What your CrossFit Coach is (Hopefully) Thinking
by R. Lankford
If you are reading this, you likely belong to a CrossFit box yourself, or maybe you attend group fitness classes at another facility. Regardless, your coach is likely greeting you as you walk in (and if they aren’t they should be.) Before class starts, they’re making sure the space is clear, and everyone is comfortable and ready to go!
As the warmup begins, so do the wheels in the mind of your coach. “Who needs correcting?” “Who is going to need modifications?” “Do I have enough equipment for the WOD?” A good coach is not only thinking in terms of the programming for the day, they are also doing what they can within their power to see to it everyone is happy and enjoying themselves while they move. The coach’s eyes are working like a radar, sweeping the room for any opportunity to educate, inspire, and entertain.
Correcting movements and improving technique are the easy parts of being a coach. Keeping everyone engaged, however, is where the real effort lies. Checking in, asking how your day is, creating an environment where members want to interact with one another, these elements are what makes coaches love their jobs. It is also what tires them out the most. When your coach texts you because you haven’t attended class in a week, it’s because they care about your life outside the gym as well as inside.
When someone decides to be a group fitness instructor, maybe they started because they love working out, or they simply have a passion for health. Whatever the reason, the real charm of the job comes from the people you see every day, and the interactions you have with them. Those are the moments coaches take home, and what they will remember for the rest of their lives. You will never be just a membership to them, you are a flower in a flourishing garden, and it is up to them to keep every single one of you healthy and blooming.
