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Climbing to the top
By Senitra Horbrook, Staff Writer
Members of local rock climbing team headed to Australia for world championship competition
The Dallas area is the epicenter of rock climbing in the United States, according to Kyle Clinkscales, and a Carrollton team has the awards to prove it.
“It’s a great alternative sport,” said Clinkscales, who coaches Team Texas out of Exposure Rock Climbing Gym on Midway Road in Carrollton.
Rock climbing competitions are broken up into local, which is all over the state of Texas, and division. Teams that place in the top six of their region go to a divisional competition and compete against teams from four other states. Each team member competes individually and accrues points for the team as a whole. Teams in the top six at divisional go to the national competition. Team Texas made it to the national competition and beat 30 teams from across the country. The team also won the national title in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
The team is made up of 35 kids, ranging in age from nine to 19. Those interested in competing usually start off in a one day per week kids club program.
“We’ll ask a kid to try out from there, if they make it, they start on Team Texas,” Clinkscales said.
During their travels across the country, Clinkscales makes sure to take time to stop and let the kids climb outside.
“We’re the only team in the country that travels and rock climbs outside. It helps us train. It helps us practice,” he said. “(The difference is) there are no bright colors on the wall to tell you where to go. You have to figure it out on your own.”
There are two types of disciplines in competitive rock climbing. One is sport climbing, which is how you climb and there is also speed climbing, which is how fast you can climb.
“You definitely gain a lot of confidence from rock climbing,” said Clinkscales about the benefits. “Your brain tells you to be afraid, but it’s safer than most sports out there. You’re hooked to a rope. Overcoming that fear is really beneficial.”
Clinkscales said rock climbing is also beneficial to children with ADD/ADHD since it helps center them because of the amount of sensory input involved.
Clinkscales said the team members that excel are usually “young, thin and really strong,” however he also said anyone with a little bit of athleticism can rock climb.
“You can do it for fun,” he said. “There are walls for every ability level.”
Contact Senitra Horbrook at 972-628-4074 or shorbrook@acnpapers.com. Comment on this story at scntx.com.
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