Youth Coaching

Why Choose Synergy? Our coaches bring world-class experience built through decades of climbing, competing, and most importantly in-person coaching.

Lisa Rands — Synergy’s founder — was the first American to win a World Cup bouldering competition. Her coach, Wills Young, guided her to that historic victory along with multiple national and international competition wins. Together, they’ve since coached athletes to Youth National podiums and beyond.

We offer one-on-one coaching for competitive youth climbers, both Synergy Team members and others. Sessions are $60/hour (minimum two hours) and are available to climbers currently competing in USA Climbing events.

To discuss your goals or schedule a session, call or text Wills Young at (760) 920-5348.

At Synergy, we welcome all competitors. Our focus is on providing clear, effective guidance to improve technique, sharpen competition readiness, and develop training strategies that deliver results.

While we’re honored to work with some of the sport’s top young climbers, what matters most to us is motivation and attitude. If your child has the drive — we’re here to help them reach their potential.

Image: Before social media! Climbing Magazine reports on Lisa Rands’ self-funded trip to Europe, where she earned back-to-back victories on the international competition circuit and finished the year ranked number one in the world.

Coaching Champions

For those who take their climbing seriously, we can relate! We specialize in competition preparation, beginning with technique and mental strength. Climbing performance must be assessed holistically–technique, or a lack of technique in a climber is a result of that climber’s strengths and weaknesses. With a little time, we can assess the areas where improvements can be made. Turning that needed work into practice enables us to push a climber toward higher performance. All the time, keeping it as fun as possible!

We are proud coaches of Youth World Champion (four-time youth National Champion), Hugo Hoyer. We met Hugo when he was a raw 8-year old, with tons of energy and an astonishing gift for climbing. He was strong, but his technique and competition game needed some help. After traveling across the states looking for a cool place to live, checking out the climbing options in different cities, Hugo’s parents settled in Chattanooga–for the great local climbing AND the best coaching possible!

We value ALL our team members for the work they put in, and the value they bring to the team, no matter the level they attain. We are proud of every one for representing us to the best of their abilities!

Image: Hugo Hoyer, as a team member with Synergy became Elite National Team Trial Bouldering Champion 2024, Adult (Elite) Lead Champion 2023, Youth World Champion 2022, 4 x Youth National Champion. Also in left image and bottom right: Logan Zhang 3x Youth National Champion.

Climbers climbing and on podium

Outdoor Climbing

We have had the honor to work outside with numerous young super-stars-in-the-making. We love to show visitors around the boulders or cliffs, knowing exactly the climbs our clients will like, while providing top-level coaching and advice. Days outside are incredible experiences for these young climbers, and they leave feeling inspired and motivated.

If the weather turns sour, we can coach inside!

While any person willing to listen to the advice of a good coach will make fast gains, pre-teens and early teens are almost always ready to pick up good habits that will sustain them into maturity. Don’t miss the opportunity.

When outside our first priority is the safety of participants and we ensure that all climbers are well aware of the added hazards in nature, and the added responsibility to each other and the environment.

View our guiding page to plan a guided trip. Discounts to members and extra discounts to team members!

Chattanooga: The Place to Be

We provide coaching to youth competitors and youth climbers who just can’t get enough climbing in their lives! They may be looking to push their competitive success to new levels, whether their goal is to make Divisionals, make Nationals, or to reach the podium at one of those events. Others simply want to learn how to climb and train better or to see what “real” climbing on rock is all about. We work with climbers of all abilities to teach technique, and help them develop the tools they’ll need for steady improvement.

When you are serious about your climbing, you want to train with the best, climb with the best, and learn from the best… both indoors and outdoors.

Coming to Chattanooga makes sense because there is so much good outdoor climbing all around, from world class bouldering to world class sport climbing and adventurous “trad” climbing. You can get guiding and coaching both inside and outdoors, right on our doorstep. Come visit!

More Information

SYNERGY TEAM: Get ongoing coaching as a team member. As an added benefit of Synergy team membership, not only do participants train with other motivated climbers, but Synergy team members receive special rates for private coaching.

TRAINING CAMPS: In addition to private coaching, we offer training camps for competitors preparing for Divisional or National Championship events. Please see the team page for more information.

OUTDOOR guiding and instruction is available for adults too. Call or text Wills Young: 760.920.5348 (cell), or send us an email to get some more details.

What others have said about our coaching program…

We REALLY appreciate you and Lisa. Not just for how y’all have coached our girls, and helped them all fall in love with climbing… but also for how each of y’all model a humble confidence and pour into a next generation.

Lisa and Wills have created a team that has become a strong support system and family of friends. Our daughter has developed a healthy love for fitness and climbing that I know will stay with her for the rest of her life.

We are grateful for the positive attitudes, encouragement and great care you show and have shown to all our kids!  You have created something magical in this team and group of families-   Thank you.

We love you all and appreciate your time and dedication more than you can imagine.

My gratitude to Wills and Lisa for their guidance and instruction throughout Luke’s climbing experience knows no bounds.

This has been the best team-building experience for my boys. Following the lead of their coaches, all the team members have been extremely positive and encouraging throughout.

We are incredibly fortunate to have two world class coaches here in Chattanooga.

Thank you for all you and Lisa do!  We love you guys!

We are thrilled that our daughter is joining the team on some weekend trips! We can’t thank you and Lisa enough for all you do!!

Youth Nationals was quite an experience. Henry earned 7th place in sport climbing. We can’t thank our coaches Wills Young and Lisa Rands enough for their world-class coaching and commitment to Henry’s training.

I can’t believe how much York seems to have progressed the last couple months! Thank you and Lisa so much for creating this opportunity for him and for being such awesome coaches!

Thanks for taking two days out of your week to spend with Bekah. She had a great time and learned a lot. I’m sure there is a lot more she could learn from you!

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Our Areas of Expertise …

HAVING FUN

OUTDOOR GUIDING

PREPARING FOR COMPETITION

IMPROVING AND EXPANDING TECHNIQUE

ADVANCED SKILLS FOR OUTDOORS

TRAINING & BUILDING FITNESS

CORRECTING POSTURE

PREVENTING INJURY