Vertical Playpen

Vertical Playpen


Latest Episodes

Navigating Group Dynamics While Belaying
February 14, 2023

In this episode, we explore the art of balancing group dynamics and safety when belaying on a ropes course while also respecting the participants awareness of tasks that are purely for behavior manage

Perfecting Your Belay Technique
February 07, 2023

In this episode, we delve into some fundamentals of belaying. We cover the importance of maintaining a good belay stance, keeping both hands on the brake strand of the rope at all times, and enhancing

The Co-facilitation Advantage
January 31, 2023

How often do you get the opportunity to co-facilitate during your programs? This is the topic of discussion in this episode, with Phil joined by colleagues Anne-Louise, Ryan, Chris and Lisa. What star

Training In England - Part 2 | Steve Woods
January 24, 2023

Here is part 2 of the conversation between Phil and Steve Woods. In this episode the following was discussed; - How long trainings should last - Thoughts on protecting the trainees - How to assess tra

Training in England - Part 1 | Steve Woods
January 17, 2023

What are the differences between being a trainer in the US vs the UK? This was a question submitted to me by one of our listeners, so we reached out to Steve Woods, the Technical Director at Vertex In

Activity Repetition
January 10, 2023

What are the pros and cons to repeating activities? How do you handle participants who have experienced the activities before? These questions (and more) and discussed in this episode and Phil, Lisa,

Activity Modifications | Jeff Dutko
January 03, 2023

What are some of the elements that are important to consider when modifying activities for your participants? Guest Host Rich Keegan chats with his friend and past colleague Jeff Dutko to discuss this

Hiring Summer Camp Staff | Greg Stoutzenberger
December 20, 2022

Hiring staff for summer camp can be a constant struggle. New thoughts and strategies should be considered. Phil and Greg (formally of the Mayhew program) sit down to discuss their thoughts on; - Creat

How to End a Workshop
December 13, 2022

How do you end your program, training or workshop? The Training Team (Phil, Rich, Chris and Lisa) discuss how they end a program or workshop with a group. Saying goodbye, closing activities and when t

How to Start a Workshop
December 06, 2022

What do you do at the very start of your program, training or workshop? In this episode members of our training team (Phil, Rich, Chris and Lisa) discuss how they begin a program or workshop with a gr

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