Theresa Morris has practically spent her life on the rock, ever since she started as a kid climbing the Flatirons above Boulder with her uncle before climbing gyms existed. That early love of climbing followed her into a 30-year teaching career at Cherry Creek School District, where she built outdoor education programs, and that work eventually led her to found what would become the American Scholastic Climbing League.
In this episode, Theresa walks through the ASCL’s journey from a three-kid experiment at a single gym to a nonprofit spanning multiple states. She unpacks the operational realities behind running a scholastic league—insurance, membership fees, regional structures, and what it actually takes to start a new region from the ground up. Theresa and Scott dig into how the league serves as both an on-ramp for recreational climbers and a feeder system for more competitive athletes, and why she believes climbing offers something increasingly rare for kids: an in-person, phone-free community built around personal growth rather than just winning.
General Topics Covered
- Theresa’s climbing path, from childhood experiences through a career in education
- How a chance climbing competition in Amsterdam sparked the idea for a scholastic climbing league back home
- The origins as the Colorado High School Climbing League
- Why the group formalized into the ASCL nonprofit in 2018
- How membership fees fund the league’s infrastructure
- The ASCL’s mission: connecting kids to climbing and to a supportive community, beyond just competition and rankings
- How schools recognize climbing teams and the push toward broader athletic recognition
- What it takes for a gym or region to get involved
- Theresa’s vision for the ASCL’s growth and expansion into new states and regions
Show Notes
Thank you Rúngne, Walltopia, Cascade Specialty, Climbing Wall Association and Kilter Grips for your support! And thank you Devin Dabney for your music!
All photos below are courtesy of Theresa Morris.
