The ASCL is Coming to New Jersey!

After 16 years of building and operating a scholastic climbing league in Colorado, and also for 1 year in Ohio… the American Scholastic Climbing League is expanding to New Jersey!!! Starting with the 2024-25 season, climbers will be able to register with the League and compete in a limited competition series in March and April in the Northern New Jersey Region.

When?

The 2024-25 New Jersey season will run from March through April 2025. Climber and Coach Registration is now open and competition dates can be accessed from our Events by Region Page as soon as event dates are confirmed.

We bet you have lots of other questions!
Check out our information below tailored for Climbers, Coaches, and School Administrators.

So you want to climb for your school? Awesome… the ASCL is YOUR League!

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 may still 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 is now open and the cost to join the League for the introductory season is $35 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.

Additional Information:
Rules and Code of Conduct
Scoring Method
Ranking Method

So someone asked if you would support a climbing team? Thanks for checking us out!

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 our experience, 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 new teams are formed.

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.

Additional Information:
Rules and Code of Conduct
Coaching Requirements