In the “Episode” posts I’ll try and recount the steps I took toward opening a Box. Considering I haven’t officially opened yet it’ll be an ongoing process.

Coach Glassman stressed it from the beginning and it still rings true today. People come to CrossFit because of the coaching.  I’ve seen the kind of coaching that most personal trainers provide at your standard Globo Gym.  It’s a mix between a glorified rep counter and an avid Men’s Health reader.  So obviously you need coaching experience.  How do you get it?

I started by reading every CrossFit journal article and watching every video on the main site.  I’m not saying that as bluster, I LITERALLY watched every single video from the top to the bottom and read every single article starting with the Foundations article.  So great, that was a start.  But you don’t get better at coaching by reading.  That might work in the academic world.  But not in the coaching world.  You need experience.

Next, I emailed every box within a reasonable distance.  I told them I was a young CrossFit enthusiast and was looking to do anything possible to gain coaching experience.  I was also a high school rowing coach so I had a bit of a niche in that I knew rowing really well.  Most CrossFit types utterly butcher the sport of rowing (although I’m sure Oly lifters say the same thing about CrossFit oly lifting).  A lot of gyms like people with a heavy background in one of the key CrossFit components (Rowing, Oly Lifting, Power Lifting, Gymnastics, etc.).

This is an important aspect.  You need to know what makes you unique.  Nobody wants a trainer who is just really mediocre at everything.  There are an infinite variety of things you could be really good at.  Figure them out.  Now!

Lucky for me Brian Wilson of CrossFit Potomac responded and offered me an internship. Basically a free foundations class, membership and mentoring in exchange for doing all the crap he didn’t want to do.

For CrossFit this is essential.  The days where you can go to a Lvl. 1 seminar and know enough to open a box are OVER.  If you want to genuinely compete in the marketplace you need way more than just what the Lvl. 1 teaches.  You need experience.  Plain and simple.  Nowadays there are a MILLION CrossFit boxes and anyone that won’t take a dude to clean windows and mop the floors for free are crazy.  You won’t get paid, but the experience you’ll gain is invaluable.  There are problems you could never dream of.  Issues with technology, members, vendors, the building itself.  You need to see how a box owner manages these issues and still coaches his athletes.  Not to mention most affiliates are more than happy to tell you all the mistakes they made that you can and should avoid.

One quick note: not all boxes are alike.  CrossFit is great, it’s implementation is not always spot on.  So I’ll throw out the adage again that in starting your own box you should “make the meatloaf you want to eat”; but you should learn to cook from someone who makes one that tastes pretty damn good.  If the box you’re interning doesn’t seem to sit well for any reason (trust your instincts), find a new one immediately.  You’ll know when you’ve found the right box.  I worked at a few that just felt amiss, when I found Potomac, I knew it was where I needed to be.  Find yours and learn as much as possible.