Situation: Your most competitive athletes create an atmosphere that makes newer members feel inadequate or unwelcome. What do you do?
Solution: Set clear expectations about gym culture during your intro process and reinforce regularly that members are to be supportive of each other regardless of skill. Establish a rule that equipment may not be put away until all athletes have finished the workout, and encourage competitive athletes to actively cheer for those still working hard. Create mixed-ability partner workouts that force interaction between different skill levels. Address competitive athletes individually — their role as unofficial mentors is crucial for gym culture. Consider implementing sections of a class where advanced athletes are asked to demonstrate supportive leadership rather than pure competition.
Beginner athletes may also benefit from an initial understanding that they may be working out alongside some high-level athletes and that is part of the beauty of CrossFit: we are able to accommodate all levels of athletes regardless of their background and experience.
What would you do?
Let us know in the comments.
