Things You'll Need:
- to be in upper management at a gym
- or to be enlisted in a college course requiring a case study on adding a climbing wall to a gym
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Step 1
1.) First find how popular the request for a climbing wall really is, it is necessary to get an accurate population of the gym’s opinion. The members should first be informed about the restrictions for using the wall and the pros and cons of having one in the gym. This can be performed by passing out handouts to members as they enter the gym. After about a week, most if not all of the members should now have a better understanding of what having this piece of apparatus in the gym entails and how it would affect them. To then find an accurate survey of the popularity, two methods could be used. As each member signs/swipes into the gym there could be a staff member who asks if they are for or against the installation of a climbing wall and mark the answer with a simple tally on the computer or paper. A more discrete method would be to advertise a vote for the climbing wall by passing it into the suggestion box with their name to stop members from voting more than once. This would weed out the people who actually care or are affected by the installation of a climbing wall.
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Step 2
2.) Before this piece of equipment is installed into your gym you should first research how dangerous and what the expenses from insurance will cost once installed. If it is likely that their will be many accidents, this not only hurts the company’s revenue but also hurts the reputation of the gym. You should also find how well liked this piece of equipment is among different age groups and how profitable it can be. This research can help you focus your advertisement of the new piece of equipment and find what additional, if any, charges should be.
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Step 3
3.) I would screen participants by fitness testing along with a quiz on safety protocol and a waiver much like that of a PAR-Q. The member must be able to lift a sufficient amount of weight by both their arms and legs to climb a vertical wall. They must also have some knowledge of what to do in a dangerous situation such as a broken bone. To reduce risk of such injuries they should answer questions related to their health, such as diseases or health problems that could increase their probability of injury.
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Step 4
4.) Be aware of staff concerns. The staff may become concerned of the increased members occupying the gym due to the installation of the rock wall. Crowding in the gym could lead to more unhappy members or even the gym becoming understaffed to control the members. The staff may also become concerned about an increase in paperwork for both new memberships and waivers for the rock wall. This increase in paperwork may give them less time to help members in the gym.
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Step 5
5.) If this program was offered, to reduce risk all qualified participants would have to take a class which instructed skills for rock climbing and safety procedures. Once a participant passed a fitness test and a document stating that they are fit to engage in this activity, they would then have to become certified to climb by taking this class. Also to reduce risk they would have to sign a waiver that states any self induced accidents during climbing is not the fault of the gym or staff.
