Are you considering climbing, coaching, or supporting a club/team at your school? If so, we bet you have a bunch of questions. The following information has been broken into 3 sections: For Climbers, For Team Coaches, and For School Administrators. Read over the section that pertains to you and CONTACT US if you have further questions.
When?
The ASCL season will run from November through February. Climber and coach registration will open in early September and competition dates will be posted on our EVENTS PAGES as soon as event dates are confirmed.
For Climbers
The American Scholastic Climbing League is a league for ALL middle and high school climbers… beginner to advanced. Our goal is to connect climbers in an atmosphere of positive competition. Climbers in grades 6-8 compete in a middle school classification and climbers in grades 9-12 compete in a high school classification. Both classifications are divided by gender into a Boys and Girls category.
Check out our complete PHILOSOPHY and MISSION.
When you register for the ASCL you will be asked to include the school you attend or would attend based upon your enrollment area if you are home-schooled or attend a primarily online school. Our goal includes helping climbers create climbing teams at their high schools, and it only takes 3 high school climbers per gender to earn a team score at any of our competitions. At present, middle school climbers do not earn team scores.
Having an officially recognized team at your high school is not a requirement to form a team in the ASCL. Additionally, if there are not 3 climbers of the same gender present for a high school at an event, climbers will compete as individuals. After completing their climbs at a competition, individuals will submit their climbs for scoring using their smart phone and individual/team scores will be available at our scoring partner’s site at the conclusion of the event.
Check out the SCORE and STAT formats from prior seasons.
Registration will open in September 2023 and the annual cost to join the League is $100 per climber. In addition to the ASCL registration fee, climbers will also pay a fee for any competitions they participate at. The fee for each competition will vary, but typical competition fees run between $20-$45 per event. Some climbers may owe team/club fees if their school team/club requires them.
For more information on registration and what you get for your $100 fee, CLICK HERE.
Additional Information:
Rules and Code of Conduct
Scoring Method
Ranking Method
For Team Coaches
Having a coach is not a requirement of the ASCL for a climber to compete. However, we have found that our most successful programs are successful due to the expertise, organization and continuity provided by a coach. Coaches can be school employees, parents of climbers, or even local gym owners/employees. In order to become an official coach in the ASCL, coaches must register and fulfill several requirements prior to being approved and allowed to actively coach at ASCL sponsored events. Requirements include, but are not limited to, passing a background check and holding a valid first aid/cpr certification.
Check out all of our COACHING REQUIREMENTS.
For School Administrators
Climbers sign up to compete in the ASCL for their school of enrollment or for the school they would attend if they are home-schooled. When a minimum of 3 climbers of the same gender register from the same high school, those climbers can qualify for a team score for any event that 3 or more high school climbers of the same gender compete. Individual climbers will earn an individual score regardless of if a team exists for their school or not. At present, middle school climbers only earn individual scores.
Schools are not required to have a coach or official team in order for climbers to participate in the ASCL. Our goal is to connect all middle and high school climbers in an atmosphere of positive competition. In many cases, this organically leads to the formation of a team at a school. In Colorado, some high schools include their climbing team as an official part of their Athletic Department programming. Other high schools include their climbing team as an official part of their Activities Department programming. There are also high schools that don’t recognize their climbing team as an official Athletic or Activities Department program, and all organization of the team falls on climbers or parent coaches. All three models are supported by the ASCL and we anticipate the same variety of school support as teams are formed in Texas.
So, what do you need to do as a school administrator to have a climbing team represent your high school? That depends on your capacity to support a climbing team. The minimum commitment is… NOTHING. As climbers find out about the ASCL they are eligible to register, climb and compete at ASCL events. If there are 3 or more high school climbers of the same gender and classification present at a competition, they will earn a team score for your high school. These teams tend to come and go as interested climbers and parents come and go. Ideally, as a team begins to form at your high school, a coach or sponsor could be identified who would enjoy supporting a climbing team and that team would be officially integrated into your existing Activities or Athletic programming. Officially recognized teams with school employees as coaches or sponsors tend to be the most stable and successful over time. We hope that our support growing a base of climbers at your school will ultimately lead to an organized team that is recognized as part of your Athletic or Activities programming.
Questions?
For more information, please contact us at [email protected]
