An athlete’s development begins long before reaching the highest level of competition and extends far beyond what happens during an event. With this perspective, World Climbing used the Youth World Championships held in Arco, Italy, to make education one of the central pillars of a week that brought together young climbers from around the world. Alongside competing on the walls, participants gained access to knowledge designed to help them navigate some of the challenges they may encounter throughout their sporting development.
Through seminars and workshops, the Youth Worlds created spaces to discuss integrity, clean sport, health, nutrition and the safeguarding of young athletes. The activities involved not only competitors but also coaches, parents and medical staff, recognizing that the environment surrounding a developing athlete plays a fundamental role in their well-being. World Climbing delegates and external specialists addressed these topics through real-life situations, seeking to provide climbers with tools that can support them both in and out of competition.
Integrity and clean sport from the early years of competition
One of the workshops was led by Andrew Whittingham, Head of Education at Sportradar Integrity Services, and addressed risks that are part of modern sport, including competition manipulation, responsible use of social media and respect for codes of conduct. Through examples and discussions with participants, the session placed particular emphasis on recognizing situations that could compromise sporting integrity and on the importance of giving young athletes the tools to respond to them. Rather than simply presenting a set of prohibitions, the goal was to develop the ability to make informed decisions in situations that could have consequences for their sporting careers.
Anti-doping education also played an important role through a collaboration with the International Testing Agency (ITA). In addition to a session dedicated to clean sport, an information point was set up where athletes could ask questions about testing, medications, supplements, rights and responsibilities. Armando Urban, ITA Education Manager, highlighted that understanding these issues can reduce the risk of unintentional rule violations while protecting both athletes’ health and their careers. The work with young athletes, coaches and families sought to introduce this knowledge from an early stage, when many competitors begin facing increasingly demanding competitive environments.
Health, nutrition and safeguarding to support growth
The physical development of a young climber presents different challenges from those faced by an adult athlete. Dr. Krystle R. Tuano, Medical Delegate for the Youth Climbing World Championships, led a workshop on pediatric injuries, fractures and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), also aimed at coaches, medical professionals and parents. The session explored how to recognize injuries specific to a still-developing body, identify warning signs and understand the role that proper nutrition plays in health and bone development. In a discipline where physical performance can become increasingly important from an early age, the workshop focused on balancing competition with healthy growth and a sustainable sporting career.
This concern for well-being also extended to the emotional and social dimensions of sport. In a session led by Andrea Vaccaro, a specialist in child safeguarding across different sports and organizations, participants worked on the principles needed to create safe sporting environments, recognize harmful behaviors and prevent situations that could affect young athletes. The initiative is part of an approach that World Climbing intends to continue at future youth events, incorporating education into the competitive experience and encouraging athletes, coaches, families and organizations to share responsibility for creating an environment where young people can develop as they progress through their sporting careers.
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