Resource Centre

Learning never stops. In fact, the more I have learnt, the more I realise how much more is out there to keep progressing as a coach and educator; and that doesn’t only include from climbing sources or from professional courses either. However as wonderful as the internet is and as much as it provides us with the answers to almost any question we could have, the online world usually provides us with multiple answers, sometimes in the hundreds of thousands.

Hence the decision to establish and develop the Resource Centre of Prowess Coaching. Here, I intend to share not only my own original articles and ideas but also to share and identify anywhere that may prove useful for both climbers and coaches alike.

It is no secret that as well as being a climber, coach and parent, i’m also a writer. I have had articles published with ukclimbing.com, Professional Mountaineer and elsewhere but these are original articles and often original ideas too.

It is broken down into two sections: one for the climber and one for the coach. However don’t let that stop you exploring the other sections too. I’ve yet to meet a climbing coach who isn’t a dedicated climber and some of those resources may come in handy for your own personal work as well as work with your students. Likewise, any climber trying to improve is effectively a self-coached climber and knowledge of education may come in handy too.

As usual, for more information, please contact me. And remember, I am available to hire as a coach or as a coach educator.

There is a wide variety of articles here, from pieces about projecting to ideal ways for you to train but they are all to help you develop your own personal skills. More will appear regularly.

Prowess Articles

Original work exclusive to Prowess Coaching. Please note many of these articles and ideas are currently belief based models and not evidence based models that have yet to be ratified with evidence or external support. Nevertheless, I believe they still have merit.

• Playing Your Own Game. Going all out every single time isn’t always the best approach. Here, we investigate alternative approaches for those days when everything isn’t quite clicking
• Eyes on the Prize: Attentional Focus in Climbing. Investigating Outcome-based and Process-based thinking in rock climbing and introducing the phrase Outcome Aware, Process Focused
• Being SMART with Goal Setting. A look at one of the popular models of Goal Setting and an alternative that could be incorporated to improve it even further
• It’s a HIIT. How to use High Intensity Interval Training in your training program as a climber
• How to Get Better At Climbing… Without Going Climbing. An in depth look at methods of training for climbing without access to climbing walls, gyms and crags
• Lockdown Training: Using Myself as a Case Study. The Covid lockdowns forced us to adapt in order to maintain or develop our climbing. During that time, I adopted a training program at home and have documented the results here
• At Home Exercise Video Series. Ten videos of exercises to target and hone muscles for climbing when actual climbing isn’t an option
• Eggs in Baskets: the Importance of a Variety of Projects. Having one solitary project that you’re currently working on can have downsides. Here, we look at ways of maximising any available days by adjusting your mentality slightly
• Pyramid Training. A popular form of physical training that has hitherto been fully incorporated into rock climbing. Here, I look at how we can adapt this model in order to get stronger, fitter and in essence, be able to climb harder
• The Horrid World of Projecting. This article takes a look at what it takes to complete a long term project
• Fingerboards: Are They For You? The much misunderstood world of hangboards can often tempt in beginners and this piece looks at their suitability for those new to the sport
• Keeping it Fresh: How to Keep the Psyche Going With Old Routes In the Wall. After an old friend contacted me to ask about how to stay motivated when the routes don’t change enough for him at his local wall, i penned this seven-point piece to help him out
• How Japanese Train Drivers Can Help You Become A Better Climber (Genuinely). How a safety system employed by Japanese train drivers known as Shisa Kanko can help you to become a safer and indeed better climber

These articles are written with the coach in mind. They deal with session content and teaching methods to be implemented with your clients in your own sessions.

Prowess Articles

Original work exclusive to Prowess Coaching. Please note many of these articles and ideas are currently belief based models and not evidence based models that have yet to be ratified with evidence or external support. Nevertheless, I believe they still have merit.

• Becoming a Climbing Instructor… Or a Coach? The Pathway Explained. Starting your journey to become a coach or instructor in the UK can be confusing. Here, we break down all the different aspects and acronyms to simplify it. As much as I can at least
• HOT, POT and MOT. A complicated and interesting set of theories based on making the most of the holds, positions and movements involved when coaching
• A Moment On The Lips, A Lifetime on The Hips. A long winded title, this is all about the importance of teaching trunk rotation to climbers
• Floor Exercises and How Crucial They Really Are. This piece looks at how to simplify complicated climbing techniques by removing the climber from the complex situation they are in and replicating the movement in a simpler way for them to understand
• The DCBA Scale. Having the right attitude is key to performance and this article looks at the right way to get your climber’s head in the game
• Replication Training. A method of coaching to isolate and target individual and specific weaknesses in climbing; heavily associated with the TTPP Model
• Warming to Each Other: Safeguarding Ourselves as Coaches. How do we safeguard ourselves as coaches to avoid injury when working with clients without demotivating or demoralising them?
• Risk Free Belay Instruction. A method for coaches and instructors to teach belaying without the need to place a student in harms way. IT IS NOT A SELF-TEACH METHOD OF LEARNING TO CLIMB and should only be used by qualified and experienced instructors as part of a wider learning context
• Grades: Help or Hindrance? An article that discusses whether our preoccupation with climbing grades can help improve performance or slow it down and how we as educators can use them to further our students’ learning
• CARI on: A Model to Aid Analytical Observations of Sessions. Shadowing is all well and good but without an idea of what to look for, they can be a little haphazard. This belief-based model gives a starting point for those shadowing sessions

External Resources

The following are sources that exist completely independently of Prowess Coaching. They are generally well tested and well established principles and ideas that have merit when incorporated into climbing coaching.

• The Spectrum of Teaching Styles, Mosston and Ashworth. This is the cornerstone of my entire coaching philosophy. Included in this site are a free download of the sixth edition of the book as well as explanations on both the spectrum, developmental channels and much more.
• Centre for Self Determination Theory. Developing our students towards Instrinsic Motivation (or motivation that comes from within, rather than in search of external reward such as praise or medals) is crucial for long term participation. Self Determination Theory is a cornerstone of working towards intrinsic motivation, covered in depth on this free website.