Thoughts on my first comp

Well I attended my first climbing competition this past weekend and it really opened my eyes about where this sport is going. Kids who maybe reached my waist, were climbing strong. They showed motivation, desire, strength and mental toughness, that is unusual in children in this age. If they carry this with them their whole life, they will be awesome adults. As the comp moved through the age divisions, I didn't see a slackening of these qualities, and where you would have thought competitors would have wanted to win, they showed amazing sportsmanship, by cheering on their competition. On the mens final route, I think everyone, competitors, judges, and fans alike, wanted to see someone, anyone top out, but alas, not this time. When someone made this first clip, all eyes and cheers where focused on them; a collective prayer went out to please let them succeed. With each competitor, the sighs got more audible as each fell short of the goal. This to me is what true sportsmanship is all about. These are things you won't see in mainstream sports. The win-at-all-costs attitude hasn't, and I hope never will, taken a foothold in this sport. In short, I have a renewed passion to take with me this climbing season, and for that I thank yourclimbing, BRC, the onlookers, and the competitors, especially the youngest; you little guys have great heart and showed what desire is all about.