STOP GUESSING YOUR WAY TO FULL-OUTS.
Start with the Climb Preview. It’s free. You’ll get a full week of training designed to prepare you for The Climb, including the tools, planning, and coaching strategies you need to start moving your team toward full-outs with intention.
What The Climb Looks Like
"Run It Again."
When Something Breaks, “Again” Isn’t Always the Answer.
It’s easy for practice to become more reps without a clear reason for the reps. There’s a big difference between athletes knowing the routine and being able to hold that routine together from beginning to end. The Climb gives you a system for everything that happens in between, so instead of just running more, you know what to test, what to work, and when your team is ready for more.
What You'll Walk Away With
Over seven short emails, you’ll experience the foundations of The Climb and walk away with the tools, planning, and coaching strategies you need to prepare your team for the eight phases ahead.
Your Starting Point: A clear understanding of where your team currently sits within the full-out progression.
Your Routine Map: Every section and transition documented in performance order.
Your Section Breakdowns: Your routine broken into specific, trainable pieces so you know what to isolate when something breaks.
Your Climb Calendar: A realistic plan built around your actual practices, schedule, and season.
A Diagnostic Coaching Framework: A simple process for identifying why something is breaking instead of defaulting to “run it again.”
Your Athlete Tracking System: A plan for making progress visible and building individual ownership throughout The Climb.
Your Climb Readiness Check: A clear picture of what’s ready, what needs attention, and what your team needs next.
The calendar belongs to your team. The progression gives you the route. 🏔
The Full Climb System
Once you're inside, this is the system — one goal at a time, at a pace built around your season. Two practices per phase is the default, not a requirement; we'll show you how to adapt if your team practices more or less.
Before you climb, map the route. Learn how the system works, document your routine and transitions, identify your available practices, and set up the tools you'll use throughout The Climb.
Start connecting the routine two sections at a time. Train the seams between sections while protecting execution.
Connect three sections and increase the demand. Begin identifying what changes as athletes have to sustain their performance longer.
Increase the physical demand by asking athletes to maintain all of their tumbling responsibilities as more of the routine comes together.
Shift the test to building skills and determine whether athletes can maintain their lifting responsibilities as fatigue and routine demands increase.
Bring the two major demands together and ask athletes to successfully handle both within the same practice.
Move into your first full-out tests while continuing to protect and develop pyramid separately.
Bring the entire routine together and test whether athletes can maintain their responsibilities from beginning to end.
Move from hitting once to proving repeatability. Your athletes work toward successfully performing two full-outs in the same practice.
The routine gets bigger. The process stays the same. The full Climb system is included inside That Cheer School.
John Knowles
I built The Climb because I kept watching coaches jump straight from sections into full-outs and hope their athletes could figure out how to hold it together. That gap in the middle of the season doesn't need to be a guessing game.
15+ years coaching and choreographing championship-level all-star teams, including former All-Star Director & Director of Routine Development at Cheer Athletics Plano, with championship experience at Worlds, Summit, NCA, and the Majors.
Get The Free Climb Preview
No matter where you are in your season, you can start today. Get the Free Climb Preview now, and when you're ready for full access to the Introduction and all 8 phases, you'll know exactly where to begin.
Free Climb Preview
7 daily emails packed with the tools, planning, and coaching strategies you need to prepare your team for the eight phases of the climb.
Quick Questions
Is the Free Climb Preview actually free?
Yes. No cost, no catch. At the end of the seven days, you'll have the option to join That Cheer School for full access to all 8 phases of the Climb to Full-Outs, but there's no pressure either way.
What if my choreography isn't finished yet?
The Climb Preview works regardless — it's about understanding how the system works and how to start thinking about mapping your routine. Once you're inside That Cheer School, The Climb to Full-Outs is available, whenever your season is ready.
What if I'm already mid-season?
You're not behind. The Climb is a system, not a fixed program with a start date. It's built around wherever you and your team are right now. Start with the Climb Preview, map where your team currently is and then join the Climb inside That Cheer School to start the phase you need right now.
What happens after the seven days?
You'll have your practices mapped out, understand how The Climb works. and be ready to decide where your team should begin. If you join That Cheer School, you'll get full access to all 8 phases, tools, coaching support, and phase-by-phase practice plans.
You've Built The Routine.
Now We Climb. 🏔
Eight phases. One progressive system, adapted to your team and your season. Start with the Free Climb Preview — free.
Get The Free Climb Preview