I’m a male in my 30s, and I’ve been doing CrossFit since 2022. A friend introduced me to it, and I immediately fell in love with the methodology and everything that came with it. CrossFit gave me so much confidence and, in many ways, helped me become a better person.
But over time, I also realized that something I loved eventually became toxic for me. I’m pretty sure I was also part of the problem. There were things I said and did in the past toward other members that, looking back, I probably could have handled better. I take responsibility for that.
I eventually stopped going for about a year because of issues within the box. After some time, I decided to come back. It’s still the same box, but somehow, it feels different now. The people have changed, the dynamics have changed, and honestly, it doesn’t feel the same as it used to.
One of the things I struggle with now is the coaching. I don’t feel like the head coach is the right fit for me. This is just my personal opinion, but sometimes I feel like they don’t fully understand or observe the community they’re building. I’m not saying they’re a bad coach. I just don’t feel like their coaching style motivates me or gives me what I need.
And that’s difficult because I still genuinely want to do CrossFit. I still love the methodology, the training, the challenge, and the feeling of improving. The problem is that the other boxes are quite far from where I live, so switching isn’t really an easy option.
I’m also someone who really needs motivation. Even when I hit an ugly PR, I want my coach to recognize it and make me feel like it matters. That kind of encouragement pushes me to keep going.
I think this became more apparent when I started competing. I’ve competed several times, and there were moments when I felt like I wasn’t really supported by my own coach.
There was one particular instance that really stuck with me. I was warming up for a competition, and instead of checking on me or helping me prepare, my coach was focused on teaching another athlete who wasn’t even a member of the box. I understand that there’s nothing inherently wrong with helping another athlete, and I’m not saying they shouldn’t have done it. But at that moment, I really wished my coach had prioritized me, especially because I was their member and I was about to compete.
What made it harder was that other members of the box noticed it too.
Maybe I’m expecting too much. Maybe this is just my personal perspective. I know I’m not perfect, and I know I’ve also contributed to some of the problems in the past.
I guess what I’m struggling with now is that I still love CrossFit, but I’m not sure if I still feel like I belong in the community I’m doing it in.
That’s really all I wanted to say.