Youth climbing: growth, fun and long-term development

Children and teenagers often take to climbing faster than anyone else in the gym. They are light, curious, fearless and they learn movement at remarkable speed. That is exactly why the adults around them, coaches and parents alike, need to think carefully about how they train. A young climber is not a small adult, and the goal is not to win this season but to still be climbing, healthy and happy, in ten years.

This post is general information. If a young climber has pain or you are unsure about a training decision, speak to a doctor or physiotherapist who works with young athletes.

Growing bodies and finger injuries

The bones in the fingers grow from areas of cartilage near the joints called growth plates (epiphyseal plates). Until growth is complete these areas are weaker than the surrounding bone, ligaments and tendons. Volker Schöffl and colleagues, who have written extensively on climbing medicine, have described epiphyseal stress injuries of the finger bones in adolescent climbers, most often in the middle joint of the middle or ring finger. These injuries tend to appear around the growth spurt and are associated with repeated, high-intensity loading of the fingers, especially hard crimping and campus boarding.

What makes them tricky is that the early signs can be vague: diffuse pain or stiffness around a finger joint, sometimes without a single memorable incident. A young climber may keep training through it because it "only hurts a bit". Persistent finger joint pain in a growing climber should always be checked by a professional rather than trained through.

The practical message from climbing medicine is broadly consistent: be cautious with high-intensity finger training such as campus boarding and maximal hangboarding before growth is complete. Exactly where the line sits is still debated and depends on the individual, so it is a conversation for coaches, parents and medical professionals rather than a fixed rule. What is not debated is that plenty of climbing on varied terrain builds finger strength gradually, without needing isolated maximal loading early on.

The long-term view

Lloyd and Oliver's youth physical development model offers a useful framework. Rather than focusing on one quality at a time, it suggests developing many qualities (fundamental movement skills, strength, speed, agility, endurance and others) throughout childhood and adolescence, with the emphasis shifting as the young person matures. Two ideas from it are especially relevant to climbing:

• Movement skill comes first. Running, jumping, landing, throwing, balancing and climbing in many styles build a broad base that later specialisation can draw on.
• Strength training is appropriate at all ages when it is well coached. Bodyweight and technique-focused strength work, done with good form and sensible progression, is very different from maximal finger loading.

Maturation matters too. Two 13-year-olds can be years apart biologically, so plans should follow the young person in front of you, not their birth certificate.

Variety, skill and fun

The climbers who last tend to be the ones who loved it as kids. A few principles help keep it that way:

• Lots of different climbing. Slab, overhang, volumes, cracks, top-rope, bouldering, outdoor days. Variety is training for movement skill.
• Other sports are a bonus. Gymnastics, football, swimming or dance build coordination and reduce the repetitive load of a single sport.
• Games over grinding. Eliminator, add-on, silent feet, one-hand traverses. Skill sessions can be playful and still be demanding.
• Process over grades. Praise effort, good decisions and new skills, not just tops.
• Rest is part of the plan. Growing bodies need sleep and recovery days. See proper rest and recovery.

The best youth programme is the one that produces a healthy, skilful adult who still wants to climb.

For parents

Watch for signs that something is off: complaints about finger joints, loss of enjoyment, poor sleep, or training that dominates everything else. Ask the coach how the plan balances intensity, variety and rest.

In Train Climb

• Parental consent. Athletes under 16 need a parent's consent to use the app, so parents stay in the loop from the start.
• Log how sessions feel. A quick log with effort (1–10), duration and how they felt helps coaches notice when a young climber is tired or overloaded.
• Use the morning check-in. Sleep, fatigue and soreness are especially useful signals during growth spurts.
• Plan variety into the season. Coaches can build season plans with skill-focused phases and deloads, rather than a constant push.
• Read more: training safely with good warm-ups and finger pulley injuries.

Coaches and clubs working with young climbers can create an account and see who Train Climb is for.