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Rifle Middle Students Take PE to New Heights

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Teacher assisting an eighth grader on a climbing wall
Rifle Middle Students Take PE to New Heights

When Rifle Middle School eighth graders head to PE, some lace up more than sneakers—they slip into climbing shoes and tackle the walls at the Rifle Climbing Center.

PE teacher Lukas Hill saw a collaboration with the Rifle Climbing Center as the perfect way to connect students with a world-class resource in their own backyard.

“We don’t have a rec center, but we have the best climbing in the nation, and we don’t produce any climbers,” Hill explained. “Climbing saved me in high school. It gave me motivation to make good choices and a healthy way to test my boundaries. I wanted our kids to have that same opportunity”.

For Jason Marshall, who opened the Rifle Climbing Center in February, the partnership with Garfield Re-2 schools just made sense.

“Lukas approached us about bringing his students here, and it was a no-brainer,” Marshall said. “It’s a local resource a lot of people don’t take advantage of. field trips expose kids to climbing, and those kids become part of the community. They’re the future climbers, the future employees, and a future club team”.

The climbing center offers a special rate to make the experience accessible for Rifle Middle School. For students like eighth grader August Freund, the sessions are about more than just fun.

“I enjoy doing this and would like to come here more often,” August shared. “It’s a challenge and lets me set some goals to complete and know where I’m at with my rock climbing skill. Setting goals and trying to get to the top—that applies outside of PE too”.

In just seven, 40-minute sessions, students work on teamwork, confidence, and perseverance, all skills that reach far beyond the climbing wall.

“Climbing is healthy, it builds friendships, and it takes you places,” Marshall said. “We’re excited to share that with Garfield Re-2 kids”.

This community partnership helps the Rifle Middle School PE class become more than exercise. It’s about teamwork, confidence, and perseverance. Together, Garfield Re-2 and the Rifle Climbing Center are giving students not just a gym, but a playground for life skills.