Doug Posted November 2, 2009 Posted November 2, 2009 One of my daughter's classmates has an older brother (13 yo or so) who has had some behavioral issues. Their mom approached me the other day looking for some help. She told me that they put him in an Outward Bound program last year and that other than the serious foot infection that ended the program early for him, he really made some progress. He especially enjoyed the Rock Climbing. So, she's looking for a venue where he can participate with other kids in an activity that he appears to have taken to. Neither her or her husband are likely candidates to participate. Any suggestions (eastside, s. end) where he can go? Does vertical world have any organized youth programs? Quote
montypiton Posted November 2, 2009 Posted November 2, 2009 Vertical World is worth a call, and I've seen programs offered by municipal parks & recreation departments, and by such groups as the Boy Scouts and YMCA. In addition, most college and community college outdoor recreation programs offer some opportunities for group trips with varying degrees of challenge & supervision, which are often open to the public but may not be publicized off campus. The optimal fix would be to hook the kid up with a friend whose parents & family climb, and a place like Vertical World, or the Mountaineers, or any of the above-mentioned agencies might help make such a connection. If he's in school, see if any of the teachers are climbers, and if they are, whether they're willing to mentor. Many are -- my wife learned to climb with her high-school biology teacher, and thirty-five years later, the guy who taught her to climb is my main fly-fishing and bowhunting partner! Yet another option is your local SAR unit. Sometimes the ones operating in the heavily populated counties have youth adjuncts. Your county sheriff's office can connect you with your local unit. Good Luck! Quote
Bug Posted November 2, 2009 Posted November 2, 2009 PM Rumr. His son is kickin a in a program. I think it is at VW Quote
Pete_H Posted November 2, 2009 Posted November 2, 2009 Maybe since this kid has "behavioral problems" he should go into some Hoods in the Woods program with people trained to deal with such issues. Quote
RuMR Posted November 2, 2009 Posted November 2, 2009 Vertical World Team would probably not be a great idea for behavioral issues...the kids are serious, train hard and are very very focused...the coaches won't take *problem* kids...think of select soccer or something along those lines... personally, i agree with Pete on this one...people who are trained to deal with this stuff are better suited... Quote
marc_leclerc Posted November 2, 2009 Posted November 2, 2009 Vertical World Team would probably not be a great idea for behavioral issues...the kids are serious, train hard and are very very focused...the coaches won't take *problem* kids...think of select soccer or something along those lines... personally, i agree with Pete on this one...people who are trained to deal with this stuff are better suited... Do any of the gyms have a recreational program.... I agree that a cmopetitive team would not appreciate a 'problem kid'. When I was on a team I hated being forced to tie in with those kids for the day.. as bad as that sounds. Quote
Pete_H Posted November 2, 2009 Posted November 2, 2009 Maybe he would be like the pitcher from the Bad News Bears though, who rode a dirt bike and smoked cigarettes, but was super bad-ass when he wanted to be, but probably not. I think you should hire Josh Lewis to take the kid out, seems like Josh could use some extra cash. Maybe you could pay him by buying him some new boots. Quote
AlpineK Posted November 2, 2009 Posted November 2, 2009 I know Outward Bound has some programs for kids with problems like that. Quote
johnson Posted November 2, 2009 Posted November 2, 2009 i used to work for a boys behavioral school. frequently, we would get these kids from an outward bound program. in my experience, outward bound programs make good progress with the kids BUT, the program is too short. Many times, the kid would just go back home, be good for a short time, and then finally go back to doing bad shit. this kid may need to go to a more long term facility. Quote
fredrogers Posted November 2, 2009 Posted November 2, 2009 I work for Outward Bound- there are standard "open enrollment" courses which are not really designed for kids with serious behavioral issues (although I often joke every teen is at risk these days). He may very well benefit from an Intercept course, details can be found OB Intercept Courses here. Quote
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