The flow of a typical CrossFit intake process:
Good. Now, many people won't get bored with CrossFit. Some, though, will seek to improve particular skills, and won't want to wait for the day when 'Snatch' comes up in a workout. They've just bought Starting Strength, or another OLY book, and want to spend a few weeks perfecting THAT technique. Nothing wrong with that, right?
Better. In this model, they have a tiered option toward improvement: personal training, special-interest groups (for instance, our Barbell Bettys group, or Enduro) and open gym time to practice skills. Of note: not many skills are CREATED or DEVELOPED during open gym time, but practice - and failure, and play - are necessary in the pursuit of excellence.
Our current model. Yes, it appears confusing, and for that reason we still have folks who choose the easiest (and cheapest) option: the Open Gym membership. Years ago, I believed that this was a negative tendency, and told them so. NOW I realize that, for new members, 'Open Gym' may be the safe option to keep them in the pool.
There's a tendency, in January, for newcomers to sign up. Their intentions (and motivation) are every bit as valid as your top firebreather's are. In GloboGyms, they shyly drift toward the treadmills and bikes to "scope things out" - and that's fine. For a first step, anyway: confidence doesn't come naturally to everyone.
The CRITICAL step is what happens next: they can drift backward (quitting,) sideways (try the exercises they see others performing,) or forward (get some help.) We, in the CrossFit world, tend to view only the forward path; many forget that sideways movement, out of the mainstream programming, is important for improvement and engagement.
We advocate the creation of a New World: full of discovery, and ripe for exploration. Sure, the terrain may be confusing for newcomers - but you'll just have to draw a better map (we're working on that.) Make the START easy, but allow them to wander....
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