Imagine this …
Gym One: A member walks in on Monday morning, and Coach Alex greets them by name, inquires about their shoulder, and provides a clear scaling option before class starts. The warm-up flows, the brief is crisp, and the person leaves feeling seen. Thursday evening, Coach Jordan is rushing through the setup when members arrive. He offers no greeting. The brief runs long, cuts into workout time, and members finish confused about whether they hit the intended stimulus. Same gym, same membership — completely different experience.
Gym Two: A member walks in on Monday morning, and Coach Alex checks in about their shoulder. They do the workout, and Alex adds a quick note about it in the coaches’ logbook. Thursday evening, Jordan greets the member by name and asks how their shoulder felt earlier in the week. The member realizes the coaches have been talking. The class structure feels familiar. The standards are the same. They’re not just attending classes — they’re part of something consistent.
The difference between these gyms isn’t facilities or programming. It’s that the coaches in Gym Two decided to operate as a team. They created their own systems for consistency, built trust with each other, and committed to a shared standard — regardless of whether ownership was driving it.
You don’t need permission from above to create a better coaching culture. You can start it yourself.
If The Mission Isn’t Clear, Define It Among Yourselves
Maybe your gym has a mission statement on the wall. Maybe it doesn’t. Either way, here’s what matters: Do you and your fellow coaches share a clear understanding of what you’re trying to create for members?
If you asked every coach on your team, “What do we stand for?” and got different answers, you’re not working toward the same thing. And members feel that inconsistency.
You can change this without waiting for management to call a meeting. Start a conversation with your fellow coaches:
- What kind of experience do we want every member to have?
- How do we want people to feel when they walk in and when they leave?
- What are the non-negotiables in our coaching (timing, teaching, communication)?
Define the member experience in observable, repeatable actions rather than vague ideas like “fun” or “community.” For example:
- Classes start and finish on time to show respect.
- Every person gets an individual check-in each class.
- Everyone receives clear teaching, seeing, and correcting to help them move better.
Then ask yourselves: “How do we each live this in our coaching?” For instance: “I deliver our shared commitment to movement quality by giving one clear feedback point to each person in each class.”
When coaches align on purpose and standards, the member experience becomes consistent, whether or not ownership is leading the charge.
Stay Connected as a Coaching Team
Many coaches don’t share shifts or have time for regular meetings. That’s fine. You can still create alignment and teamwork through intentional connection.
Without staying connected, shared standards fall apart, and consistency becomes impossible. Here’s how to make it happen:
Pick Channels That Actually Work
The best system is the one you’ll actually use. You don’t need fancy software — you need something simple every coach will check and contribute to.
A few options:
- Whiteboard in the office – for quick notes on member progress, coaching reminders, or weekly focus points
- Digital logbook or handover notes – a shared Google Doc or form for class notes and follow-ups
- Shared group chat – for quick communication across shifts
- Slack or team platform – for larger teams, use threads for different topics like class notes, development ideas, and social connections
- In-person check-ins – even a 15-minute coffee before or after a shared class can reset alignment
What To Share That Actually Matters
Once you’ve chosen how to connect, make sure what you share reinforces the kind of team and experience you’re working to build.
- Weekly coaching themes: Choose a shared focus (e.g., “coach the quiet corners,” “clarify the stimulus before class”).
- Quick learning moments: Share a short idea, a video to analyze, or a new progression to try.
- Informal peer feedback: Give each other one top and one tip after attending another coach’s class.
- Positive reinforcement: Publicly acknowledge when a coach nails something — what gets praised gets repeated.
- Shared reflection: “What’s one thing that supported the member experience this week? What’s one thing we could improve next time?”
Staying connected isn’t about bureaucracy. It’s about making sure you’re working as a team. Regular communication, even in small ways, reinforces your direction, builds shared standards, and turns your intentions into reality for members.
Trust Is What Makes Everything Work
You can have the perfect shared document, the cleanest group chat, and detailed handover notes. None of it matters if coaches don’t trust each other enough to actually use them.
Trust allows you to share openly, maintain shared standards, and coach confidently, even when you rarely see each other face to face.
When trust is strong:
- Feedback feels supportive, not threatening.
- Learning becomes a daily event, not a special occasion.
- Standards are easier to uphold because you know why they matter.
- The member experience becomes more consistent, regardless of who’s coaching.
Trust isn’t built by management. It’s built by coaches, through everyday actions and small habits.
Here’s how you can build trust within your coaching team:
- Be transparent: Share what you’re working on and be honest about missteps. It shows you’re all learning together, not pretending to be perfect.
- Back each other up publicly: A quick “Sarah nailed the brief today” in front of members builds confidence and cohesion.
- Ask before assuming: “I saw you adjust the warm-up timing … was something off with the timeline?” fosters curiosity over judgment.
- Invite feedback early: Asking “What’s one thing I could try differently next time?” normalizes feedback as helpful, not threatening.
- Show up for each other: Drop in on another coach’s class occasionally. Notice what they do well. Tell them.
You don’t all need to coach the same way. But if you want to create a team that delivers a consistent, values-driven experience, trust has to be part of it — and you have the power to build it.
Take Ownership Of The Coaching Culture
An excellent member experience comes from a coaching team with shared purpose, even with different styles, strengths, and schedules.
You don’t have to abandon your coaching personality or wait for someone else to create the culture you want. You can start by aligning with your fellow coaches on:
- Where you’re going together
- How you want members to feel
- Which behaviours bring that vision to life
That’s what makes you a team — not the shirts you wear or whether you’re paid the same, but the consistency you create through shared direction, simple systems, trust, and a commitment to doing this together.
If you’re not sure where to start, keep it simple:
- Talk to your fellow coaches about the member experience you want to deliver.
- Ask together, “How can we help each other make this happen?”
- Pick one simple way to stay connected.
- Start building trust through small, daily actions.
The rest follows.
You don’t need the perfect systems from ownership. You don’t need a big meeting or a strategic plan. You just need a few coaches who care enough to align with each other and commit to showing up consistently.
When you build it together as coaches, members feel it. And that’s when culture becomes real.
Farran Mackay is a Certified CrossFit Level 3 Trainer with over 30 years of experience as a sports instructor and more than 15 years of experience developing both teachers and coaches. She is the owner and head coach of