How Mentorship Became an Essential Role in My Climbing Training and Success
by Olivia Harmanos
Photo credit: Aaron Hjelt
When I started coaching youth climbing at the age of 15, I never thought I would still be involved in youth climbing development eight years later. Since then, I have become a passionate coach and mentor to competitive teams in the Philadelphia area, as well as to youth athletes on outdoor climbing trips with Alpha Climbing, over the past three summers. It wasn’t until last year that I started to see my role as a coach and mentor as an essential part of my personal climbing development.
On our last day of bouldering in Rocklands on an Alpha Climbing trip, we ended up at Minki, a climb I had been dying to try. My experience on this boulder emphasized the importance of my relationship with youth athletes in my climbing. Everyone in our group of six gave it a go. After one of our athletes sent with some alt beta, the group was done trying. I was ready to throw in the towel, but my kids relayed the psych and support I’d been giving them back to me and insisted we would not leave until I sent, as long as the sun was still up. After a few more goes, I sent with an unfathomable double kneebar stack and met my kids on top of the boulder for a victory photo.
The experience evoked an indescribable feeling of pride in myself and my athletes, and serves as a clear example of the duality of mentorship. Significant moments like these, as a mentor, have taught me various skills that have become important in my climbing and everyday life.
Practice What You Preach and Be Your Inner Coach
It takes a lot of discipline to be your own inner coach, and it can be hard to silence the voices in your head that tell you to do or not do something. These voices come from what you want to do as opposed to what you should actually be doing for your climbing success. Maybe I don’t want to do the last set of my workout, or I want to stray from my training plan to hang out with some friends who are at the gym aimlessly, or I want to go to the gym, but I have responsibilities outside of climbing that I need to attend to. When these thoughts creep in, I think about what I would say to myself if I were my own athlete. By adopting the role of my inner coach, I can make more informed tactical decisions that support my climbing performance and overall well-being. I believe that when I do this, I can distinguish between when I should push myself and when I shouldn't, because both are equally important for sustainable growth.
Overcoming Fears with a Growth Mindset
Overcoming fears is a significant part of developing as a climber and is something I work on extensively with my athletes. As a coach, I notice that my athletes are physically strong enough to do a climb or move, but their fear holds them back. Committing to a big move high up on boulders, learning how to lead, or mastering a new comp-style move are all examples of where I see this. It is the repetitive practice and willingness to learn that allows them to overcome their fears and develop their skill sets as climbers. The excitement they get from eventually overcoming something scary to them is priceless and is a reminder for me to step out of my comfort zone. This looks like getting on a climb that looks intimidating to me, or committing to a move and not bailing because I am scared. It is not only rewarding to confront the fear, but I also develop confidence on the wall that I carry with me outside the gym.
Improving Skills and Learning New Ones
As a coach, I seek innovative approaches to develop my athletes into well-rounded, strong, and resilient climbers. If I weren't coaching, I don’t know if I would be as curious about trying new workouts and exercises. I would most likely still be following the same gym routine I started with when I began climbing as a youth in the late 2000s, because there wouldn’t be any outside pressure to learn more. Coaching is a reminder to me to stay fresh and continue learning, not only for my athletes, but also for myself. This curiosity led me to find a coach for myself in the last year or so, which has helped me grow as an athlete and mentor immensely. If you are coaching, I strongly recommend being coached, regardless of your experience. As an example to my athletes, I feel a need to continue working on myself and learning new skills, as climbing evolves as a sport and requires knowledge of various movement types. I find that this even extends beyond climbing into other hobbies and activities I am interested in, as we all have lives outside the gym or crag, and I think it is important for my athletes to know that I understand this. Sharing with my athletes about a new creative endeavor, a new recipe I've cooked, or a new place I've visited helps strengthen our relationship and allows me to be a genuine person for them.
Keeping Climbing Playful
After nearly 15 years of training for climbing, I sometimes forget that I climb because it's fun. I know what a crazy concept, but it can be hard to remember when you are trying to strictly follow a training plan and make time to squeeze in a gym session after a busy day. However, coaching young athletes is a constant reminder to me that climbing is fun. The number of times I have had a stressful day and walk into the gym for practice, and am greeted by my athletes with, “Coach Olivia! Coach Olivia,” I can’t help but laugh at the formality of it. I have never asked them to call me coach, but they feel the need to put that title there. And I am proud that they want to address me that way. Working with my athletes has also introduced a level of goofiness and playfulness to the sport of climbing. A big part of climbing is experimentation with beta and being creative on the wall. Working through moves and problems as a coach helps me to remember to engage that part of my brain in the gym and at the crag and have fun with it!
Continuing to Build My Relationship with Climbing
As a youth coach, I help my athletes address the challenges they face in the gym and how their climbing experience aligns with their academic, social, and aspirational goals. Growing up and dedicating ten years to competing in the youth circuit was extremely rewarding and introduced me to an incredible community. However, I struggled to see other avenues outside of becoming a professional climber because of that environment. When discussing balance with my athletes, I remind them that it's possible to improve in all aspects of their lives gradually at the same time. Our relationships with climbing do not have to be so black and white, all in or not at all. These regular conversations lead me to question how climbing fits into my life continually.
What does it mean to be an athlete, a coach, and a mentor? What do I want out of climbing? What are my goals? How does climbing currently align with said goals? The answers to these questions change frequently, but if I weren't having these conversations, I might forget why I am doing this and why maintaining a healthy relationship with climbing is so important to me as I progress further in my career.
I have learned that mentorship is more than relaying training plans and coaching kids on their projects. Mentorship is a symbiotic relationship that extends far beyond the climbing gym or crag, and I have learned more from my athletes than they have from me. If you can, seek mentorship opportunities and make the effort to put someone under your wing if you have something to offer, because, from my experience, it will become a key part of developing your relationship with climbing and success.
