CWA Blog Archive-Specific Activities For Specific Outcomes

Specific Activities For Specific Outcomes

Pdf Summary

This article gives coaches a framework for intentional program design, arguing that when planning a climbing season, camp session, or any program, the first thing to consider is desired outcomes, the goals a coach wants participants to reach. By identifying outcomes at the outset, a coach creates both metrics to measure a program's effectiveness and a programmatic map with a clear destination. That map should consist of incremental waypoints participants attain through the program, which means the exercises, games, and activities a coach plans and facilitates must be picked and used strategically to meet specific outcomes. The article notes that some activities are inherently effective at challenging specific skills and can be plugged in without much thought: a safely facilitated campus board session should positively affect participant strength, and a game of Mingle Warm Up will have an icebreaking effect on a new group. Compiling a resource of such starting points can make program planning more manageable for coaches. However, the author stresses that a quality climbing program must aim to achieve a wide variety of learning outcomes, implying that coaches can't rely solely on a handful of go-to activities. The throughline is that effective climbing program design is fundamentally outcome-driven and strategic, beginning with clearly defined goals and then deliberately selecting activities that serve them. For coaches, the article provides a disciplined planning philosophy: define outcomes first, map the path with waypoints, and strategically match activities to goals.

Asset Caption

This piece gives coaches an outcome-driven framework for program design: start by defining desired outcomes, which become both success metrics and a roadmap of incremental waypoints, then strategically select activities to meet each goal. While some activities reliably produce known effects, a quality program spans many outcomes and requires intentional, varied activity selection.