As the CrossFit pool spreads out in your area, your only option for excellence may be to deepen: to specialize in one area. I'm not suggesting that you stop pursuing virtuosity in gymnastics, for instance, in order to become better at deadlifting. I AM putting forth the idea that your local CrossFit community - and your own Box - can benefit by being the go-to resource in one area.
There are different levels of specialization: MACROspecialization means that you make the best coffee; MICROspecialization means that you make the same (best) coffee, BUT your staff knows me by name, and yours is the only franchise in town with a cinnamon shaker. Drilling down into an area of specialty to further your expertise, in my opinion, is the next level of customer service. Not differentiation - offering more services to expand your market - but specialization. CrossFit heresy? I think not.
Developing mastery in a wide range of physical pursuits requires short-term focus on weaker links, in order to bring up the whole. The highest-level Games competitors, for instance, don't rely on their OLY coach to teach them to swim. Rather, they spend one day per week with each, and another day with a POSE coach, a weekend with a gymnastics coach...a week with Louie Simmons.... they seek to expand their expertise by focusing on each area individually, before folding it back into CrossFit.
Last week, I wrote a post extolling The Hedgehog concept: being really, really good at one thing, and using it at every available opportunity.
What if, in your City, I could purchase a Citywide CrossFit membership, and attend CrossFit HSPU on Monday, CrossFit PL on Tuesday, CrossFit POSE on Thursdays...... would we all benefit?
What if, in your Town, there existed a Fire Ring - a group of CrossFit Affiliates who banded together to share knowledge, programming, throwdowns, guest speakers, All-Star teams.... and differentiated themselves accordingly? One, an expert source for powerlifting; one, the source for martial arts; another, for POSE running. What if I could purchase a membership, shared between all three, and attend class at any?
What if, as an Affiliate, I didn't HAVE to offer a 9am class, because CrossFitTed does? What if I could offer Open Gym time to members of CrossFit Al? What if my members could book personal training at CrossFit Betty on their lunch hour, and their husbands use the same Personal Training Package at my place after work?
What if, on Saturday mornings, some members from CrossFit Mike came to MY box to do the WOD while their kids did their CF Kids class, and some of MY members went to CrossFit Mike to AVOID the CFKids whirlwind?
What if, come Games time, one member of your Box really wanted to compete at Regionals, but missed the cut on your team....and CrossFit Bill, down the road, didn't have enough competitors to form HIS team (remember this one if you see me wearing the wrong t-shirt at Canada East this year, please.)
It could be that you're the best in town at everything. Heck, we may as well call you CrossFit Google. Will you still be the best CrossFit box for gymnastics coaching when there are 6 Affiliates in your city? 12? 24?......
then how would you share profits?
remember its a business.
my life depends on me making money, coaching is my skill set.
and what about travel? drop kids ten miles away then pick them up and drive back home?
and you can't exchange an athlet if they already comepted for crossfit box in the Open to Regionals.
i believe it comes down to adding a diverise coaching staff under one roof.
Posted by: craig | 12/30/2011 at 12:02 PM