“A competitive world offers two possibilities. You can lose. Or, if you want to win, you can change.”
My friend an fellow Crossfitter Ronan wrote a letter to Crossfit HQ that I posted to my blog yesterday, and one of the responses came from @SICFIT: Training is for everyone, sport isn’t.
I disagree with this and in the blog I will explain why.
I guess I am lucky in the fact I have been participating in sports since I was 4 years old. Not that t-ball is majorly competitive but I was out there hitting and fielding. My parents let me try any sport I wanted to. I played baseball, football, soccer, tennis, bowled, racquetball, wrestled, rock climbed, skied (snow and water), ran cross-country and track. I think sports are essential in child development, this is why I have two Crossfit kids who swim, play baseball/softball and basketball.
I have always been able to swim, so when I was 15 I decided to try to join the swim team, it was a unmitigated disaster at first. Yet I showed up to every practice that was available, never missing a single practice. An encephalitis outbreak closed our afternoon high school practices, so I found a year round swim team so I could continue training. I never placed higher than third place my first year. I did not give up and knew that I could get better, do better, be better.
After a whole year of training I came back to my high school team and did not lose an in season race for two years and placed 8th at the state swim meet in the 50 and 100 Free. I received a swimming scholarship to Wright State University and won two team conference championships while there. I was not the fastest nor the best but I was on the team and scored points for my team. I kept swimming and competing knowing that I could get better, do better, be better. Just because you are not the best does not mean you should not try to be the best you that you can be. Challenges are what define us.
After a ten year break I came back to swimming. I swam in a few local meets winning all my events in my age group easily. Did I want to win easily, no I did not, I wanted bigger competition. I swam my first Masters Nationals meet that year and medaled in all my events and setting a National Record in one relay. I swam as fast as I did while in high school, yet I knew I could get better, do better, be better.
After competing in a couple National and one International swim meet and racing in a few triathlons I needed a new challenge. I found Crossfit.
On my first day my coach Fernando David gave me a simple WOD to do, I went home exhausted but not defeated. I knew I would be back the next day and the next day I knew I could get better, do better, be better. After my intro classes I started the regular WODs at South Florida Crossfit Endurance. I got my rear end handed to me on a daily basis, yet I came back everyday. Everyday better.
After 3 months I finally finished a WOD on the top of the board…I was beyond elated. So I kept pushing to get better, do better, be better. I have competed in a few local Crossfit competitions where I met some great people and had amazing experiences. I have also been able to compete as a team member for my box at a team competition and compete with my girlfriend at the BGI Boy/Girl Competition where we placed second.
Competing for some is winning, not just participating. There are many 5k, 10k, Half-Marathon and Marathons out there, do you think those runners think
they are going to win, no they don’t. Lacing up their shoes and challenging their belief and idea of what they can accomplish is why they are there. I have seen people racing triathlons in pink Huffy bikes, but they are out there doing and competing.
Now Sectionals is upon us and things are getting interesting.
The set up for this year is either video your WOD or go to an affiliate. I was the first person to sign up at my box. Do I think I am going to Regionals, no. Am I going to the Crossfit Games, only if I buy a ticket. Is this stopping me from doing the Sectionals WOD, not even close. How will I know how I compare as a Crossfitter outside my box if I never challenge myself to get better, do better, be better.
Local swim meets have no qualifying time, yet National and International Meets do. Without these local meets you would not be able to get a qualifying time to compete in a larger meet.
Sectionals should be treated the same way, it is open for everyone, and I think everyone should feel welcome to come and give it a shot weather you are number 1 or number 14,353.
I did not join Crossfit to go to the Crossfit Games, I joined to get better, do better, be better. That is exactly what I am doing and what I will continue to do everyday.