September 20, 2019
Are You Headed to Whistler?
Hey CrossFit Affiliates! Are you headed to Whistler for the CrossFit 10 Year Affiliate Gathering on September 20-22? If so, I’d love to say hi! My husband Eric and I…
Read More
May 20, 2019
All the Ways to Partition Your Reps in Murph
Every year tens of thousands of athletes around the world gather at CrossFit affiliates, military bases, and local parks to do the workout Murph and honor those who died while…
Read More
May 9, 2019
Next Level Scaling: Previous Movement Rep Totals
Providing scaling options is the first step toward making the workout come to life for every member at your gym. While those options provide an initial filter to point athletes…
Read More
April 28, 2019
A Love Letter to YNAB
Dear YNAB, We love you. We think you’re the perfect compliment to any CrossFit affiliate or boutique fitness studio. Love, SugarWOD I usually blog about affiliate best practices that are…
Read More
April 22, 2019
Next Level Scaling
Anyone who has been around CrossFit for some time knows that individualized scaling of the workout is an inherent part of the athlete’s progress, athletic development, and long term success.…
Read More
April 18, 2019
3 Little Things That Protect Your Brand
I’ve traveled to many gyms in my time with CrossFit, over 100 by now. Each gym has its own vibe, style, and protocols and that’s part of what makes it…
Read More
April 7, 2019
How Does Your Affiliate Do The Open?
Hey Affiliate Owners and Coaches, Raise your hand if you’re excited to run two Open series within one 12 month period!? Hm, none of you are raising your hands. Ok,…
Read More
February 21, 2019
Coaching the Pregnant Athlete
Let’s face it, there’s a big stigma around training pregnant women. Coaches often feel clueless as to how to train this population. What they miss in those sentiments is that…
Read More
February 20, 2019
Coaching the Athlete Who is Injured
Athletes will suffer tweaks and injuries from time to time. Many athletes struggle with the give and take nature of recovering from an injury. The coach’s job is to provide…
Read More
February 20, 2019
Coaching the Athlete Who is New to CrossFit
The primary goal with a new athlete is to promote them to make good decisions and reinforce the tenets of the training and coaching style at your affiliate. Here…
Read More
February 18, 2019
Coaching the Athlete Who Often Tries to Go Too Heavy
Next up in our six-part series, we’ll profile the athlete who goes too heavy and cover a dialogue to help coaches navigate this situation. The situation is all too familiar.…
Read More
February 13, 2019
Coaching the Athlete Who Always Tries to Go Rx
Next up in our six-part series on how to have difficult and effective conversations with athletes, we’ll discuss how to talk with an athlete who is always trying to go Rx.…
Read More
February 13, 2019
Coaching the Athlete Who is Nervous About a Workout
First up in our six-part series, we’ll look at an athlete who is nervous about doing a workout or a specific movement. As a starting point, it's important to understand…
Read More
February 1, 2019
How to Have Difficult and Effective Conversations With Athletes
When I was six years old, my parents enrolled me in the neighborhood summer swim team. I wasn’t very good at swimming and was generally a nervous kid, but I…
Read More
September 25, 2018
Three Exercises to Screen Coaching Candidates For Good Potential
Want to assess if a candidate or intern for a coaching position has what it takes to become a contributing member of your staff and your gym? At Roots, we…
Read More
September 12, 2018
Why Your Coaches Should Know Every Name
Remember the show Cheers? I only remember it vaguely as my parents used to watch it back in the 80s. The show’s theme song had a line in it, “You…
Read More
August 9, 2018
Why Your Coaching Staff Should Do Your Gym’s Programming
If you want your athletes to trust and do your gym's programming, your first step is to have your coaches do it too. The shared suffering we have come to…
Read More
June 6, 2018
Why Your Coaches Should Post Their Scores
Just the other day we did a workout at CrossFit Roots that involved toes-to-bar and overhead squats. I coached the workout in the AM and then took group class later…
Read More