RANT (beware): Kids at the climbing gym...

Yes, I know gyms suck and I'm totally lame for climbing in a gym...but I have job now so....

Does anyone else's gym have a "junior team?" Boy howdy mine does...don't get me wrong, I love seeing kids climb and getting new talent into the sport, I just wish the "coaches" would throw a little ettiquette in there. It just sucks when you're trying warm up and you have half the junior team gangbanging the same V6 and falling off the third move while the other half is hitting each other with the stick-brush things. Or, when you have to direct the 90 lb. ten year olds not to walk under the 220 lb. n00b cruxing on a V1.

Sorry, rant over.

More annoying is the gym that doesn't teach proper belay techniques. It's like watching Nascar (not that I would know). You just waiting for some one to fall out of the sky and deck. You spend your whole workout staring and trying not to get hit by someone falling out of the sky.

I have coached a junior team and in defense of the kids, its not their fault. They are kids! As much as we would stress being respectful of others in the gym it rarely worked. I think its a maturity issue. Just keep in mind that these kids parents are most likely paying more money than you are for your membership and that extra money buys things like new holds, air filtration systems, electricity, etc.

Haha... I'm more stressed by the 12 year old, 90 lb-er leading 5.12c while I'm struggling with the 11a. :)

the worst is when 3 to 8 year olds are running around beneath you while you are bouldering. usually their parents are in another part of the gym, paying no attention and not giving a sh!t. i have come really close to crushing a couple little kids and it is pretty scary. the BRC is horrible about this, and i really wish they would try to do something about it.

slim wrote:the worst is when 3 to 8 year olds are running around beneath you while you are bouldering. usually their parents are in another part of the gym, paying no attention and not giving a sh!t. i have come really close to crushing a couple little kids and it is pretty scary. the BRC is horrible about this, and i really wish they would try to do something about it.

The couple of times I've taken my daughter to the gym, I've been very mindful of this. I actually got very little done because I was either keeping her away from people climbing above her or made her sit in one spot while I did the auto-belay thing. For that reason, my 3.5 yr. old son stays home. No way he's staying put. To them, bouldering caves are cool places to explore, and who can blame them.

So, yeah, I have to agree with you on that one. For me, it's not worth it getting to the gym if my kid gets crushed by a falling boulderer. Apparently, some parents haven't really thought that far in advance.

Yeah, teach the munchkins some ethics... like how not to do laps on my proj' for a "warm up" while I'm still there looking!

In all seriousness, why not grab the kid and tell them that you are going to tell their mother/father if they don't cool it? Be stern. I have yet to meet a kid < 8 years old in a gym that wouldn't find that enough of an issue to at least bug off and avoid you.

Tony B wrote:Yeah, teach the munchkins some ethics... like how not to do laps on my proj' for a "warm up" while I'm still there looking!

For Sure!!

For me, I think the biggest thing is the parents drop the kids off for climbing class and don't pick them up for an hour after their class is over. So, they end up doing what kids do...runing, screaming, and playing!

Climbing gyms are fun but their no Chucky Cheese!

You were a kid once, try to remember how it was. It can be annoying having a 6 year old drag the pad out from under you when your at the top of the bouldering wall clutching on for dear life, but they're just trying to have fun, give em a break. The guy with the bleached hair who ran the ABC program at the BRC always did a good job wrangling the little ruffians, but he's not there anymore, so I don't know how it's been lately.

I'm a firm believer that it takes a village to raise a child. If I'm in any public area and a child does something good I try to acknoweldge it. Even if it is just holding a door for me. At the same time if they are rude or misbehaving I let them know it (as nicely as possiable). If their parent has a problem with me piping up I have politly said that I wouldn't say anything to them if they were properly supervised.

In the climbing gym I always try to encourage kids in their climbing efforts. It is ussually more enjoyable then trying to comment on an adult's climbing ablity or ethics.

Sergio P wrote:I'm a firm believer that it takes a village to raise a child. If I'm in any public area and a child does something good I try to acknoweldge it. Even if it is just holding a door for me. At the same time if they are rude or misbehaving I let them know it (as nicely as possiable). If their parent has a problem with me piping up I have politly said that I wouldn't say anything to them if they were properly supervised. In the climbing gym I always try to encourage kids in their climbing efforts. It is ussually more enjoyable then trying to comment on an adult's climbing ablity or ethics.

+100

Evan Simons wrote:You were a kid once, try to remember how it was. It can be annoying having a 6 year old drag the pad out from under you when your at the top of the bouldering wall clutching on for dear life, but they're just trying to have fun, give em a break. The guy with the bleached hair who ran the ABC program at the BRC always did a good job wrangling the little ruffians, but he's not there anymore, so I don't know how it's been lately.

Though I don't have kids and they sometiomes bug me...think about this. Folks 40 and over generally grew up in a neighborhood with big yards and some open space nearby. As a kid we had a three acre lot and a big ravine and wooded area out back. We rode our bikes, played army and hide and seek all over outdoors. I was tired as can be after playing outside all day. Today kids play in a cul-de-sac or out in the street because the lots are so postage stamp sized that you couldn't do anything outdoors in today's subdivisions. Kids either play videos or just don't have the same access to good outside rec opportunities like we did. The kids at the gym need to blow off steam. Try and remember what little jerks we once were...making noise at night, the baseball through the window, etc, tomato fights, throwing rotten apples at trains going to the Heinz 57 plant where I once lived. Kids will always be kids. Now, lazy, unsupervising parents...that's another story all together.

Tradster wrote: The kids at the gym need to blow off steam. ... Kids will always be kids.

Agreed, but the philosophy only goes so far as to fixing the problem:

slim wrote:the worst is when 3 to 8 year olds are running around beneath you while you are bouldering. i have come really close to crushing a couple little kids and it is pretty scary.

A kid that was throwing a tantrum in his mom's lap and couldn't get a hold of her... so he bit *MY* arm. I looked over at the mom who kind of shrugged. I think the exact words that came out of my mouth in response to her *IN*action were:
"Your kid just bit me. Are you going to do something about that or am I?"

slim wrote:the worst is when 3 to 8 year olds are running around beneath you while you are bouldering. usually their parents are in another part of the gym, paying no attention and not giving a sh!t. i have come really close to crushing a couple little kids and it is pretty scary. the BRC is horrible about this, and i really wish they would try to do something about it.

I was at the BRC one time when there were a couple running around. A pretty big guy was working on a dynamic problem where his feet would cut regularly and swing out pretty far. This 4-5 year old came running past one time and got nailed in the face on one of these big swings and practically did a back flip. That moment may have validated my existence.

I've found throwing a handful of chalk at their head usually makes them shut up and walk away.

Evan Simons wrote:I've found throwing a handful of chalk at their head usually makes them shut up and walk away.

LMAO!!!

Yes yes, there are very few instances where that course of action has been warranted, but they do happen. I try my darndest to be nice to kids, and intellectually I'm capable of it, but I don't think my paternal instincts are very well developed. I was walking into Safeway not too long ago and there was a little kid climbing on the trash can by the door. He fell off right as I was passing by and instead of catching him I jumped out of the way. His mom gave me a pretty dirty look, but she was the one letting her kid bear hug a garbage can, so I didn't feel too bad.

There are definitely some kids who need to be instructed that the climbing gym is not literally a playground.

I was at Rock 'n & Jam 'n a few weeks ago and three kids were basically wrestling in the bouldering cave. Not only were they crowding the place so they could wrestle but they also had no awareness of what was going on around them. Totally inconsiderate of the other climbers and very unsafe.

I'm all for letting kids be kids. But, there are situations when that needs to be better managed.

Tony B wrote: Agreed, but the philosophy only goes so far as to fixing the problem: A kid that was throwing a tantrum in his mom's lap and couldn't get a hold of her... so he bit *MY* arm. I looked over at the mom who kind of shrugged. I think the exact words that came out of my mouth in response to her *IN*action were: "Your kid just bit me. Are you going to do something about that or am I?"

OK, that's pretty funny and horrifying at the same time. While that situation may not be a good example of it, most kids respond pretty well when you tell them why they need to do this or stop doing that, but you have to be, well, the grown up, and engage them.

Nevertheless, as an fairly attentive parent, I'm always surprised at how some parents seem really determined not to let their kids deprive them of how they used to live their lives before they were parents. Sorry folks. You just can't unwind that clock.

Ian G. wrote:Yes, I know gyms suck and I'm totally lame for climbing in a gym...but I have job now so.... Does anyone else's gym have a "junior team?" Boy howdy mine does...don't get me wrong, I love seeing kids climb and getting new talent into the sport, I just wish the "coaches" would throw a little ettiquette in there. It just sucks when you're trying warm up and you have half the junior team gangbanging the same V6 and falling off the third move while the other half is hitting each other with the stick-brush things. Or, when you have to direct the 90 lb. ten year olds not to walk under the 220 lb. n00b cruxing on a V1. Sorry, rant over.

My favorite at The Circuit is when the whole team of kids does their 'warmup traverse' by following each other along the top of the wall (hands over the top, feet on whatever) while everyone else in the gym waits for them.

Hey -- so all of you now may appreciate Deb at RJ when she comes out and berates someone (a lot of times kids) for not behaving appropriately at her climbing gym.

That being said, the more ruckus the better for me while climbing. If I can keep it together with chaos around me - that leads me to be a better, more focused climber (can't say that I really like that challenge all of the time though).

I know because you were never 12 either right? get over it.

seriously though, I've found if you actually engage them they put the brakes on a bit and on occasion think before moving.