Student climbers from across Arkansas will gather on February 15, 2025, for the first Arkansas State Championships of the American Scholastic Climbing League (ASCL). Hosted at Climb Bentonville, the competition marks a major milestone for youth climbing in the state.
The ASCL’s roots trace back to 2008 with the founding of the Colorado High School Climbing League, which demonstrated the potential for organized, competitive climbing in schools. A decade later, the ASCL was established as a nonprofit to expand the sport’s reach nationwide.
In Arkansas, the league’s arrival is largely thanks to Sharon Bennett, a Little Rock-based climbing advocate. In late 2022, Bennett sought a way to make climbing accessible to underserved youth. Inspired by similar programs at Memphis Rox, a climbing gym in Tennessee, she saw the Arkansas Scholastic Climbing League as a path forward.
“Climbing can be expensive when you factor in travel, equipment, and gym memberships. We had to find funding sources to make this work,” Bennett said.
With support from the climbing community, Climbing4Change, Black Diamond, and the Runway Group, Bennett and her team secured 44 scholarships to cover gym memberships, equipment, and competition fees. “We have 84 kids competing across two Arkansas regions this year,” she added.
Bennett describes the experience as deeply rewarding but acknowledges the challenges. “This wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of people who care about these kids. It’s taken a lot of work—securing funding, getting gyms involved, and working with schools to support the program. People like Chris Horton, Athletic Director, LISA Academy North have helped immensely in working with schools on the program. He was the first and only AD I reached out to that said “Yes”. Chris wanted something more for the kids at LISA North.”
For some participants, a lack of parental involvement due to work schedules and family struggles makes even getting to the gym difficult. But for Bennett, seeing these young climbers develop confidence, take on leadership roles, and support their teammates has made the effort worthwhile.
“The transformation has been incredible,” she said. “Watching them grow over the months has been one of the highlights of the program.”
Rewards for the Athletes
Bennett and other organizers are not the only people benefiting from the program. She shared with us some quotes from families, coaches, and participants:
“I gauge it to be the best amenity that has been made available to my kids since we moved here in 2016!!” – Parent
“I have seen Kris’ focus and grades increase since he started climbing. The motivation to be able to participate is helping him in other areas of life.” – Teacher
“One of my students has spent some time in recovery from substance abuse, and this climbing program has been a fantastic place for them to channel their focus and energy into something productive and healthy.” – Coach
“Rock climbing has helped my daughter continue developing social skills, self-confidence, and physical fitness. Traditional “ball” sports have not been an option for her due to vision challenges, but climbing has been a sport that she has excelled in and thoroughly enjoys. As a parent that played organized sports, it has been great to see her be part of a team and watch them work together to solve problems and reach goals. They watch, listen, communicate, teach, and learn from each other. She is accomplishing goals in climbing “reaching the top”, and that confidence has translated into other areas of her life as well.” – Parent
“Thank you for bringing the Arkansas Scholastic Climbing League to Arkansas. Without this league, my son might have finished high school believing he was not an athletic person. The ASCL has provided a crucial avenue for him and other kids who are physically and mentally strong but do not excel in traditional “stick and ball” sports. By starting this league, you have given him a new way to support his school, be proud of his accomplishments, earn the respect of his peers, and gain motivation to continue his physical fitness journey as a young adult. Thank you and keep up the good work.” – Parent
When asked about the program’s future, Bennett shared an ambitious vision: “Colorado has over 700 athletes and four regions right now—I think that’s achievable for Arkansas. I’d love to see the program expand statewide and integrate more with school systems, potentially even bringing climbing opportunities directly into schools.”
Support for the Climbers
Besides Stone Bank, Climbing4Change, Black Diamond Equipment and the Runway Group, EP Climbing, Asana, Butora, Edelrid, and 8Bplus have also supported the program but they need more sponsors. If you would like to support the league or a local team or sponsor a climber, contact Sharon Bennett at ARCCSharon.Bennett@gmail.com.
The ASCL State Championship
The Arkansas High School State Climbing Championship will be held on Saturday, February 15th, 2025 at Climb Bentonville. Only qualified climbers may register and compete. Climbers must have competed in one regular season competition and their Regional Championship competition to compete at the State Championship.
All photos are courtesy of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. This article was originally published on ArkansasOutside.com, your trusted source for outdoor news and updates in The Natural State. Unless otherwise credited, all photos included in this piece are the property of Arkansas Outside, LLC. We take pride in sharing the beauty and adventures of Arkansas through our lens—thank you for supporting our work!
