Moving Up: Coaching and Training for Climbing
If you are interested in a youth kids team or private coaching please contact me directly. The below programs are currently on hold. Until then, I am interested and available for private coaching.
Essence of ALL programs including the RockStars and Day Camps
- To foster and capture the essence of the climbing spirit
- To focus on effort over results; to instill a growth mindset verses fixed, to approach failure as learning opportunities
- To encourage kids to get out of their comfort zone
- To provide tools to develop mental strength and tenacity
- To adventure and allow space and time for self-discovery, growth and understanding of oneself
- To foster a relationship and connection with nature
- To give experience to various aspects of climbing such as on sighting, red-pointing, projecting, competition training and safety
- To instill good training habits
- To have a strong focus on mastering the basics by focusing on technique, drills and skill mastery
- Provide a solid wide base to build from by exploring various rocks and climbing styles
- To provide whole body conditioning for sport
- Small group size to allow personal connection and individual focus
- To have fun!!!
The Squamish ‘Rock Stars’
The Squamish Rock Stars Team is suitable for those keen to improve and grow as climbers and athletes with a strong focus on individual personal performance. Individuals interested in competing would suit this team program. They will gain experience to various aspects of indoor and outdoor climbing, as well as learn and prepare for competitions and performance climbing. Sessions have a strong focus on technique, skill development and mastery and specific training. We will have mock competitions and offer the chance to take part in competition when the comp season arrives.
The Rock Star program offers:
This program offers Real Rock and Gym Rat indoor ‘structured freedom’ climbing. We aim to keep the fun in sport, while capturing the essence and passion of climbing. There is a strong focus on technique, skill development and mastery, as well as specific training through the use of drills and games. This is done without impeding on the athletes own ability to self-discover their own strengths, weaknesses and mental tenacities, thus helping to build a deep sense of confidence. Both have warm ups, conditioning and cool downs to help with injury prevention and instilling good sport practices for life.
These sessions work simultaneously together as one program. While one can attend one or the other, it is strongly recommended athletes attend both for maximum benefit. The complementary nature focuses on providing valuable experience to help them become well-rounded and experienced climbers and athletes.
Real Rock session:
Focus is on technique, on-sighting, red-pointing, projecting, mental strength and safety. There will be a strong focus to introduce various types of climbing and movements by introducing different rock styles and problems. This will provide a wide base of movement knowledge to build off which will give athletes a solid base to grow from. Includes warm up, conditioning and cool downs to help with injury prevention and instill good sport practices for life.
- Where: inquire within
- When: inquire within
- Duration: inquire within
*needs a minimum of 4 kids to run; Space is limited. Please bring a healthy lunch!
Gym Rat session:
Takes place at the Grand wall Bouldering Coop with chance to visit other gyms. Focuses on technique, drills, mental strength, competition training, projecting, safety and of course, having fun! Includes warm up, whole body conditioning and cool downs to help with injury prevention and instill good sport practices for life.
- Where: Grand wall Bouldering Co-op, Loggers Lane
- When: inquire within
- Duration: inquire within
*needs a minimum of 4 kids to run; Space is limited
Cost:
- Gym Rat sessions: inquire within
- Real Rock sessions: inquire within
- Drop in is available
- Private Coaching Sessions available
- Participants must have their own climbing shoes
- All participants must sign a waiver
Climbing Day Camps for Kids
Goal:
- To experience the essence of the climbing spirit and foster a connection with nature
- To allow the climber to give full effort to a problem or climb and to experience projecting without time constraint; to explore various rocks; to self-discover
- To focus on individual personal performance; to foster a growth mindset; in build confidence
There are half day and full day camps which offer technical movement instruction with focus on providing a well-rounded introduction to different types of rocks and climbing styles as well to help improve movement. On-sight, red-point and project skills will be introduced as well as general climbing terminology. There will be warm up, full body conditioning and cool downs to help with injury prevention and to introduce healthy sport practice. As sidelines, there will be nature walks, games and gymnastics
- Where: Squamish boulders
- When: inquire within
- Time: inquire within
- Cost: inquire within
- All participants must sign a waiver
- Needs a minimum of 4 kids to run
- Participants must have their own climbing shoes
- Please bring a healthy lunch and snacks.
For more information on programs and registration contact Thomasina at:
thomasinapidgeon@gmail.com
604-849-1597
About the Coach:
Thomasina Pidgeon is a mother, climber, coach, trainer and endless wanderer. Thomasina has a wealth of climbing and coaching experience. While working towards her Bsc at the University of Victoria, she succumbed to the pull of climbing after her 3rd year, going on to become one Canada’s first female to boulder v10, v11 and v12. She has since climbed multiple v12’s and at the 5.13 level. A boulder’er at heart, she has not yet tried 5.14.
Since 2012 she has been a National Team Member, representing Canada at various Boulder and Difficulty World Cups, and two World Championships. Her wealth of experience has taught her many things from a deep understanding of climbing movements; training principles for various aspects of climbing including sport, bouldering and competition climbing; injury prevention; mental tactics for projecting hard outside and for competition.
Thomasina is a NCCP certified Coach, is a certified ACMG Climbing Gym Instructor and has been coaching sport since the age of 16. She follows the Long Term Athlete Development Framework from Sport for Life.
Coaching qualifications
Throughout the years, i have mentored under some really experienced coaches and trainers including, Andrew Wilson (National team Coach). Andrew taught me a lot about movement and mental strength which really goes a long way. Steve Maisch of SLC has been designing training programs for me since I started competition and has been a great resource to me as per the strength aspect of training. He has a very scientific and measurable approach to training, which shows if improvement is had or if adjustment are needed to the training.
Over the many years and different environments, I have been around many great coaches who i didn’t necessarily work with, but who have had their impact on me and my philosophies, either by randomly coaching me, or the people I was around. They include World Cup National team coaches from Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Slovenia, as well as Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou from Team ABC in the USA.
I am a certified NCCP Coach for gymnastics and have been coaching gymnastics for many years. This has only benefited my approach to coaching climbing. I have taken all the NCCP coaches required by Sport Climbing BC. While there isn’t any set training program for climbing coaches yet, there is a long term athletic development program for climbing being developed through the NCCP. So we are on the way!
Philosophies on training and coaching
I take a long term view to training which is largely influenced from my own personal experience with training where I rushed the process to improve which just led to injury.
I give equal focus to both movement and strength. The reason being that one can be a strong as a bull but it doesn’t mean that they can climb a rock, or at least, climb it efficiently and thus reach their potential. If one has the technical skills and is efficient with movement, there is less need for strength and power to send their projects.
Disclaimer: Thomasina is not a certified ACMG rock guide though she does hold her Climbing Gym Instructor Course Level 1. These courses focus solely on skill acquisition and coaching for climbing to help participants become better overall climbers and athletes.