Climber Development - National Youth Squad

At the Training to Train level, Mountaineering Ireland support climbers through the National Youth Squad programme.

The primary aim of this initiative is to nurture the development of promising young climbers as they negotiate their teenage years and to provide development opportunities, networking and planning support for coaches.

The Youth Squad is a stepping stone to the Youth Team and towards international representation and sustained senior success.

From 2025, the Youth Squad will work to anew curriculum, will accelerate climbers to a higher technical standard and with higher levels of physical conditioning. We aim to develop climber profiles and performance standards that will monitor progress of climbers and of the programme. The programme will be underpinned by a curriculum that follows the periodised year and aims to develop climbers in every aspect of their development.

Climbers selected into the Youth Squad will have achieved a top three overall position in the Youth Climbing Series and will have shown potential at this stage of development within the last year.

The objectives of the Youth Squad programme are to:

Ensure that climbers develop the required physical competences and fundamental movement skills to engage in performance training
Increase the retention of Ireland’s best teenage climbers through the Youth Team and onto the senior ranks
Improve results in the Grand Final of the YCS where climbers from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales compete
Develop young climbers with the aim of selection for the National Youth Team.
Support Youth Squad Coaches to progress on the coaching pathway by advancing their qualification and expertise further

Provide informal development opportunities, networking and planning support for Youth Squad coaches