I have been working with The Climbing Academy's (TCA) Youth Squad for just under two years now. As a reflection to how I have progressed as a Psychological Coach with the squad, I have asked Callum to provide some feedback with the help that I have provided so far. Callum is a very motivated, confident and passionate climber who I have worked on and off with since I have been part of TCA. He has developed a mental resilience that others would be envious of and as Callum gets stronger, fitter and more technical on the wall, he will definitely be one to look and watch out for in the climbing world later on.
How old are you?
'12 years old.'
How long have you been climbing for?
'3 and a half years.'
What got you into climbing?
'My best friend. I started going because of him and then I just really got into it.'
What do you like about climbing?
'It is really fun and it keeps you fit. It's an exciting sport and not many people do it. Its a lot different from other sports'.
How passionate are you about climbing?
'Very passionate. I climb 4 times a week. I really like climbing.'
What are you currently climbing at?
'I mainly boulder at the 7b+ level.'
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
'In 5 years time, I would like to do a lot more outdoor climbing. I would like to climb different places around Scotland and the world.'
How old are you?
'12 years old.'
How long have you been climbing for?
'3 and a half years.'
What got you into climbing?
'My best friend. I started going because of him and then I just really got into it.'
What do you like about climbing?
'It is really fun and it keeps you fit. It's an exciting sport and not many people do it. Its a lot different from other sports'.
How passionate are you about climbing?
'Very passionate. I climb 4 times a week. I really like climbing.'
What are you currently climbing at?
'I mainly boulder at the 7b+ level.'
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
'In 5 years time, I would like to do a lot more outdoor climbing. I would like to climb different places around Scotland and the world.'
How long has Jessica been working with you for?
'1 and a half years in total.'
How has Jessica helped you with your climbing?
'Jessica has helped me set my goals and helped me stick with them and achieve them. She has helped me work on my weaknesses so I can get a lot better at things that I am bad at. I didn't do that much goal setting before I met Jess and I think goal setting has helped me a lot with my climbing. It's improved my performance a lot because when you are good at something or you like something, you tend to stick to doing that. Goal setting makes you work on stuff that you are not good at as well as things you are good at. So ultimately, it makes you into an even better climber. Goal setting has helped my both physically and psychologically.'
Has Jessica helped with any specific weaknesses?
'Jessica helped me with my nerves last year when I was very nervous at comps. She helped me tackle my nerves by speaking with me about the source of these nerves and by putting things in perspective for me. I remember having two sessions with Jessica and I wasn't feeling nervous any more.'
How do you think goal setting will benefit you as a climber later on?
'I think goal setting has helped me better able to cope with unexpected situations. I will definitely continue goal setting as it has made me a better climber psychologically.'
How have you found the meetings with Jessica?
'We meet twice a week for roughly 10/15 minutes and these meetings have been good as they are not too long and they are frequent. The regular meetings also make me keep on top of my goal setting as I am very forgetful and Jessica is good at keeping track of my progress and helps me maintain my book throughout the term.'
What do you think makes Jessica good at what she does?
'She is very nice and good at helping you keep on top of things. She is also good at identifying your weaknesses and is easy to work with.'
'1 and a half years in total.'
How has Jessica helped you with your climbing?
'Jessica has helped me set my goals and helped me stick with them and achieve them. She has helped me work on my weaknesses so I can get a lot better at things that I am bad at. I didn't do that much goal setting before I met Jess and I think goal setting has helped me a lot with my climbing. It's improved my performance a lot because when you are good at something or you like something, you tend to stick to doing that. Goal setting makes you work on stuff that you are not good at as well as things you are good at. So ultimately, it makes you into an even better climber. Goal setting has helped my both physically and psychologically.'
Has Jessica helped with any specific weaknesses?
'Jessica helped me with my nerves last year when I was very nervous at comps. She helped me tackle my nerves by speaking with me about the source of these nerves and by putting things in perspective for me. I remember having two sessions with Jessica and I wasn't feeling nervous any more.'
How do you think goal setting will benefit you as a climber later on?
'I think goal setting has helped me better able to cope with unexpected situations. I will definitely continue goal setting as it has made me a better climber psychologically.'
How have you found the meetings with Jessica?
'We meet twice a week for roughly 10/15 minutes and these meetings have been good as they are not too long and they are frequent. The regular meetings also make me keep on top of my goal setting as I am very forgetful and Jessica is good at keeping track of my progress and helps me maintain my book throughout the term.'
What do you think makes Jessica good at what she does?
'She is very nice and good at helping you keep on top of things. She is also good at identifying your weaknesses and is easy to work with.'
Published on the 08 December 2015.