Dan runs all our classes from Portside Boulders in O’Connor Wa, we asked him a few questions about his coaching experiences and climbing experience.

How has coaching tennis shaped your views as a coach?

Tennis coaching generally centres around the premise that once technique has been instilled, improvement directly correlates with the number of tennis balls hit. Whilst practice is generally vital for improvement, I took issue with the lack of emphasis on conscious effort to apply skills and focus on the intricacies of the sport. Bouldering is grounded in complex movements, and as such requires a great awareness 

Whats you main focus while working with climbers?

Bringing a sense of awareness to their climbing so that they might analyse their mistakes and make self-guided improvements. Encourage effort as opposed to tangible success, which is intrinsically rewarding and motivating.

Have you climbed outdoors?

No - it's a goal!

Where do you want to take your own climbing?

Outdoors! Train consciously, purposefully, and with the intention to improve technique as opposed to sending one hard project.

 I was a tennis player for eight years before I adopted bouldering at Portside just a few months after the gym opened. From my first few entries I felt a drastic change to my mindset from the victory-focussed world of tennis to a sport that promoted personal development, and I was hooked. I’ve been bouldering now for two years consistently.

Coaching History and Ethos:

I coached tennis for a year before joining the Axis team, so my experience and passion for my sport have shaped my coaching ethos greatly. Tennis coaching generally centres around the premise that once technique has been instilled, improvement directly correlates with the number of tennis balls hit. Whilst practice is generally vital for improvement, I took issue with the lack of emphasis on conscious effort to apply skills and focus on the intricacies of the sport. Bouldering is grounded in complex, full-body movements, and as such requires a great awareness of the body as a whole. 

I’m a firm believer in the necessity of failure on the path to success. All climbers know that the greatest success outside of competition comes from failing one hundred times on a nails project and finally getting the send. I also believe that improvement in climbing can be seen within the components of a climber’s skill and is not necessarily denoted as graduating from a grade band. When we acknowledge climbers’ skill improvements, we’re not trying to make them feel better about not sending a climb – we’re encouraging reflection on the success of a honed technique that will no doubt help with future routes. 

Mind Over Matter:

Bouldering is a highly introspective sport. Our perception of our own ability can dictate the effort and focus we invest into the sport. Nerves can turn watertight footwork into tapdancing just the same as a positive attitude and a good psych-up can push us to jump an extra few centimetres than we would normally in order to stick a dyno. My goal as a coach is to encourage climbers to self-reflect and bring a sense of awareness to their climbing so that they might analyse their mistakes and make self-guided improvements. I aim to encourage effort as well as tangible success, which is already intrinsically rewarding and motivating.

Where have your biggest lessons as a climber come from? 

My biggest learning experience from climbing came from a projecting session

Have you climbed outdoors?

No - it's a goal!

Where do you want to take your own climbing?

Outdoors! Train consciously, purposefully, and with the intention to improve technique as opposed to sending one hard project.