Is Reebok changing the sport of CrossFit???....
Only being a part of CrossFit for one year and seven months I
feel like I may have a skewed view of the answer to this
question. I mean, people like Chris Spealer and Annie
Sakamoto have been there since day one and are still extremely
active as coaches, athletes and ambassadors for the sport.
They were there at Aromas when it was pretty much a backyard bash
with people just getting down and dirty at the farm in
NorCal. They have lived CrossFit for years. My short
experience in the sport may not warrant a post like this, but I am
going to give you my opinion anyways and would love to hear yours
as well.
So…the question is…is Reebok changing the sport of
CrossFit. My answer…
Yes
The Games are a whole new ball game from what they were.
Athletes are treated like kings and queens. We get hundreds
and hundreds of dollars of gear. We compete at the Home Depot
Center in a huge public arena. We compete for the top prize
of $250,000. We are on TV for crying out loud. That is
definitely a change!
Reebok is providing uniforms for athletes at the elite level,
but also giving the general CrossFitter gear that makes them feel
confident, sexy and full of life. I mean seriously, if you
have a pair of bright colored Nanos you are going to want to wear
them…that helps gets you to the gym.
Away from The Games, we have more people participating in
CrossFit than ever before. We have more public awareness than
ever before. More people are getting healthier, investing
their time/energy/money into themselves and thus growing the
sport. Partnering with Reebok has given CrossFit more
opportunity for media marketing, public appearances and even though
we don't like to talk about money…they help to give CrossFit the
funds to grow.
No
CrossFit is still constantly varied, high-intensity, functional
movements across broad time and modal domains. There are
still gyms all over the world that are succeeding as small
hole-in-the-wall "boxes". They open their garage doors every
morning, write the WOD on the whiteboard and help people improve
themselves everyday. The roots of CrossFit have not been
lost. The purpose of CrossFit is not changing. The
people of CrossFit are still down-to-earth, passionate individuals
that simply want to live healthy, active lifestyles.
Reebok is changing CrossFit, but I'd rather say they
areimprovingCrossFit, they aregrowingCrossFit and they
arebecomingCrossFit. Reebok has embraced CrossFit into their
world, their workplace and their mission. I can tell you
first hand, that Reebok provides an environment to their employees
rare to most companies. They give everyone access to an
amazing facility (Reebok CrossFit One) with classes at all hours of
the day to fit different schedules, a full service locker room (no
excuses to not get a workout in before work or at lunch) and clean
eating at their cafeteria. They are practicing what we
preach!
We all know that CrossFit works. Reebok does too and they
have the resources, the network and the funds to reach more people
than we ever dreamed possible. Look at the increased number
of Open participation just from 2011 to 2012. That isn't a
negative effect. That isn't something to beat them down
about. That proves, that with Reebok's help, CrossFit can
change our world one box, one WOD, one person at a time.
