
Sender One Youth Team: Lock-In at LAX
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Words and Photos by Erin Garrovillas
To kick-off the new year, Sender One hosted a special meetup on January 3, facilitated by staff member Denise. This New Year’s Meetup was similar to the Monday Night Meetups, with a special addition – at the beginning, everyone was given a questionnaire to fill out. It prompted us to reflect on the past year – specifically, favorite climbing memories and what we learned about climbing. It also guided us to think about this upcoming year – what we want to improve, a big climbing goal for 2018, and how we can achieve it.
The meetup started with an icebreaker, each person introduced themselves and shared a climbing highlight from 2017. Then, everyone paired up for trust falls and a partner exercise where you stand back-to-back, link arms, and try to stand up at the same time. Then, came the raffle. A handful of lucky winners became the proud owners of beanies, chalk, and a climbing brush.
Denise offered to open the colorful, themed climbing area, Sender City. It’s designed with kids in mind, but still offers lots of fun for all ages. A few people opted to jump straight into rock climbing, while the rest of the group suited up for Sender City.The first partner challenge was to climb the cubes while holding your partner’s hand. It proved to be very difficult because the cubes shake, and you could only climb with one hand! We also tried the Trembling Towers, where you step on vertical beams that get higher and shakier! To make it more interesting, we challenged ourselves to close our eyes, and the group coached us through each step. It’s surprising how challenging it is to balance when you can’t see!
Another favorite activity was the Drop Slide. After donning a jumpsuit, you hold onto a bar, as it lifts you up the nearly vertical slide. When you’re ready, you let go and rush down the slide!
After everyone got their fill at Sender City, we moved onto top roping in the main climbing area. Pairing up for belays came natural after the icebreakers and fun climbs at Sender City. When we weren’t climbing, we got to know each other a little better. Overall, the New Year’s Meetup was a great way to kick-off the year, meet new climbing partners, and get involved in the climbing community here at Sender One.
Join us for the next Monday Night Meetup, hosted on the first and third Monday of the month at both LAX and SNA. The meet ups are always free with a day pass. Meet new friends, participate in fun activities, and win great raffle prizes. Hope to see you there!
Rock climbing is an awesome sport for kids. It's fun, it teaches problem solving and practical skills, and it's also an excellent full-body workout that promotes "real strength" – it develops muscles naturally, the way they were designed to be used within the body. At Sender One Climbing, we're proud to be a leading kid-friendly climbing gym in the Los Angeles area. But what, exactly, makes a climbing gym great for kids? Here are a few of the features that any kid-friendly climbing gym should have.
A Variety of Skill Levels
Some kids may enter a climbing gym having never climbed before, while others may be experienced pros in their own right. A great kids climbing gym should have a little something for everyone – and ideally, each wall should have sections or routes that provide varying degrees of difficulty. This makes it easy and fun for kids to push themselves and improve their climbing skills without feeling intimidated.
An Engaged, Committed Staff
When it comes to a child's climbing experience, the staff at the gym play a major role. Having an engaged and dedicated staff is critical for a children's climbing gym, as the staff members can observe kids and guide them through the activities and exercises where they'll have the most fun.
More Than Just Rock Walls
Traditional climbing gym walls are fun, but kids get bored easily – and some kids may not like something that difficult, to begin with. Ideally, a kids climbing gym should feature a variety of different activities and climbing walls that offer different approaches to climbing. In addition to traditional walls, things like tire climbs, rope climbing, trapeze, and other fun climbing activities should be available.
A Fun, Supportive Environment
Above all, a climbing gym that serves children should foster a supportive, nurturing, and encouraging environment. Climbing isn't about competition and finding out who's better than who – it's a fun activity where any kid can challenge themselves, learn more about their body, and have a great time.
Visit Sender One Climbing in Los Angeles, CA
Any kids climbing gym worth its salt should have features like these – and thankfully, at Sender One Climbing in Los Angeles, we check every box. Our climbing gym specializes in helping kids from all over Los Angeles have an awesome experience while climbing, and if you're interested in finding out for yourself, we'd love to help. Book a session online today or plan your next party to find out what a top-notch Los Angeles kids climbing gym really looks like. We can't wait to hear from you!