CrossFit®: It’s all about the community

What a wonderful time to be an athlete! During this month, athletes across the world competed at their Regional Games for a spot at the 2014 CrossFit® Games. Colorado’s regional games is being held this coming weekend in Salt Lake City and I have no doubt that attendees and athletes will all genuinely cheer each other on. Likewise, CrossFit® gave us the collective ability to go beyond the quintessential cookouts and pool parties to pay tribute to the greater meaning in Memorial Day. We did this, as one great community, by dedicating a hard-as-hell workout to Michael Murphy, one of our nation’s fallen heroes.

Both of these examples of the worldwide affiliate gym community in action are fantastic, but they are even more remarkable when we consider the great decline in social and community groups over the last twenty years. Specifically, just about every civic, social, special interest, and religious group has experienced a substantial decline in membership and participation. Whether it’s the Girl Scouts, Lion’s Club, Rotary Club, book clubs, bowling leagues, or the elementary school’s PTA, we’ve stopped getting involved in traditional groups that provide us a sense of community.

Conversely, participation in the affiliate gym community is steadily growing. Could it be so popular and life transformational because it’s filling a huge void in our lives? I believe this is the case. I think CrossFit® is replacing outdated social and civic institutions by being the one community group that holds us together. For sure, at our local box, we can fundraise to help people in need, let our children learn critical life skills in kid’s classes, buy clothing and nutritious foods, and feel connected to people across the world because we are doing the exact same WOD they are doing on that same day.[clearfix]

It’s undeniable that CrossFit® is so much more than a workout program. It satisfies that emptiness in our modern world by facilitating positive interpersonal interactions. In turn, these interactions foster a much-needed connection and greater sense of community.

So, if you’re feeling the love for your local community, please give them a shout out in the comments section towards the bottom of the page. (I’ll send a $25 Amazon gift card to the box that generates the most action in the comment section) Personally, I call Back Country CrossFit my community, but I promise to cheer your community on at the Games. After all, we are part of this one big and wonderful worldwide community.

Zen Planner has worked with thousands of affiliate gyms and has had the benefit of getting great advice from many of our successful customers. We’ve compiled this advice in an eBook which provides the do’s and don’ts for building a successful affiliate gym. Download it for free!