oldguy.com

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Sean bailey one arm burl

always a milestone for the young boys. the one arm pull marks their breech into manhood.

about 3 years ago my good friend and colleague Coach Kyle of Team Texas sent me a christmas card. it has sat on my fridge, and the new fridge, since i received it. if i ever question whether or not i want to do this anymore, i always refer back to this card.
what Coach Kyle has done with his program and for youth climbing in general is nothing but inspiring to me. i have always felt we would not be where we are today without him and his club.
with ABS nationals coming up a world of emotions come over me. i have never been able to not care, i have never been able to stand back and let it pass over me. Our team is ready, our team is excited and they should do well, but i always worry about the unexpected. sure we want to win or at least place well, but more importantly i love what these national events showcase about our team. what these national events showcase for all the top teams. it shows the country, coaches, climbers, parents, USAC, what our programs are about. how they behave, perform and most importantly ambassador for the good of our sport. I am super proud of who we have become and how we represent ourselves. if you really know us, you know why we do this. it is for the kids. it is for the sport. it is for the future of our youth and their lives after competitive climbing.
i am proud to say that our program is one of those ones that others look up to. one of the ones that others model theirs after. we couldnt do it without the support. and we never would have done it without Coach Kyle and his inspiration.
thanks buddy, we are coming for you.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

get paid

dont sell yourself short. just cuz someone less qualified or possibly not qualified at all will do it for cheaper or even free, doesnt mean you need to as well.
those of us who have been routesetting for years understand this oh too well. there are a dozen kids chomping at the bit just waiting to be handed the drill. its too bad more and more owners dont see the value in tried and true experienced work. what is the difference between a high end carpenter or union ironworker from what you as a veteran routesetter do? why is someone coming in and pounding nails in your facility and doing half ass work getting paid $30 an hour? those of you who dont see this should recognize.
me and my crew are very fortunate to be in the situation we are in. but i know many of you around the country are not.
i do see a time when there is a routesetters union and we will be treated as any other tradesman.