5 Levels of the athlete and how to coach them all

My coach and I discussed that there are various levels of the crossfit athlete.  Here's a summary:

1. Unable to perform movements
2. Able to perform them poorly
3. Able to perform them better
4. Able to perform them well
5. Able to perform them perfectly

     There is a continuum that you operate on.  Lots of times we can see someone go from "not able to perform" to "able to perform poorly".  This is a major milestone for many and we celebrate this of course.  But the learning curve is literally JUST getting started.  It's important to allow the athlete to succeed in this stage of "getting it" (albeit getting it ugly), before we try to move to better.  But we MUST move to better!

     Kipping pullups are a great example.  Going from "can't do one" to "I can do one" almost always looks like hell.  :)  Then even at the games you see athletes that are far from perfect in their efficiency of movement while others have a beautiful pullup.

     At the CF gym I used to attend, many of us got coaching of how to do things adequately, but never seemed to get the coaching needed to get to the next levels.  I think they were too busy teaching people how to go from "can't do at all" to "can do adequate".  A perfect example: My buddy Cory's deadlift was stuck at around 275 when we switched to Crossfit Anywhere.  All he needed was to get the coaching cues to take him from "performing adequately" to "performing well" and he jumped immediately into the 300's.

     Many times the advanced athlete is doing something good enough to "get by" and never gets that coaching to go from "doing well" to "chasing perfection".  I have SO many examples of my extra learning to do things better and better.  I certainly knew how to do plenty of things just fine and at my old gym.  I was allowed to do things ok or just alright, but rarely coached beyond that into the chasing of perfection.

     That is the basis behind the idea of offering something to EVERY athlete in the class.  From the person just learning "how to at all", to the veteran that needs to learn the virtuosity we care so much about.

     As an athlete, if you are happy being good at something, that's fine.  However, if you want to chase perfection of movement, then you need a coach that is going to coach you regardless of if you are proficient or a beginner.  As a coach you should be constantly offering to bring people up another level!