To the ownership and management of High Point Orlando:

We are writing to you as dedicated parents, climbers, members, and supporters of the High Point Youth Climbing Team, to express our deep concern and disappointment regarding the recent decision to dismiss Austin Hill as Head Coach. As parents, we have met collectively and are sharing the following with High Point ownership and management for your consideration:

#1: A well-established youth team is not just a retail product. By operating a competitive youth team, High Point accepted a responsibility that extends beyond managing employees and memberships. Families entrust you with children during some of the most formative years of their lives. Decisions affecting those children should therefore be made with the same level of care, transparency, and professionalism expected of any organization serving youth.

#2: Lasting relationships are an integral part of the program. Competitive youth athletics is fundamentally relationship-based. Trust between coach and athlete is not incidental; it is one of the primary mechanisms through which young athletes develop confidence, resilience, discipline, emotional regulation, and leadership. Removing a trusted coach without acknowledging the significance of those relationships disregards years of investment made by athletes and families alike.

#3: Coach Austin built what exists today. He has been an integral part of the Orlando climbing community for many years. Austin did not simply inherit a successful team. He helped build this community from its earliest stages, beginning years before High Point Orlando even opened. He brought together athletes and families, helped transition an existing team into this new facility, established the culture that has attracted new members, and played a significant role in making the youth program one of High Point Orlando's greatest strengths. The thriving team that exists today is not something High Point created independently, it is something Austin and the families continued to build together under your roof.

#4: The climbing team community is a major asset to a climbing gym. Strong youth programs are built through partnerships among athletes, families, coaches, and ownership. Parents are not passive consumers of a product; we volunteer, travel, fundraise, invest thousands of hours and dollars, and entrust you with our children. That makes us stakeholders in the future of this program, and stakeholders deserve meaningful communication, not simply notification after irreversible decisions have already been made. To have no interaction with the families involved prior to this decision communicates a lack of care and awareness for the decision's impact.

#5: Climbing culture is unique. Climbing has always distinguished itself from many traditional sports through its culture of inclusion, mentorship, humility, and community. Coaches are not simply instructors; they become mentors, advocates, and trusted adults. Decisions that disregard those relationships erode one of the defining characteristics that makes competitive climbing such a special environment for young athletes, and ultimately undermines the most impactful element

#6: This was preventable. Even if ownership believed a leadership change was necessary, the manner in which it occurred unnecessarily amplified the harm. A thoughtful transition plan, acknowledgment of athletes' relationships, opportunities for questions, and clear communication could have significantly reduced the disruption experienced by children and families.

#7: There are business consequences. Trust is one of the most valuable assets any youth organization possesses. When families lose confidence in leadership, the consequences extend beyond a single employment decision. Recruitment becomes more difficult, retention suffers, volunteer engagement declines, and the reputation of the youth program within the climbing community is diminished.

#8: Psychological safety. Young athletes thrive in environments that provide consistency, predictability, and psychologically safe relationships with trusted adults. Abrupt disruptions without meaningful explanation undermine that sense of security and leave children questioning the stability of the community they have invested years helping build. For many these effects can deteriorate their confidence in their own skills, their enjoyment of the sport, and even willingness to continue.

#9: Rationale for dismissal. If the concerns involve leadership style, communication, or interpersonal conflict, as opposed to athlete safety or misconduct, those are precisely the kinds of issues healthy organizations address through managerial coaching, accountability, performance improvement, and professional development. Immediate termination should not be the default response when the well-being of an entire youth community is at stake.

We respectfully request the following:

#1: Establish a parent advisory council. Form a standing advisory council composed of parents, athletes, coaches, and gym leadership to provide input regarding significant decisions affecting the youth program.

#2: Include stakeholders in coach selection. Include parent and athlete representation during the selection process for any future Head Coach. While final hiring authority appropriately remains with ownership, those most directly-affected deserve an opportunity to provide meaningful input regarding leadership qualities, program vision, and community fit.

#3: Develop transparent leadership policies. Publish clear expectations regarding how major leadership transitions affecting the youth team will be communicated in the future, including principles that prioritize athlete well-being and minimize unnecessary disruption.

#4: Human Resource Policies. High Point should establish a structured and consistent framework for managerial coaching and progressive corrective action for all personnel whose roles impact the Youth Team programs. Furthermore, High Point should explicitly define specific infractions that constitute grounds for immediate termination for any employee directly associated with the Youth Team programs.

#5: Rebuild trust. Commit to a series of listening sessions with families and athletes to rebuild the trust that has been significantly damaged by this process.

We are not writing because we believe parents should control employment decisions. We are writing because we believe youth sports are different. They are built on trust, relationships, mentorship, and community. When those foundations are shaken, the impact extends far beyond a staffing change. We hope High Point chooses to recognize this moment not as criticism to be managed, but as an opportunity to demonstrate the leadership, humility, and commitment to community that the sport of climbing has always represented.

Respectfully,

High Point Climbing Team