A Crisis in Youth Fitness
“Back when I was a kid . . .”, . . . said every parent who ever raised a child, whether in 2020 or 1620. It’s true. Life is always changing, and our kiddos will never have the same experience we had growing up; just like we didn’t have the same experience our parents had. For one, […]
The Piano Man and the Climbing Gym: a Recipe for a Climbing Community
Now Paul is a real estate novelist Who never had time for a wife And he’s talkin’ with Davy, who’s still in the Navy And probably will be for life -Billy Joel, Piano Man I love the great story teller musicians, and Billy Joel is one of the best. As I listed to Piano Man […]
Goal setting, Chinese water torture, and a toast for 2020!
. . . and that’s a take! 2019 is officially going to end in just a few days. And with that drop of the ball in Times Square, not only does a new year begin, but a new decade. Welcome to 2020! New Years naturally bring reflections. We think back to all that went right and all the went […]
The Chair
“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” –Ernest Hemingway Have you ever noticed how much life happens in a chair? Your newborn is rocked to sleep in a chair. The student takes her math test in a chair. Couple’s plan their future […]
Poker, lady luck, and the power of altruism
When I was a young boy of 10 or 11, my summers were filled with late nights hanging out in smoke filled hotel rooms playing five-card draw. You see my dad was a traveling salesman; and during summers, when I didn’t’ have school, he would allow me to travel with him. After a long day of calling […]
Why your kid should be rock climbing
We’ve all read the posts and seen the memes, reminders of how hard life ‘used’ to be (when we were kids) and how ‘easy’ it is for this generation. The implication being that all of our over protection and pampering and participation awards, while meant to strengthen our children’s self-esteem, might actually be harming it. […]
An interview with JohnPaul Seberger – Rock Climber
Three and a half years ago, this skinny 9 year old walked into our gym with his dad. He said he wanted to climb. He said he loved climbing trees. He said his mom told him our newly formed climbing team would be a good choice for him. I smiled politely (and maybe rolled my […]
110% Determination: Keys to creating Olympic-style greatness
Have you been watching the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics? It’s just so fascinating to me to watch young athletes who have devoted their entire lives to being the best in the world at one thing. The focus, the determination, the commitment, the passion. It is nothing short of inspiring. And the power the Olympics have […]
A lonely climber’s tale of finding true love
I remember it well. Feb 14, 1971. Valentine’s Day. THE day of the year to show that true love the depth of your adoration for the very ground that they walked on. Oh, and I WAS in love! Mary was her name. School teacher glasses, long wavy hair (black as midnight), quiet and shy in […]
Overcoming fear: necessary skills in rock climbing and newspaper delivery
When I was nine or ten years old, I had this paper route: the Norfolk Shopper. It was a small, once-per-week free paper filled with ads. They paid me a whopping $1 per week for my labors, which meant that every four weeks I had enough money to go to our local record store and […]
