Corporate Expansion Part 1: What Gyms Need to Know

By Derek Larsen-Chaney and Jason Pill, Attorneys with Phelps Dunbar, LLP Most large corporations began as small businesses, typically with one location, before expanding into multi-billion-dollar companies and nationally recognized chains. Before becoming the world’s largest restaurant chain, McDonald’s was simply a hamburger stand. In the fitness industry, LA Fitness is a +700-club chain that started off with one location. How does a business—specifically, a climbing gym—know when it would be an optimal time to expand? Part 1 of CBJ’s series on corporate expansion looks broadly at the topic of expansion and dives into the two main options available to climbing gyms: internal or external expansion. Whether merging with another gym chain, opening additional locations, moving into a larger venue, or adding new products or services to your business, this three-part series will address basic principles of expansion that every gym owner should know before starting the process.
Asana Climbing
 

Know the Underlying Reasons for Expansion

Business growth—here defined as more demand and more revenue for a business—is often identified as a need. Business growth can be determined by various factors, but pursuing internal or external expansion of a business’s supply is often seen as a step in the right direction which validates an entrepreneur’s success. Yet, with expansion comes change, including different managerial, legal, and financial challenges. Chris Warner, Founder of Earth Treks (now part of the El Cap family of gyms), once explained to CBJ that many owners “underestimate the luck” and fortunate circumstances which played a part in opening their first gym and gain a false sense of security when they try to expand too quickly. Sometimes, this mistake can be fatal. Expansion must be deliberate. Expanding even a small business can be a complex process. Throughout the process, it will be important to research targeted markets and understand corporate formation and how businesses grow. Business growth can be planned or completely unexpected. Planned business growth is ordinarily achieved through the aspiration of the owner(s). The owner has a desire to see the business achieve its full potential and makes changes to reach more customers and increase revenue. Common methods of achieving planned growth include, but are not limited to, expanding the range of products or services offered—by selling more of the same and/or something completely different—or changing the underlying business concept. As for unexpected business growth, it can be a benefit and a danger. Unexpected growth occurs when a business begins to experience an increase in demand for its products or services despite no additional internal efforts to do so. While the increase in demand may bring with it an increase in business revenue, if a business is not prepared to effectively manage this demand then it can result in careless decisions which lead to business failure. Expanding by scaling up and adding new locations is not always the right answer for gyms experiencing a surge of business.
Thrill Seeker Holds
  Determining the best way to create or respond to business growth calls for strategic planning. The type of business strategy an owner ultimately chooses will depend on several factors, including the goals for the future, the size of the business, and the capital available. It is imperative that business owners understand the risks and rewards of each type of expansion and determine which (if any) is best for their desired growth levels in the long run.

Consider Internal Expansion First

Internal expansion concentrates on expanding the business by using the resources of the company. In addition to using the company’s own established finances, owners are often required to use their personal investments, money, and time. Businesses that participate in internal expansion typically keep the same brand name and services. Internal expansion provides the business owners with the flexibility of maintaining control over their products and services. A huge bonus in expanding internally is the high rate of financial return because the money is staying within the business itself, as opposed to being shared with external forces. When a gym decides to expand internally, it can do so in various ways. For one, a gym can expand its venue. Venue expansion is necessary when the business has outgrown its original facility. This usually occurs when more customers are consistently interested in the services the gym is providing and, in order to meet these demands, a gym decides to relocate to a larger venue or add more space for climbing, fitness or other onto the existing one.
Momentum Millcreek
The Momentum Millcreek expansion slated for completion in 2020, to be used for additional bouldering walls, a yoga studio, and a training area. Photo: Momentum Millcreek
A gym also can open additional facilities. The gym must decide where to open the new location(s) and the types of services to provide (maybe a shiny new bouldering gym?). At first, it may be beneficial to open a location not too far from the original one because the business has already established a strong customer base in that area. Additionally, although the first location may be crowded because of growth in demand, some customers may not be willing or able to travel to a distant new location, even if doing so ensures fewer lines and fresh holds. Internal expansion does not always call for opening a new facility or adding onto the old one. Sometimes, internal expansion can simply be the addition of new products or services within your current facility. A gym can expand by adding services such as yoga classes, personal training, nutrition advice, etc., and possibly experience comparable financial success from offering new services as from operating new locations. Some gyms begin as fitness centers with only machines and weight equipment and then add a climbing wall as an additional service.
Grand River Rocks’ recently-opened sister facility in Waterloo, Ontario, less than four miles from the original gym in Kitchener. Photo: Grand River Rocks
All three options for internal expansion give the business owner(s) control over the process and allow funds to be reinvested into the business. However, remodeling a gym or building a new one takes time, and internal expansion is therefore often considered a slow and steady process.

Research the Risks and Rewards of External Expansion

Unlike internal expansion, external expansion depends on seeking outside assistance in order to expand. External expansion is known to be the riskier of the two forms of expansion because there is generally more money involved. However, external expansion is also considered the faster option and can happen almost overnight. External expansion uses corporate funds to purchase other companies or obtain additional resources and can include mergers, acquisitions, or partnerships. This can result in a gym coming together with other gyms, purchasing and acquiring other gyms, allowing itself to be acquired, or taking on new private partners. External expansion can help a business manufacture more products, enter into a new market, and gain the customer loyalty cultivated by another brand.
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  While external expansion is attractive because it often provides a quicker path for growth, the owner(s) almost always loses some form of control during the process. Typically, the infusion of external investment brings about new loan conditions, increased collateral securitization and, in some instances, a dilution of the owner’s stake in the company. External expansion which results in an increased ownership base can change the entire power dynamic of the company and impact the gym operations (e.g., the new investor receives voting rights and now must approve all major decisions or expenses above a certain threshold). Given the complexities of external expansion and the kaleidoscope of options, the next article in this series will dive deeper into the various forms of external expansion, with insight into the pros and cons of each one.
Note: The content of this article is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. The reading of or reliance on this article or the Climbing Business Journal’s web site does not create an attorney-client relationship between the author or the Climbing Business Journal and the user or reader.

USA Climbing Inks New Partnership with Recovery Tool Company

USA Climbing lead physical therapist Zack DiCristino (left) works on USA Climbing athlete John Brosler (right) using the Addaday BioZoom. Photo: USA Climbing
By John Burgman It was recently announced that USA Climbing has joined in a multi-year partnership with Santa Monica, California-based Addaday, makers of athletic “recovery tools.” The tools, such as handheld massage devices, will be available to athletes at USA Climbing’s National Team Training Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, and will also be brought on trips when the National Team members compete in other countries. Popular Addaday tools include the BioZoom, the BiOscillator, and the BioPad. Many of the tools specifically target and impact muscle tissue to aid with blood flow—and thus, spur recovery, according to a press release. All USA Climbing members and affiliated gyms will now receive special offers on Addaday tools.
OnSite
  “Our trainer, coaches and athletes tested Addaday’s tools during a critical time at the end of our 2019 season and they stood out to meet the demands and unique challenges of our sport,” said Kelly Feilke, USA Climbing’s Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Development. “No other brand offers as expansive a range of recovery products nor the specialist climber designed and tested tools that will help give our athletes the edge as we prepare for 2020.” “We’re excited that an American-grown company will help American athletes recover with some of the most technologically advanced, climber-tested tools on the market,” said Victor Yang, the CEO and founder of Addaday. “No other recovery tool company is innovating as fast as Addaday and we look forward to working with USA Climbing to further tailor our technology to meet the needs of the sport and to help our athletes bring home some hardware next year.”

New Gym Breaks Ground in Pennsylvania’s Happy Valley

Image: Climb Nittany

Climb Nittany Boalsburg, PA

Specs: 10,000-square-foot facility will feature both bouldering and roped climbing (lead and top-rope), along with a speed climbing wall. Additional amenities will include a gear shop, a fitness space with cardio and weightlifting equipment, a vending area, and a “community area” with tables, chairs, and accessible Wi-Fi. Youth and adult programming will also be offered. Climb Nittany will be part of the 5.Life network of gyms; that parent company also includes Vertical Adventures, the Chambers Bouldering Gym, and the Vertical Adventures training center—all in Ohio. Climb Nittany will thus mark the first out-of-state venture for 5.Life. The genesis of the gym was a collaboration between 5.Life representatives and Josh Helke, owner of ORGANIC Climbing and Nittany Mountain Works.
Elevate Climbing Walls
 
Image: Climb Nittany
Walls: Walltopia CRM Software: Rock Gym Pro Website: 5.life Instagram: @climbnittany In Their Words: “We have enjoyed working with the 5.Life team for many years as retailers of ORGANIC Climbing products and we could not think of a stronger, or more positive partnership to achieve our shared vision. We are dedicated to our motto, ‘building community through movement,’ and strongly believe Climb Nittany will help further solidify central Pennsylvania as a destination for outdoor recreation.” —Josh Helke, Owner of ORGANIC Climbing and Nittany Mountain Works

Competition Highlights – Fall 2019

Image: USA Climbing
By John Burgman

YANK-N-YARD Stone Age Climbing Gym, Albuquerque, NM October 18-19, 2019

USA Climbing kicked off this year’s National Cup Series with the Yank-n-Yard competition in October. The event featured some of the biggest names and most promising up-and-comers on the American comp scene, including Brooke Raboutou, Sienna Kopf, Quinn Mason, Norah Chi, Cloe Coscoy, and Natalia Grossman in the women’s division, and Ben Hanna, Jordan Fishman, Sam McQueen, Matt Fultz, Bobby Taft-Pittman, and Charles Barron in the men’s division. Barron, in particular, had stellar rounds and ended up beating Taft-Pittman to claim the men’s victory; Hanna earned third place. The standout in the women’s division was unquestionably Grossman, who topped every boulder in the finals to earn a perfect score of 100. Close Coscoy claimed second place. An unfortunate anecdote of the event was a knee injury incurred by Raboutou, one of the competitors currently slated to climb in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Upon injury, Raboutou withdrew from the competition but still managed to earn third place. The American competition fan base surely hopes that she makes a quick recovery with the Olympics growing nearer every day.
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BATTLE OF THE BAY Dogpatch Boulders, San Francisco, CA November 1-2, 2019

On the heels of the Yank-n-Yard, the National Cup Series continued with its second competition of the year, held in November. Many of the participants of the Yank-n-Yard also took part in the Battle of the Bay, including Matt Fultz, Ben Hanna, Cloe Coscoy, Norah Chi, and Natalia Grossman. Hanna was victorious in the men’s division, followed closely by Joseph Diaz— less than 1 point separated the two men in the final scores. John Brock claimed the third place spot on the men’s podium. The women’s podium once again saw Natalia Grossman claiming victory, with Maya Madere earning second place and Cloe Coscoy earning third place. Grossman has been competing on the national and international scene for years, but with two second consecutive National Cup event wins, she has to be considered one of the breakout American stars of 2019.
Image: René Oberkirch / IFSC

OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION EVENT Toulouse, France November 28 – December 1, 2019

The second official qualification event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games concluded at the beginning of this month. At the competition, six men and six women earned provisional Olympic berths as a result of their standings in the scores (and in accordance with the countries’ athlete quotas). The various national federations of those competitors will have to accept the Olympic invitations before any Tokyo 2020 berths become official. Nathaniel Coleman and Kyra Condie were the members of Team USA who placed highest at the event. Read more about their respective Olympic qualification performances here. Thus, Coleman and Condie join Brooke Raboutou as the Americans currently slated to compete at the Olympics in August, 2020.
Image: Eddie Fowke / IFSC

SOUTHERN GRIT High Point Climbing and Fitness, Memphis, TN December 6-7, 2019

The final competition of USA Climbing’s National Cup series proved to be another showcase for Natalia Grossman. Grossman flashed every boulder in the final round of the women’s division. “This year’s national cup series could not have gone any better!,” she reflected on Instagram after her win. “I’m really pleased with my climbing, but more importantly with my mental game. Psych is high for next year!” Sarah Kate Ashton placed second in the women’s division, and Norah Chi placed third. The defending American Combined Invitational champion, Zach Galla, earned first place in the men’s division, with newly-crowned Olympian Nathaniel Coleman placing second and Dylan Barks placing third.

Touchstone To Open Its Largest SoCal Gym

Image: Touchstone Climbing

Class 5 Torrance, CA

Specs: 40,000-square-foot facility will be Touchstone’s “third Southern California roped gym,” according to a press release—and will also feature bouldering and general fitness amenities. The company will be raising the roof of a preexisting building to accommodate the gym’s construction plan (which includes 40-foot-tall climbing walls).  The gym’s name, Class 5, is a nod to the Yosemite Decimal System.
Trango Holds Pardners
 
Image: Touchstone Climbing
Walls: Walltopia Flooring: Flashed CRM Software: Rock Gym Pro Website: touchstoneclimbing.com In Their Words: “We have a great community in LA and we’re looking forward to providing them with a large gym with lots of ropes and bouldering to serve their growing needs. We’ve always loved the name and the logo for Class 5, and this is an opportunity to bring back one of our beloved climbing gym identities.” —Jeffery Bowling, Creative & Business Development Director, Touchstone

Historic Building Gets New Life as a Bouldering Hub

Overlook of the Westwood neighborhood. Image: Sender One

Sender One Westwood, CA

Specs: 10,000-square-foot bouldering facility, targeted for a 2021 opening, will be geared towards “families and climbers of all levels,” located in close proximity to the sprawling UCLA campus. The gym’s climbable walls will range from 12-15-feet in height. Additional amenities will include various fitness and yoga offerings. The gym is being constructed within a building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally a Ralph’s supermarket in the 1930s, the historic structure was more famously known as the Mann Festival Theater—and played host to numerous movie premiers in the 1970s.
TACO Skin Sander from Chalk Cartel
  Walls: Walltopia Flooring: Cascade Specialty Website: senderoneclimbing.com  In Their Words: “I’ve always thought creativity is at its best when it has some limits. Some gyms are built from the ground up if you can find the space for it—if you put a big box on the land, you can build something cool. I don’t disagree that you can build cool and interesting things when given a totally blank canvas. But I think creativity and innovation happen the most when they are given limits within which to work. So, when you have a historic building that becomes a frame for what you can do, I think the creativity and the limits interact to bring to life something singularly unique. Additionally, we’re repurposing something that people didn’t really know what to do with. The Festival Theater has been vacant since 2009. The landowners originally wanted a theater operator in the space, but that industry is largely gone. Once we were able to talk to the landowners, they fell in love with what we wanted to do because we are going to keep a lot of the historic aspects of the building—whereas, if the landowners were going to turn it into an office space or traditional retail space, more than likely, they wouldn’t be able to keep a lot of the historic components, like the roof; a lot of what makes the space special would be lost. We told the landowners, ‘We’ll take the whole thing, just the way it is.’ The end product will be a space that is really unique.” —Wes Shih, co-founder and COO, Sender One

Sender One Unveils Plans for a Bouldering-Only Gym

Image: Sender One.

Sender One Playa Vista, CA

Specs: 7,000-square-foot facility, scheduled to open in the coming year, will be Sender One’s first gym to be bouldering-only. Additional amenities will include an array of training accoutrements (weights, hangboards, etc.). The gym will reside south of Santa Monica in the Runway Playa Vista Community, known for being one of Los Angeles’ most artistic enclaves.
Elevate Climbing Walls
 
Bouldering at Sender One LAX. Image: Sender One
Walls: Walltopia Flooring: Cascade Specialty Website: senderoneclimbing.com  In Their Words: “Any gym developer in a major metropolitan area is probably running into similar challenges that we are. We want to be where our people are, but to be in close proximity to them, there are real estate [size and space] limitations, in terms of what is available. This is a chance to see and broaden what Sender One Climbing means. Is it just the cool, tall rope walls, or is it something else…something like the communities that we can grow? Part of this [project] is tackling a new challenge—bringing Sender One Climbing into a new and different kind of space with bouldering, and working with the space that is available.” —Wes Shih, co-founder and COO, Sender One

Holiday Gifts for Your Gym Staff

December is here, the holiday season has arrived, and you still need to get your employees holiday gifts. Don’t worry, it’s not too late. You might ask yourself, “Can’t we just pay them minimum wage, deduct taxes, and wish them a happy holiday?” Before you answer, take a moment to walk around the gym and remember the important role your staff play in the success of the business. They probably deserve a little something extra this year-end. holiday cash Without a doubt, the ultimate holiday gift for any employee would be more pay, more benefits and better working conditions. Don’t let doodads and gadgets take the place of true enhancements for your staff, give back in a more impactful way all year round if you can. Still, modest add-ons to year-end bonuses can help improve morale in a small way, especially after the busy holiday season. While the list of tangible trinkets is seemingly endless, this holiday feature explores a wide variety of creative and useful gifts for your core employees. Go beyond a box of chocolates this year. Continue reading for insider gift ideas your employees will appreciate and use. Holiday gifts for your climbing gym staff

Routesetters Create Your Product

As the backbone of any climbing gym, routesetters labor away to create your primary product: the routes themselves. The value they contribute should be recognized all year round, and you can start 2020 on the right hold by listening to their feedback. According to Grant Farmer, gym manager of First Ascent (Chicago, IL), “nothing drives setters crazier than the music selection of the desk staff. It’s a nice gesture to let them jam to their own tunes while getting the job done. Good luck trying to get their attention when they’re jamming out though,” explained Farmer.
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  Go the extra mile this holiday season and upgrade standard hearing protection to active noise cancelling, Bluetooth headphones by Cowin for your setters. Head setter of Ascent Studio (Fort Collins, CO), Roy Quanstrom, agreed: “If the gym allows, a dope pair of Bluetooth headphones is the ultimate setter gift.” Using wireless active noise-cancelling headsets or headphones, versus wired varieties, reduces clutter so they can concentrate and move freely on the job.
Chalkbags by Pure Grit and Crimp Chimps
Images: Pure Grit and Crimp Chimps
When it comes to forerunning, setters always appreciate a designated “setters only” chalk bucket or bag. Distinguish your ‘setter bag’ from the pile in lost-and-found by customizing it. Remember that Spongebob chalk bag you saw on IFSC TV? Build your own creation at Pure Grit or Crimp Chimps. Show appreciation for your setters by customizing each chalk bag with the setter’s name and a bit of their personality. Even photos can be printed on them. Take it one step further and stuff that chalkbag like a stocking with Rino Skin Solutions, training tools such as the Metolius GripSaver, and a boar’s hair Sublime brush. Almost every climber on your staff would enjoy this gift.
Elevate Climbing Walls
 

Coaches Build Customers & Community

Your coaches condition your members, breed the elite youth teams, and probably can beat you in arm-wrestling. Show you appreciate their dedication by getting them something nice too.
Z-Bolt laser pointers can be personalized
Image: Z-Bolt Premium Laser Products
Commonly purchased for the entertainment of cat owners, coaches also love laser pointers. That secret has been out for a while, but First Ascent might be on their way to starting a new trend. “Consider getting it custom engraved with your logo and their name. Then if it’s lost, it can find its way back to its owner,” said Farmer. Laser pointers are incredibly helpful for instructing athletes high off the ground, but how many climbing coaches have personalized or engraved laser pointers? Order an engraved laser pointer here online for only $38 dollars, or take one to a local jeweler near you to get it engraved. Be sure yours has an infrared filter to protect the eyes, and always use them wisely.
Digital hangboard systems courtesy The Beta Angel Project
Digital hangboard systems reviewed by The Beta Angel Project.
As training and technology continue to fuse, digital hangboards are quickly becoming the rage. There are various setups, differing in price, which The Beta Angel Project assesses in detail here. These systems can give your coaches the gift of new data-driven insights, including force exerted on particular grips and work-rest ratio. Additionally, they act as logbooks and assist coaches by recommending protocols based on strength assessments and real numbers. Looking for something slightly more budget-friendly? Give your coaches an online training course subscription to help them learn some new tricks. Both Trainingbeta.com and Adventure U / Climbing Magazine offer courses with pro climbers and coaches that target specific weaknesses and include videos and interactive components.
Routesetter Bundle from Chalk Cartel
 

Front Desk Staff Are Your Public Face

Your front desk staff are the face of your climbing gym. They’re the first and last thing customers see.  Within the team you have your early-bird openers, your regulars that practically live in the gym, and your 11pm closers who stay late. Treat them all right. While everyone can benefit from a new alarm clock, both your business and your opener might find this gift particularly valuable. Invest in the extra-loud vibrating alarm clock for heavy sleepers by Homtime – it vibrates wirelessly and includes an LED wake-up light.
Nite Ize gadgets
Image: Nite Ize
Your closers are equally important. By the end of the night they’re antsy to get home. After completing all the tasks required to close the gym, they still need to find their car in the dark. Help them out with a new headlamp, sweet keychain, or other cool Nite Ize gadget. You likely also have that one front desk employee who picks up almost every open shift, knows the ins and outs of your POS software, and spends a fair amount of time looking at a computer screen analyzing check-in data. Troy Singh-Derawa, front desk manager of The Spot Bouldering Gym (Boulder, CO) explained, “when working the desk, I use RGP (our POS and check-in software) to run powerful analytics. After hours of staring at that screen, my eyes feel it.” A pair of stylish blue light glasses from Zenni Optical, beginning at $15.95, would prevent your important desk employees from getting “fry eye,” and function as a new piece of swag for the face of your gym. More expensive blue light screen protectors from Ocushield, starting at $33.33 (plus shipping), would do the trick too and benefit staff with existing eye ware as well.

More Americans Qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Nathaniel Coleman and Kyra Condie hanging on for an Olympic berth. All images: Eddie Fowke / IFSC
At last weekend’s IFSC Olympic Qualification Event in Toulouse, France, two members of Team USA provisionally qualified for the Olympic Games. Specifically, Americans Nathaniel Coleman and Kyra Condie were among the six men and six women who claimed invitations for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. The other competitors who provisionally qualified for the Olympics with Coleman in the men’s division at Toulouse were the Czech Republic’s Adam Ondra, France’s Bassa Mawem, China’s YuFei Pan, Spain’s Alberto Ginés López, and Germany’s Jan Hojer. The competitors who provisionally qualified for the Olympics with Condie in the women’s division were Slovenia’s Mia Krampl, Italy’s Laura Rogora, France’s Julia Chanourdie, Russia’s Iuliia Kaplina, and China’s YiLing Song.
Elevate Climbing Walls
  Coleman and Condie thus joined Brooke Raboutou (who qualified at the IFSC World Championships) to compose the United States’ current roster of American Olympic climbers. “I have no words,” Condie wrote on Instagram shortly after earning her Olympic berth. “I worked so hard for this. Tokyo 2020!” Condie ultimately finished in seventh place at Toulouse, a “Combined” competition that featured multiplied rankings from speed climbing, bouldering, and lead climbing disciplines. The top athletes in the Combined ranking from the 2019 IFSC World Cup season earned a chance to compete in the Olympic qualifying event in Toulouse. Coleman also reacted on his Instagram account, writing, “All of the pre comp nerves simmered down in the few days before the event, and I was able to appreciate the spectacular circumstances I was living through.” He finished in eighth place in the men’s division. Several other Americans participated in the Combined in Toulouse, although they did not earn Olympic invitations. Sean Bailey placed ninth overall in the men’s division, just missing out on an Olympic berth. Margo Hayes and Ashima Shiraishi placed 11th and 22nd, respectively, in the women’s division. Canada’s Alannah Yip also took part and placed 13th in the women’s division. With the Olympic berths of Raboutou and Condie, the United States has now filled its quota (of two invites per gender) within the women’s division. One possible American berth remains in the men’s division. The next competitions with Olympic qualification implications will be a series of Continental Championships taking place around the world. A total of 20 athletes per gender will eventually take part in climbing at the 2020 Olympics.

Community Happens Fast: Behind the Desk with Andrew Andress

Behind the Desk…is an ongoing series that profiles people influencing and advancing the industry in gyms around the country. This time CBJ heads down to Texas to talk about climbing on wooden barn walls, routesetting, youth teams, and climbing in Africa. It is a wide range of subjects, but it has all been part of the journey for Armadillo Boulders’ Andrew Andress.
Equally stoked to send or teach others about climbing. All images courtesy of Andrew Andress.
Name: Andrew Andress Title: Operations Manager, Armadillo Boulders Location: San Antonio, Texas CBJ: Tell me about your climbing journey—how did climbing evolve into something you’d like to pursue as a career? ANDRESS: My journey started very sporadically. I grew up in West Texas…not Hueco Tanks, but the dry dusty rockless part. I love sports and wanted to play them, but I was cut from every team sport I tried out for. So, I gravitated towards adventure sports like mountain biking. In the late 1990s my cousins converted an old barn into a low budget—but effective—‘woody.’ That place was my first foray into climbing, and at the time it seemed so extreme. I didn’t have a harness, so I learned to tie a rope harness…and even though we could have just bouldered, I felt like a mountain man top roping, learning knots, and belaying.
Kilter Board
  After a long journey of racing mountain bikes with unrealistic dreams of becoming a pro, I eventually lost the drive to go out and train for hours—usually alone or with minimal social interaction. In 2013, I ‘retired’ from bike racing, but I still loved the idea of training for something and setting goals. I reached out to a good friend of mine who was always trying to get me to climb more, and he took me to the local climbing gym. I showed up with an old harness…to a bouldering gym! That’s how out of touch with climbing I’d become! But at the end of the night, I purchased a membership and never looked back. Within a few months I developed a love for climbing technique. The technique and movement were what drew me to routesetting. I got to know that gym’s head routesetter and expressed an interest in setting there. I really just wanted to learn the basics, but it ended up being a volunteer position…then a job…then operating a climbing gym in East Africa, and now I’m very happy to be at Armadillo Boulders.
Kenya’s Climb BlueSky facility.
CBJ: East Africa! Can you please expound on that?  ANDRESS: Simply put, I was available and there was a need at a gym called Climb BlueSky in Nairobi, Kenya. I originally moved there to help operate the climbing gym and as the camp director for their summer youth camps. I transitioned to the role of Climb Director, with my focus being to help with renovating the gym, expanding membership and staff training. The gym had been built as a small community center with youth in mind; mostly it contained vertical top-rope walls with a tiny bouldering area. So, a major part of my role was to create ways to market the gym to more adults in the community, and to share the aspects of North American climbing gyms I loved the most. We were able to convert most of the space into a bouldering gym with everything from steep walls to slab sections. I think this was a big shift for both gym climbers and outdoor climbers in Kenya.
Thrill Seeker Holds
  Also, Nairobi is such a multi-national city with the United Nations headquarters, embassies, mission organizations, NGOs, and a local demographic that is trending towards adventure and recreation. There is not a plethora of commercial outlets in Nairobi for recreation and fitness. Climb BlueSky filled that gap for many people. It became one of the mainstays for expats to connect with each other and invest in the local community very quickly. And on a personal note, BlueSky is where I met my wife, and she’s my number one climbing partner! Since I’ve returned to the United States, Climb BlueSky is thriving, and is fully operated and staffed by Kenyans. This was a big goal of mine in my final two years there. I am happy I was able to help contribute additional value to the gym and I will always help partner with it in whatever way I can. The awesome local staff are leading the gym into the future, and continuing the growth of climbing in Kenya that they began with the community center.
Andress and his wife on a bouldering outing in Rocklands, South Africa.
CBJ: Now, in addition to being the Operation Manager at Armadillo Boulders, you’re the head youth coach. What is the history of the youth program there at Armadillo? ANDRESS: I think my title is now the Director of Climbing. But, yes, I am also the head coach of the gym’s youth team, ‘The Quesadillos,’ and they’re awesome and I love it! The history is short, which I believe is what makes it so great. Our gym is just over a year old, and the team started a few weeks after we opened. One of our coaches, Jana Crawford, helped start it. She comes from a comp climbing background and her family owned a gym that was in San Antonio in the 1990s. We were going to be really happy if the Armadillo team had four kids in the first month…three of them being one of the owner’s kids. But within two months we had more kids than we could coach…so we had the conversation of having a waitlist, hosting tryouts, or hiring more coaches and adding more nights. We decided that if these kids want to come and train and are stoked on climbing, then our best service to them is to let them all come! I know what it feels like to be cut from teams, and I get that it’s part of life, but an awesome thing about climbing is the accessibility and enjoyment regardless of skill and experience.
CWA Summit Pre-Conferences
  CBJ: Tell me about Armadillo’s ‘Devo’ program—how is it different from a regular youth team program? ANDRESS: Devo was a byproduct of us not having tryouts or a waitlist for the competition team. Basically, we were having kids show interest in the comp team, but transitioning them from recreational climbing with friends and family to comp practice was tough on the kids as well as coaches. So, we came up with a once a week Development Program [Devo] that is a prerequisite for the comp team. It has a similar layout but is much less intense. It is much more subjective, so kids should walk away from each day with a better understanding and practice of specific skills. As they hone these skills, kids who want to are able to do a trial week of the comp team before they decide what’s best for them. The Devo program has quickly become our most high-demand youth program. It has also been a great landing place for kids who were on the comp team because they enjoyed climbing with kids their age but did not want the intensity of competition training. I knew once we started it that it would serve many roles. The kids who really want to be on the comp team communicate that with the coaches and they can get some more intensive training, while the kids who just love to climb with friends are free to do that while receiving instruction and walking away each day having learned a new technique or skill.
Coaching the next generation of crushers at Armadillo Boulders.
CBJ: I ask this for every Q&A, but I’m always intrigued by how different the answers are. What does community mean to Armadillo Boulders? ANDRESS: Whether in Kenya or with team parents, community happens fast in a climbing gym. It’s such an amazing thing and mostly why I love climbing. Armadillo Boulders has member nights, comps, bouldering series, meetups, etc. All these things are amazing, but I see the community most when I walk in mid-morning and am able to spend some time with some of our incredible long-time members who are in their 50s and 60s, still so grateful that they found climbing. Then as the kids start to roll in during the afternoon, I love watching them hustle to get shoes on and warm up in hopes that they get a few climbs in before we start practice. It’s awesome how the rest of the gym’s members welcome the team and encourage the kids. Then I stay late and climb and I’m blown away by the progression of our members who love to come and climb, socialize, and train; everyone can’t wait to leave work or school the next day and do it all over again. It’s like a snow globe, maybe apropo with all the chalk. If you’re outside, you want to have the feeling that makes the inside so happy. And once you’re inside, you just want to stay. CBJ: Since this column gets read by mostly other gym staffers and owners, what’s one thing that Armadillo does that you think other gyms should try?  ANDRESS: We’re still learning a lot. I really don’t have a great answer for this. We do have a good grasp of who we are. From the owners, managers, all the way through the staff. We are working to be better at a lot of things. Regardless, we know who we are, and we love climbing…and we get to share that every day.

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