After the books are closed and the school bell has rung, a team of students from Brainerd High School hurries to practice. But instead of padding up for football or lacing up cleats for soccer, they are heading to Little Rock City or to a local climbing gym to practice their belaying skills.
They are part of the new Chattanooga Area Interscholastic Climbing League, which had its second meet last weekend at Urban Rocks Gym.
Together with High Point Climbing Gym, Tennessee Bouldering Authority and Urban Rocks Gym, Outdoor Chattanooga started the program earlier this fall to introduce the sport to teenagers, said program and meet leader Zack Bopp.
"The league is designed for kids who maybe haven't climbed before or climbing isn't accessible to them," said Bopp.
Currently, the league has 12 teams representing schools from all over Hamilton County, and even Georgia and other parts of Tennessee. Bopp said organizers hope to continue to grow the league, expanding from the 85 students who competed during the first meet Nov. 1.
And while at the end of the six meets - two for each climbing gym - the kids will win only bragging rights, Bopp said the response from the early meets is encouraging.
"We have a very diverse group of kids, and it's great," he said. "That's what we're going for. We want to bring people into the sport who normally wouldn't be there."
Climbers are responsible for helping each other belay, and are often intentionally paired with students from other schools, Bopp said. The point is to get kids talking, working on teamwork and communication skills, all while learning to climb.
"It's so cool to see them meet other kids their age and learn about someone else's life," said Bopp. "And this is really such a great sport in Chattanooga, and we want to encourage that as well."