The Coach's Dilemma

As a CrossFit athlete, or any athlete for that matter, your job is to show up to the box, put in your work, record your triumphs and less-than-triumphant numbers and go home. Sometimes you hang around and cheer others on and hang out with your friends. For a coach, things are a bit different!

Being a coach requires a delicate balance between coaching your athletes and still maintaining your own physical conditioning and strength. Leading by example versus doing what you want. You have to carry and hold yourself to a higher standard. For me, I have to balance working out and coaching. I coach evenings during the week and schedule myself to get into the box and WOD before my athletes arrive. On the days I do not coach, I join in on an evening class.

I encourage all coaches to workout at least twice a week with your athletes IN CLASS! They look to you for guidance and safety and learn through your own struggles in complex movements. Not to mention, participating in class builds camaraderie and allows the competitive juices to flow. Without a doubt, the biggest issues being a coach is losing time to workout. I have to maintain a very strict schedule in order to be able to complete a workout before the first class I have to coach. Sometimes, I have to forgo part of a WOD in order to prepare for class. Additionally, since I mix in several other lifting movements on a weekly basis, my actual WOD time is shortened even more.

I feel that as long as my athletes know that I not only use the same programming as they do but also know that I am working to come up with varied workouts and testing them, they'll have greater confidence that their coach is looking out for their best interests!

Open WOD 13.5. Photo by Joe Kelley