We’ve all been there. A period of time during which you have become busy, stressed, and tired, and it has affected your coaching quality. You want to develop your craft, but your time is limited. It can be overwhelming to even consider what your plan should be for development. The following is an outline of a four-week plan that can be implemented with a busy schedule in mind. Each week has one to two significant points of focus, a journaling element, a coaching connection element, and an assessment component. After reviewing this plan, you can utilize it as a template for developing any area of your coaching that you want to focus on.
Week 1: Class Observation and Foundational Coaching Skill Development
Focus: Observe an experienced coach and reinforce the core CrossFit coaching principles of teaching, seeing, and correcting.
Coaches learn from watching other coaches, analyzing what they do effectively, and then implementing the intricate details they have learned into their own coaching. There is more to be gained in 30-60 minutes of class observation than there is in hours of reading strength and conditioning texts. If you are new to observing a class for coaching development, it can be an effective habit to focus on one to two major aspects of the class instead of trying to address every detail.
Outline
- Observe an experienced coach during a class. This can be a whole class or sections of a class. Focus specifically on how they teach a movement. Consider the following as you observe:
- Write down their teaching progression.
- Did they break the movement down effectively and focus on one to two points of performance at a time?
- Did they keep their instructions simple and implement aspects of the tell-show-do-check method? List some examples of what they did to teach each progression step.
- Did they complete an adequate number of reps in the specific warm-up to assess movement effectively? List the number of reps completed.
- Did they organize the group and position themselves to see effectively, allowing for seamless communication during the specific warm-up? If the group was well-organized, write down a key takeaway to implement.
- Did they use cues that were short, specific, and actionable? List cues that were effective and the faults the cue helped fix.
- Did the coach threshold train their athletes effectively during the workout? List athletes that were told to move faster, slower, increase/decrease weight, etc., and provide the rationale being coached accordingly.
- Spend 10-15 minutes reading the CrossFit Level 2 Training Guide sections on teaching, seeing, and correcting (pages 14-19).
Journal
- What was one specific teaching method or correction technique you observed that you want to integrate into your own coaching? Why did it stand out to you? What insights did you gain about teaching, seeing, and correcting in the session you watched and the material you read?
- From your reading: Write one point that sticks out to you the most from each section? How will you implement it in your next class?
Coach Connection: Spend 5-10 minutes with the coach you observed. Talk with them about what you noted about their teaching plan, cues they used, or anything else noteworthy. Ask them what they thought was effective in their class and if there was anything that could have been improved upon.
Self-Assessment: On a scale of 1-5 (1 = needs significant improvement, 5 = consistently excellent), rate:
- How effective are you at breaking down movements into simple steps?
- How effective are you at seeing and correcting movement faults?
- Bonus: Observe a class very different from the previous class you observed. Take similar notes, observing the same points. Note what the trainer needed to do differently to run an effective class when compared to the prior class that you observed.
Week 2: Being Observed and Class Organization
Focus: Receiving feedback on your coaching and streamlining class structure and warm-ups.
Receiving feedback from coaches you admire and respect is essential to your growth and development. Yet for many, the prospect of being observed and critiqued feels complicated, even intimidating. This discomfort is natural, but it may also be holding you back. As a community, we have the opportunity to normalize constructive, consistent feedback as a cornerstone of coaching excellence. Here’s the truth: every coach, regardless of experience level, has areas where they can continue to grow and improve.
We want to ensure you understand that feedback isn’t just important, but also indispensable. Both giving and receiving feedback are skills that can be developed and refined. The best CrossFit coaches never stop seeking feedback and continually offer it to others. This week is about embracing that process and recognizing that being observed isn’t a test to pass; it’s an investment in becoming the coach your athletes deserve.
Here are some great videos that show Certified CrossFit Level 4 Coaches teaching a movement to other Level 4 coaches and getting feedback.
- How to Coach the Front Squat
- CrossFit Coaching Masterclass: How to Teach the Bar Muscle-Up
- Mastering the Snatch: A Complete Breakdown for CrossFit Coaches
Outline
- Have another coach observe one of your classes. Ask them to focus on your general and specific warm-up delivery, flow of the class, and presence in front of the group. Ask them to provide you with feedback on the one to three most significant areas you can improve upon.
- Review CrossFit Level 2 Training Guide sections on lesson planning (pages 67-70).
Journal
- Reflect on the feedback you received from the observing coach. What was the most valuable piece of feedback, and how will you incorporate it into your next class?
- From your reading: What is your biggest takeaway from the lesson planning notes? What areas do you excel, and what areas could be improved upon? Practice in this area leads to improvement. Take the two most recent workouts from CrossFit.com and create lesson plans for them.
Coach Connection: Schedule 10-15 minutes to discuss the observer’s feedback with them. Ask for actionable steps you can take to address any areas for improvement.
Self-Assessment: On a scale of 1-5 (1 = needs significant improvement, 5 = consistently excellent), rate:
- How effectively did I manage the pacing of my class today, particularly the general and specific warm-up? If the rating is a 3 or below, write what specifically could have been improved.
- How receptive was I to receiving constructive feedback?
- How confident do I feel about implementing the feedback I received?
- Bonus: Read How to Set Up Your Coaching Space To Optimize Command and Control
Assess
- Do you organize your layout and optimize your positioning to enhance your ability to coach effectively?
- How can you utilize the clock more effectively to manage your class?
Week 3: Practice and Application
Focus: Dedicated practice of teaching, seeing, correcting, and scaling based on the previous week’s insights.
Similar to isolating areas of a movement to seek improvement, the same concept can be applied to coaching. Isolated drills or dedicated practice sessions that focus on one or two areas of development can be valuable. This concept is effectively illustrated at the CrossFit Level 2 practical sessions, achieving a high degree of success in coaches’ development.
Outline
- Intentionally apply the insights from Week 1 (observation) and Week 2 (feedback) to inform your approach. Focus on precise teaching, quick corrections, and effective scaling for the intended stimulus in your group classes.
- Offer two to three free 15- to 30-minute private training sessions to members in your gym, focusing on a specific movement you are uncomfortable teaching. These are often high-skill gymnastics or weightlifting movements. Write a teaching progression for the movement, write common faults that may be present, and two to three corrective strategies for each fault. Write five potential scaling options for the movement.
- Read the article Scaling CrossFit Workouts.
Journal
- Describe a new teaching technique or corrective strategy you applied based on what you observed or received feedback on. Was it successful or not? If it was not successful, what went wrong, and how could you have seen a better result?
- From the reading: What is one concept from the article you may not have considered before? How can you implement this concept in your next class?
Coach Connection: Discuss with another coach an individual you had difficulty scaling for a workout. Discuss with the coach the approaches they may have used to scale the athlete and the problematic situations they have encountered with scaling.
Self-Assessment: On a scale of 1-5 (1 = needs significant improvement, 5 = consistently excellent), rate:
- How successful was my new teaching progression I implemented?
- How effective was my cueing and correcting during my self-evaluated group class?
- Were the dedicated one-on-one sessions helpful with being able to garner more experience with a movement you are uncomfortable teaching?
- Bonus: Read Beyond the Comfort Zone: How Elite CrossFit Coaches Push Athletes to Their True Potential
Assess
- Are you comfortable with the process of threshold training during conditioning workouts? Do you effectively push athletes for more or less intensity when needed?
- Are you comfortable with managing an athlete’s threshold during heavy lifting sessions? Do you effectively increase or decrease loads when necessary?
Week 4: Member Feedback and Coaching Presence
Focus: Receiving feedback from members and your presence in front of a group.
Getting feedback from those you are coaching is valuable, as they often provide input that is overlooked when seeking feedback solely from coaches. You may seek input from experienced members of your affiliate; however, it may be more advantageous to seek input from three to five individuals who encompass a variety of experience levels. Ultimately, the goal is to determine how you can serve them better. An inexperienced athlete may provide information that an experienced athlete may overlook, and an experienced member may be able to provide input on nuanced details of your training sessions.
Outline
- Presence: Script out your whiteboard delivery to clearly and concisely introduce the workout, educating your athletes on the intended stimulus and scaling options. Throughout the class, be mindful of attributes such as maintaining eye contact, using appropriate mannerisms, maintaining an overall positive energy level, and using people’s names.
- Member feedback: Informal discussions with members of your affiliate.
- Read the article: Your Classes Just Aren’t Fun
Journal
- How effective was your whiteboard brief? Were you able to be clear and concise?
- What feedback did you receive from your members that you found to be most valuable? Was there any common piece of feedback (positive or constructive) from your members? How will you use this feedback in the future for development?
Member Connection: After class, engage in informal conversations with one to two members. Ask them questions such as: What is one thing that I can do better to coach you more effectively? Do you feel confident going into the workouts? What is something I do that is helpful and should continue to do? Are there things other coaches do that you enjoy and I can use to help you better? This does not need to be a sit-down interview or anything formal; it can be an informal conversation. If time is limited, this can be done during the cool-down.
Self-Assessment: On a scale of 1-5 (1 = needs significant improvement, 5 = consistently excellent), rate:
- How clear, concise, and engaging was my whiteboard brief?
- How is your presence and attitude during all phases of the class?
- How helpful was the member feedback in identifying areas where you excel?
- How helpful was the member feedback in identifying areas for improvement?
- Bonus: What single attribute makes the best trainers? It is easy to assume it is elements like teaching, seeing, and correcting movement effectively. However, when the world’s best CrossFit coaches are asked this question, the most common answer is “care.” Take a look at this short video for an explanation of what this may entail.
Assess
Are you truly invested in your athlete’s success? If you are constantly striving to improve your coaching skills and enhance your athletes’ performances, you are likely on the right track.
