Style Over Substance? Entertain Your Classes to Keep them Coming Back

Muhammad Ali is regarded by many as the greatest boxer of all time. His prowess in the ring was a wonder to see. He had a gracefulness about him in a brutal sport. He would, as he said, float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. He always seemed to be in control at all times and finished his career with a record of 56 wins and only 5 losses. However, when you research Ali, you don’t just see pictures and video clips of him displaying his greatness in the ring, you also get the side of him that was a pure entertainer. And it was this entertainment that elevated the draw of wanting to see Ali fight whenever he stepped in the ring. It also made him must see TV anytime a camera was on him, in the ring or not. He had an ability to captivate the world with who he was as an entertainer as well as a boxer, and it kept people coming back to see what he would do next.

Ali is a perfect example of someone who was able to do his job at the highest level, but also make it entertaining. There have been other boxers who have come and gone that have had a similar resume in the ring, but few have left their mark on the world like Ali did.

As CrossFit coaches we need to take this approach and find ways to apply it to our classes as well. If we all think back to the time we first stepped in front of a class brimming with excitement and full of knowledge and information that we wanted to give to our community. We wanted to help them move well and hold the standard. We wanted to take ourselves seriously and become a professional coach and lead our communities. But do any of us think back and say to ourselves, “I’m sure those early classes had so much fun!” Probably not. 

A major separator between good coaches and great ones is their ability to entertain. You can be the most knowledgeable and technically proficient coach on the planet, but if the people aren’t having fun your classes are going to be small and the people will stop coming back. So how do we make our classes more entertaining while not losing the substance of what we are trying to teach?

First, and this topic makes a lot of coaches and box owners cringe, is the music. You’ve got to play music that brings energy and also is suitable for the class that you’re coaching. One thing that I do is I would create a different playlist for each class that I would coach. For example, I knew that my 9:30 class loved 80’s pop and upbeat music. I also knew that the early morning Saturday class really enjoyed classic rock. Then my 8:30 class loved my Funky Friday playlist that had Rick James and Earth Wind and Fire. I even created a shared playlist for one class so everyone could add their favorite songs for me to go through and curate. We know we can’t please everyone with music, but take the extra step to know your class, and they will notice it. 

Next, don’t be afraid to make fun of yourself a little bit. CrossFit is a scary place for a lot of people to come. And they view everyone around them as machines that can do everything, especially the coach. So when briefing a workout or demoing a movement, don’t be afraid to show a little vulnerability with the things you aren’t good at. It’s good for everyone to see that you’re also working on things, and it’ll always bring a good laugh. Me for example, I shake like a leaf doing any midline demonstrations (hollow holds kill me).

Lastly, relax. While it’s good to take what we do seriously, let’s not take ourselves too seriously. A relaxed coach that is still able to perform the job at a high level allows for more fun to happen. For more fun questions and comments. When everyone can see that the coach is having fun, they’re more likely to have fun. 

So remember, it’s not style over substance, but it’s both being done at a high level that brings greatness to the affiliate floor.