CWA Blog Archive-Youth Team Climbers And Disordered Eating

Youth Team Climbers And Disordered Eating

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This sponsored article addresses a sensitive risk management responsibility for gyms with youth teams: supporting young athletes around the pervasive narrative of disordered eating. Just as operators put practices in place for auto belay use, waivers, and belay certification, they can put practices in place here too, and the author, Marisa, frames it through familiar climbing analogies. The first is the partner check. Every climb starts with a gear check, and coaches can run a similar check on the language they use with team kids. Suggesting a young athlete needs to lose weight is never appropriate. Coaches should avoid commenting on appearance, weight, or muscle size, and instead normalize growth, puberty, and changing bodies, since some kids gain weight rapidly during normal development and that shouldn't be feared. Body diversity is real, and coaches can foster a healthy relationship with food by encouraging regular fueling and hydration during long training sessions so athletes understand that fueling supports performance. The second analogy is staying on route. Just as climbers follow route rules, coaches should stay within their scope of practice. Good coaches help athletes improve technique, skill, flexibility, strength, and endurance. When an athlete needs nutrition guidance, the right move is to refer them to a qualified sports dietitian rather than advising directly. The article points to SafeSport as a useful framework for protecting athletes and notes that Marisa will present on this topic at the 2026 CWA Summit. The message for operators is that thoughtful language and clear professional boundaries are real, teachable risk management for youth programs.

Asset Caption

Sponsored content: supporting youth team climbers around disordered eating is real risk management. Run a "partner check" on your language, avoid comments on weight or bodies, and normalize growth. Stay on route by staying in your scope, and refer nutrition questions to a qualified sports dietitian.