Regionals and End of Season...
It is hard to believe how fast this season has gone by! Regionals is next week and our last day of practice is less than 2 months away. Looking ahead into the Summer, we have chosen a date for the Team Banquet and have included a link to RSVP. We also have links to register for Summer Team practices for athletes who wish to continue training with us.
Newsletter Content:
Facebook Parent Group
Regionals - Onsite Format & Spectator Rules
Team Banquet
Summer Team Practices
Upcoming USA Climbing Comps
2018/2019 Team Tryout Dates - REGISTRATION FOR TRYOUTS OPENS MAY 14th by noon. Registration can fill quickly so if you have a specific date you need, please plan on registering right at noon.
Last Day of Practice - June 14
Facebook Parent Group
In case you missed this in last month's newletter...
A few parents brought up the idea of starting a Team Parent page on Facebook, where you all can send messages to set up carpooling to competitions, banquet, etc and for those on Team ET, set up carpooling to Saturday morning practices. Part of the hope is that since many of you are already on Facebook, it will be easier to send a message via Facebook than having to log into a different website.
So, here's the link to the Earth Treks Team Parent Facebook page - it's currently set to "private", click the link and request to join and I'll try to accept the request as quickly as possible!
Click here to join Team Parent Facebook page!
Regionals May 12, 2018 - Onsite Format & Spectator Rules
Peak Experiences Richmond
Saturday, May 12
1375 Overbook Road
Richmond, VA 23220
Regionals is taking place at Peak's newly opened facility in Richmond - please note the change in address from what was posted on our website and USA Climbing's site earlier this season.
SPORT & SPEED FORMAT
Onsight format: 3 routes, 5 minutes per route, 1 min. transition, 5 minute rest, 1 min. tie-in period.
Speed format: 2 attempts at the speed route
For a full break down of what you need to know for Sport and Speed, please refer to the Top 10 document we will be providing. Here is a summary of some important reminders:
- As much as you want to support your child, please do not speak to your child while they are in the "ready chairs" or the chairs facing away from the climbs while they wait for their turn. These chairs are considered an extension of iso.
- General cheering and encouragement is allowed such as using their name, "nice job", "you got this", or "way to go". However, "you've got time" and "use your feet" or other such cheers is considered giving beta and could lead to disqualification.
- Coaches, parents and spectators are not allowed to speak to judges. Earth Treks coaches can assist with questions or appeals as necessary. You can help by recording your child climbing. These recordings can be used in the event of an appeal. But please do not as a parent talk to a judge directly as this could lead to your child being disqualified.
You can read more of the specifics for each of these rules in the USA Climbing Rulebook linked below. These rules are designed to help ensure everyone's safety, enjoyment and the fairness of a comp. If you have questions let us know!
USA CLIMBING 701 REGIONAL INFO
USA CLIMBING RULEBOOK
INVITATIONS TO DIVISIONALS
Sport: Top 10 climbers in each category receive invitations to Divisionals at Vertical Adventures in Columbus, OH.
Speed: All climbers that complete at least one successful top in Speed receive invitations to Divisionals.
*If your athlete qualifies for Divisionals, you have two days following Regionals to register through the USA Climbing website.
Team Banquet - June 9th @ Union Jack's
We are once again hosting our annual Team Banquet as a way to celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of all the athletes, coaches and parents throughout the competitive season. We hope you will be able to join us for an afternoon of awards, food, and fun!
Please click the link below to RSVP before midnight on Friday, May 25th.
CLICK HERE TO RSVP
When: June 9th 12:30-2:30pm
Where: Union Jack's in Columbia
10400 Little Patuxent Pkwy, Columbia, MD 21044
Price: $22/person (which will be charged to your account and billed June 1st)
Dress Code: Dressy Casual
Menu: Vegetable Platters Jerk Chicken Sliders (and a smaller amount of Caprese Sliders for vegetarians) Macaroni and Cheese, Pizzas (gluten free crust options), and assorted flavors Brownie Bites/Cookie Tray
Summer Team Practices
If you are excited to continue practicing with Team past the end of the school year, then consider joining us for Summer Team practice! Summer practices are available at all gym locations for current Team members only.
This is a great opportunity for athletes to stay active and on top of their game over the long summer break. There are two time options available at most locations, please choose the one that works best for your family. All levels of Team will practice together during the summer to increase Team cohesion. Dates for practices are listed on the registration page, but Columbia and Timonium will have 10 sessions, while Crystal and Rockville have 5 sessions available.
**Note, practices for athletes advancing to Nationals will occur during some of the Summer Team practices from 6:00-8:30pm. If you sign up for Summer Practice and end up advancing to Nationals, we will credit your payment towards National Practices.
Columbia - Register Here
Tuesday/Thursday ($250 or $165 for members)
4:30-6:30pm and a separate 6:30-8:30pm
Timonium -Register Here
Monday/Wednesday ($250 or $165 for members)
4:30-6:30pm and a separate 6:30-8:30pm
Rockville -Register Here
Monday/Wednesday ($125 or $85 for members)
4:30-6:30pm and a separate 6:30-8:30pm
Crystal City -Register Here
Tuesday/Thursday ($125 or $85 for members)
4:30-6:30pm and a separate 6:30-8:30pm
USA Climbing Competitions
Sport and Speed Season 2018
*May 12 - REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - Peak Experiences, Richmond, VA
*June 16-17 - DIVISIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - Vertical Adventures, Colombus, OH
*July 12-15 - NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - Stone Summit, Kennesaw, GA
*Comps where ET Coaches will attend
Regional, Divisional, and National competitions have specific requirements for qualification, registration, and attendance so please read through the USA Climbing website carefully. Earth Treks charges a nominal competition fee for athletes attending upper level competitions through USAC (Divisionals and Nationals): $75 for Divisionals and $150 for Nationals. While these fees will not completely cover the cost of sending coaches, they will help keep it at a manageable rate so that we can continue to send coaches to away competitions.
There are several levels of comps, below is a rough overview of comp structure.
Local comps - open to anyone, whether on a team or not, no requirements besides pre-registration to attend.
Region Championship - must have competed in two local comps(can be in any region), and be a registered competitor with USA Climbing by the time registration for Regionals closes.
Division Championship - top 10 competitors in each age and gender category advance from Regionals to Divisionals.
National Championship - top 6 comeptitors in each age and gender category advance from Divsionals to Nationals.
2018/2019 Team Tryout Dates
Tryout dates for the 2018/2019 season are listed below. Please add these to your calendar! All athletes must tryout each year for Team, but based on last year’s success, we have decided to continue having our Team ET athletes tryout at the end of the current season, to help alleviate waitlists for the summer tryouts. Team ET athletes will tryout during practices the last two weeks of the season in June.
Athletes can tryout at any location regardless of where they want to be for the season, which may help with scheduling for some. Of course if you are on Advanced or Intermediate Team and cannot make any of the dates below, please email me ASAP and we will make arrangements. Ideally we want to have our Advanced and Intermediate Team athletes tryout in August, especially if they are looking to move up a level of Team, as this gives them the whole summer to train and prepare.
If you have any questions about the tryout process or these changes this year please let me know . Registration will open May 14th by noon. You can find registration links and the tryout dates HERE.
COLUMBIA - both tryouts capped at 50
Sunday June 10th - 5:30pm-7:30pm (Auxiliary date for those who can't make it in August)
Saturday August 11th - 5:30pm-7:30pm
Crystal City - capped at 40
Friday August 3rd - 5:00pm-7:00pm
Rockville - capped at 50 but goes after hours
Sunday August 5th - 5:30pm-7:30pm
Timonium - capped at 45
Monday August 6th - 5:00pm-7:00pm
**Results posted on Monday August 13th
LAST DAY OF PRACTICE - JUNE 14
It really is hard to believe we are coming towards the end of the season. The last day of practice will occur during the week of June 11-14 depending on the location and level of team your athlete is on. The monthly team rate will be prorated for June. Those who advance to Nationals will be able to practice during the summer team times and will be charged accordingly.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. And Happy Rope Season!
The Coaching Staff
