“What is your Profession?”
If you haven’t noticed, Coach Craig is at the gym from 5:30 am until 8:30 pm. And he doesn’t take a break to head home; he lives in Bixby, way too far to drive twice to the gym. So what does he do all day? He prepares for the next day’s training, planning for events, maintenance of the gym and offices, continually checks on his athletes, texts, eats, and works out.
Coach Craig lives for strength and conditioning. He is constantly upgrading his knowledge, seeks advice, and chases for improvements. This is not a hobby that he chooses. This is his passion and dream.
He is one of those few fortunate college grads that works on his passion and earns a living through it. His hobby, passion, and career are all rolled into one.
CrossFit Eclipse athletes are extremely lucky.
What strikes deep into my soul and concern about future CrossFit Coaches, is that many find CrossFit to be there hobby first. Passion/career second. Not all, but there is a climbing trend.
In Forbes Magazine, owning a CrossFit affiliate has been worldly noticed as a “safe and profitable,” small business plan.( http://blogs.forbes.com/sportsmoney/2010/07/20/the-crossfit-games-an-action-sports-investment-opportunity-in-the-making/ ) .
The price of quality training to athletes. Coach Craig is not against anyone trying to earn a living, but concern about quality. CrossFit Level One does not cover the depth and breadth of anatomy, physiology, biomechanical, and kinesiology of human performance. There is no test to check and see if the newly certified CrossFit Coach knows how to properly teach the movements during two days of the seminar.
Please, I am not saying that CrossFit Level One coaches do not have the experience to coach properly. But I don’t think that 60 + CrossFit attendees are full time coaches or fitness professionals.
It boils down to the responsibility of the athlete to research the credentials of their future CrossFit gym. Here are some key factors to ask: what do you do or what does you full time coach does for a living? What was their profession before? What type of schooling do they have? What certifications do they hold beyond CrossFit? Why are they coaching now? Check out the facility, is it clean, the equipment cleaned and able to take the constant abuse. Is there enough space for the athletes, or are they going to feel cramped. Is there an office to keep personal information safe and to keep track of payments? Is the bathroom cleaned daily, training floor swept and disinfected weekly. What are the designated running routes and how does car traffic affect safety.
The key component of choosing a CrossFit gym shouldn’t be the price, but rather the quality training. There is a fine line between being passionate and finding a hobby. Be aware that it is the responsibility of the athlete to research the credentials of the coach and program and make sure they have your fitness goals in their best interest.
