Youth Teams

If you have any questions about the programs below, please contact our Head Coach Gerard Garnier at ​coach@climbyukon.com

Little Crusher & Prep Registration HERE

Devo / Comp Tryouts Registration HERE
If the program you are looking for is full please fill out the waitlist form. 

WAITLIST SIGNUP

Climb Yukon Association (CYA) is the sport Governing body for indoor climbing in the Yukon and is a Climb Escalade Canada (CEC) member association. As the governing body CYA provides training and competition opportunities for Yukon Youth. 

For the 2025/2026 season, we will be offering Team programs for youth born in or before 2019 that are based on CEC's athlete development model. Team programs are for kids who are stoked to improve in climbing and would like to commit to multi-month mulit day per week programs.   Shorter kids' camps will be available off and on throughout the year (dates TBD).   All skill levels are welcome to register for team programs.  

Program Information: 

Little Crushers 

Prep Teams 

Development and Competition Teams

Our team programs focus on utilizing climbing to teach young people to become resilient, confident, and kind.   

We create space and give the opportunities for our climbers to be challenged, set goals, develop agency and learn from their successes and failures. We focus on strong team culture and on giving athletes the opportunity to achieve their athletic goals and dreams with the ultimate goal of helping them be successful in their lives.  

We believe that healthy competition teaches life skills that help youth thrive not only in sport, but in school, work, personal lives, and most importantly in their relationships. Team climbers are encouraged to attend competitions at the appropriate level for them.  We strive to teach our climbers that competition is not about winning or losing, by focusing on learning to be process oriented and on doing the best you can on any given day.  

As Climbers move through the programs they will be given developmentally appropriate opportunities to challenge themselves and explore what they are capable of.  We focus on individualized skill development through structured and play based learning.  Climbing is unique in that there is no “one way” to climb a route.  Coaches use an ecological learning approach to guide climbers to discover how to accomplish the skill, drill or climb.  

A description of each program can be found in the chart.  In depth details will become available prior to registration opening.  

Team Values: Team Culture is very important to us.  From day one we focus on instilling team values and holding our athletes and coaches accountable to maintaining them:  

1. Support Your Teammates:  Even in an individual sport like climbing we are stronger together.  We strive to be the best we can each day and we support each others in wanting to be their best.  It’s ok to be competitive and want to win, but we want to win by being our best not because we want others to do bad.  

2. Be Curious:  Climbing is complex.  Don’t be afraid to try new things, learn from each other.  In climbing we fail more than we succeed.  Each attempt is an opportunity to learn something if we are open to it.  

3. Welcome The Challenge:  It’s a privilege to be nervous.  When things are challenging this is where we can learn the most and when the biggest breakthroughs are made. 

4. Try Hard and Have FUN:  You don’t have control over the conditions, how you feel or your competitors but you can control your effort.  Enjoy the moment and try hard!

Team Selection guidelines 

The competition program is designed for climbers who demonstrate that they  are motivated and committed to achieving their personal best in climbing.  Athletes should show they are self-driven to train and test their limits in climbing. Climbers are expected to attend practices 3 days per week regularly and work hard toward their goals.  Athletes are expected to set goals and participate in competitions locally and out of their territory.  

The Development team is designed for climbers who are not quite ready for the competition team or who are looking to climb and train in a coached yet more relaxed, less performance-driven environment.  Athletes are encouraged to set goals and compete in local competitions. They may have the opportunity to attend out-of-territory events. 

The purpose of tryouts is to place climbers in the group that is best suited to their climbing goals, abilities to allow them to thrive. Saturday practices are joint between both teams to allow for overlap.  We will strive to ensure gender equity on our teams as much as possible based on registration numbers. we have 24 climbers that will be placed into teams of ~12 climbers.

NOTE:

Once teams have been selected invoices for team fees will be sent out with payment options and schedules. A reminder that gym passes are required and are not included in your team fees. Team Climbers and buy annual passes or Monthly passes (EFT) at a 20% discount. These passes allow full access to the facility during ALL open hours. Days passes and punch passes are not discounted for youth team members. A link for discounted passes will be sent out shortly. If you pre-purchased a punch pass these can be credited toward your EFT or annual pass

Athletes will be pre selected to the competition team if they have met any of the following criteria:

1. Qualified for Finals At Western Canadian Championships, or Provincials in one of the top 4 ranked provinces (AB, BC, ON, QC)

2. Qualified for Semifinals at Nationals 

3. Youth who placed in the Top 3 Finishers overall at Yukon Champs. 

4. In the event an athlete is unable to attend the above events due to circumstances beyond their control, the previous season's results will be considered.