Hey blog followers and fellow ranters!
So far I have been to 3 different local boxes in the Sussex/Morris area.
Takeaways to date have been consistent and inconsistent!
As I provide some findings below, understand that I am entering into the other communities as an observer; to immerse myself in a different community without casting judgement, but to create self-awareness and observations of operations, programming and community interaction.
The consistency lies in how I have been treated on a personal level… but I feel it's unfair to use that valuable experience because they know I am an owner/coach and treat me as such. The other consistency is within community function. Almost in all instances, I was not introduced to the people in my session, nor were the people in my session willing to initiate any interaction or communication… unless I was the initiator!
THAT, MY FRIENDS is where we stand out and stand tall above the rest. I feel that within our community of athletes, we are ambassadors of fitness… whether it be CrossFit or other pursuits like running, cycling etc. Visitors to the shed are always introduced, and interaction with visiting athletes is always initiated by us in an effort to make that visitor feel like they are part of our community. "Hi"s and "Hello"s instead of hairy eyeballs makes a huge impact on the visitor experience, and I say that from hands-on experience!! I got plenty of hairy eyeballs over the past month!
So far I see a definite inconsistency in programming, cleanliness, organization, respect for equipment and identifying "who's in charge". I haven't been blown away by any one particular experience, coaching or WOD… again, going in as an observer, I have not observed anything that would make me want to change or tweak our approach for the for our community… however, I still feel very strongly that the outliers & the elite within all communities need specific programming that is not geared toward improving health metrics, but more towards handling high volume, absolute strength gains and competitive scenarios that are less about feeling good and getting healthy and more about pushing limits and breaking boundaries regardless of the physical and emotional risks.
As an owner taking steps outside of myself to get a better understanding of what people want and need, I see the importance of being able to walk into a gym and immediately be able to identify who is in charge, or for there to be a "front desk" feel that creates a bit of a boundary to the training space. Cleanliness and organization from top to bottom of the WOD has been huge for me… I am more comfortable in a clean, organized training environment… even if kettlebells are being dropped all around me! If it's dirty or lacks flow… it takes more gumption and self-awareness for me to feel comfortable.
On this blog, my visits are anonymous… if you want specific details, please ask me directly!
This tour idea is something I am doing to reconnect with my CrossFit roots, in hopes to better serve you based on my experiences as a visiting athlete in other gyms and communities.
So far it's been enlightening!
Your findings are a great tool to help us coaches continue to develop. I’ve noticed myself using your metrics as a mental checklist during classes. It help me become more aware of how I conduct myself as an athlete and coach. Keep ’em coming.
Nobody said Hi?!? That never happens at the shed 🙂