we have climbers who qualify to compete alongside such well known climbers as Kai Lightner and Ashima Shiraishi. They both climbed extremely well and can say they are the top 40/41 of all youth competitors in the USA! Way to go Team!

Gold Bar Service Event a Success!

On Sunday July 23rd some of the Team and Coach Josh headed to Gold Bar to participate in a trail building day sponsored by the Washington Climbers Coalition, and to do a little bouldering. The morning started off cool and grey, which was perfect for working along the new clearcut.

The team’s goal was to prevent erosion of the trail. We installed 10 log steps to prevent water from carving a channel in the trail and to preserve soil for the surrounding plants. We did everything from digging holes for the logs, to making natural stakes to hold them in place, and even did a Team log carry!!

After a few hours of trail work it was time for lunch, then we excitedly unpacked crash pads. Coach Josh gave the kids a lesson on pad placement as well as spotting before setting to work dispatching boulder problems.

The kids exceeded expectations by crushing every boulder that Coach Josh could throw at them. It was great to see the kids working so closely together, working out their beta and encouraging each other to the top of their climbs.

It was a successful day not only for the Team, but  for the climbing area that we are so lucky to have close to home. This was a great way to give back to the community and we couldn’t be more proud of the hard work our kids put in to make sure we have further access to those areas.

NEW!

During the week of August 21, parents and climbers will have the opportunity to speak with their coach one-on-one to review achievements, set goals, and to field questions and suggestions. It is optional. Sign up on the sheet on the bulletin board for a 15 minute time slot with your coach. This will be available for all parents of Club, Comp, and Advanced Team members. Once you have signed up Lisa will email a confirmation with the day, time, and specific location in the gym for your conference. The deadline to sign up is August 18.

Upcoming Events

August 21 – 24

Parent/Coach/Climber Conferences

August 23

Team Set Event

August 27

Beginning of the Season Potluck

Next PCA Meeting

The Team potluck will be held in lieu of this month’s PCA meeting.

Record Number of Invitations to Divisionals!

Congratulations to all of the Team Edgeworks competitors who qualified for an invitation to the 2017 USAC Divisional Championship in Anchorage, AK, June 17-18! Out of nineteen kids on Team Edgeworks who competed at the regional, thirteen qualified for an invitation to the divisional, exceeding our wildest expectations! Although, no one should have been surprised at the strides the kids have made these past few months. They have earned it by  putting in an incredible amount of hard work, dedicating themselves to excellence, and doing it all while smiling and encouraging each other every step of the way.

These are the ten competing in Anchorage this month, wish them luck next time you see them:

– Brette Hume
– Elizabeth Hume
– Sophia Terrill
– Noah Larsen
– Hal Warren
– Ethan Riggle
– Kohle Andrews
– Aiden Hecker
– Jageli Rife
– Halle Rife

Climbing “Homework” for the Dedicated Few.

With the Divisional competition rapidly approaching, a few dedicated climbers have committed to extra practice time during the week to work on longer routes. Some of the Advanced Team climbers who are going to the Divisional have been spending their off day at the new Cirque Climbing gym in Lacey, WA to take advantage of the taller walls. Next sport and speed season we look forward to being able to train for endurance on our own walls!

Upcoming Events

June 10

Team Lock-in. $20/pp, sign up at the front desk.

June 17 – 18

USAC Divisional Championship, Alaska Rock Gym, Anchorage, AK

Social Media

Check the lobby bulletin board, Facebook, Instagram for Team Edgeworks news and information.

Next PCA Meeting

The June meeting is cancelled.

Team Outdoor Trip

Record numbers of kids made it to Vantage on April 29th for the team outdoor sport climbing trip. For some, climbing outside was a new experience.  Even though some kids had done this trip before, team coach and AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Jimmy Grant made sure new experiences were had all around.

Jimmy commented, “I think all of the kids had a great time! Lots of them experienced their first lead climb outdoors, and some even got to clean their first route (removal of the climbing gear from the wall)! Two of my favorite events of today were watching Kohle Andrews lead climb the hardest routes at ‘The Feathers’ pushing his personal boundaries and climbing with style. The second moment was watching Elizabeth Hume lead her first outdoor climb! Her smile was contagious and kept all of us smiling for the whole day. I can’t wait until the next trip!”

Championship Season

The end of April marks the end of the 2017 USAC Sport and Speed Local Season and the beginning of Championship Season. We had an amazing season watching twenty six different Team Edgeworks climbers competing in five different local competitions. Nineteen of those kids are eligible to compete at the Regional Championship in May.

Eligibility for the Regional is dependent on collecting a score in a minimum of two local competitions. The top ten finishers in each category at the Regional will qualify to compete at the Divisional in Anchorage, AK in June. The top six in each category at the Divisional qualify to compete at the National in Kennesaw, GA in July.

The team will be preparing for the championships by maintaining their excellent fitness levels, and concentrating on areas needing improvement that surfaced during the local season. Part of that includes training on higher walls. That means field trips to other gyms. Keep your eyes open for scheduled team trips, and if you can, take some independent trips of your own.

NEW!

Have you  heard of our new Team Parent Memberships? If you’ve been meaning to join, now’s your chance. Parent’s of Team Members can now have a membership at $47/mo. and the joining fee is waived. All the same benefits of a regular membership are included. This rate is not advertised on our website. Sign up at the front desk today!