CrossFit Athletic Group

I’m pretty much the oldest cousin on both sides (oldest on dad’s and oldest in Michigan on my mom’s) and I think being around younger kids my entire family life has helped me in coaching all the different age groups I’m involved with. You think Carter was bad? My cousin Mary bit me on the butt when I wasn’t looking. She was in 5th grade at the time. Needless to say there’s plenty of entertaining stories from Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners.

Within the last few years since being an actual business owner, the normal topic of conversation usually starts with someone asking me about how said business is going. If this is a one-on-one conversation then it usually goes smoothly. But for whatever reason, I feel very uncomfortable when this gets brought up in a group setting like the dinner table. Uncle Steve might ask me something about going to Miami for the CrossFit Running thing, or Uncle John might ask if Alex Faust is still training at the gym. They’re intention is no doubt good. But to me it’s weird because nobody else at the table can relate to it. I know from experience that sitting through conversations about things like fixing cars or drinking beer make me feel like the oddball because I have no experience in either. So my default when someone asks me about CrossFit or The Champions Club in a group setting is to answer the question in a generally positive manner then change the topic as quickly as possible.

I know I’m probably not the best person to take social advice from (Mr. Wonsil is probably the guy to talk to in that respect), but I think casual conversation topics in a group setting should generally be about things everyone can relate to. Sidebars can come at a different time.

………..

There is nothing better than a Champions Club Summer, but the Christmas break is really sweet. It’s like a 2 week family reunion with all the people you missed from the Summer. We have the Christmas Workout and Lifts 4 Gifts, plus all the daily sessions that prove a social hour can end in a sweat angel. I love every second of it. Even the Aly seconds.

But this time around there is the possibility that the College Kids crowd might get out-numbered. That is not to say we are pushing the adults and College Kids out of the way, but we have a new wave of younger kids involved that I am really trying to mesh into the regular group – because we all know the magic of our community is what keeps people here for the long haul. It might be the Goobers like Crawford, Hickey, and Kenny, the “Kiddies” like Brendan, Charlie, and Trips, or even the “Babies” like Jacqueline, Hailey and Kyle. The tentative plan is to see if we can involve them in some events like the Christmas Workout Spectacular and occasional Sunday team workouts. But even if those plans don’t work, there will probably be plenty of younger kids in and around your session. And more importantly, their parents. In this case, the Dinner Table Rule applies very strictly; if you can’t talk about it in front of a 13 year old, then you can’t talk about it, period.

Katie Bromm and Katie Kav taking some time to talk to then-7th grader Maddy after her first day

However, I think this can also apply to our regular, middle-of-the-year sessions. I’ll see former classmates Jack, Mikey, and Kroll talking amongst themselves while Erica from Henkel and James just kinda sit there on the side having no clue who Shaub and Mrs. Welicko are, or JZ and Jackie doing their thing while Robert Kroll left with me to talk to (not desirable for anyone). I know it's not as fun for you but it's even worse for Alyssa Jabara to sit at a session with me and Carter reciting Outkast lyrics and leaving her clueless.

Our words can either help bring in a new person, or help separate them; it’s rarely a non-factor. The simple act of involving someone in your conversation can immediately make them go from feeling like the Island of Misfit Toys to feeling like they belong in our amazing group and changing their fitness habits for a lifetime. Ironically one of our quietest members, Crystal Reed, does this as well as anyone. Jacob, on the other hand, is not a natural by any means but I did notice he made a good effort with a new kid named Ryan Anderson in the spring of 2015 and I think it helped lead Ryan to liking the place, and the rest of the Anderson crew followed. I notice this stuff more than I notice feet straight and elbows in.

I think Bromm notices too!

I’m definitely not saying that we have to be PC Principal, or only talk about a list of 10 CrossFit-related topics, but I think the crowd in our session is something we should be aware of when we are talking. A good Champions Club member tries to keep everyone involved.