We had our quarterly coaches this meeting this past weekend and they are always a great time.  Spending a few hours (ok, more like 5 hours) with like minded people and those that are your closest friends is always nice.  But, this meeting was special.  Not just special because Sasa Mirkovic came in and led us through an incredible leadership talk, special in a way that can't be described in words, well, at least not by me.  

It was one of those, you had to be there meetings.  We got some video and we will post it this week, but you still just had to be there.  The energy, the focus, the love…yeah, the love.  There is so much love on our coaching staff, not just for CrossFit but for each other and for you the athletes of ACF/CCP.  Not a sexual love (although Murph and James were hitting it off) a love led by a Passion for leading and helping others.

There are four types of awareness to things you do in life:  Conscious competence, Unconscious competence, Conscious incompetence, and Unconscious incompetence.  

I used to think a lot of what we did at Albany CrossFit was due to unconscious competence.  In other words, "hey, I'm not sure what we're doing, but it really seems to be working."  That's not a good thing, because, it can quickly turn into unconscious incompetence, if you're not sure what you're doing right, you can quickly find yourself doing it wrong.  But, the more I sat back and looked at it, the more it began to dawn on me, we know what we're doing right…we care.  We start with our why and we live by our guiding values.

What's our Why you ask?  It's simple, be better.  We sat down as coaches months ago and wanted to come up with this really profound statement.  We wanted it to be this long answer that made us sound really smart and as if we knew what we were talking about.  The more we discussed it and spent time on it, the more we realized what it truly was.  We want to help people be better.  Not just at CrossFit but in life.  We want you to live a better life.

We do this by living each day guided by our values: community, health, integrity, excellence, and happiness.  

Living by what we believe in, what we love, what we have a passion for, is what has allowed ACF and CCP to become what they are, it's what allows this community to grow, it's what allows us to become better.  

It was quite apparent this past Saturday that every member of our coaching staff feels this way.  They are the best.  From veteran coaches such as Viv and Brett to our newer interns Jenna and Dave, every one of them shares the same passion for CrossFit and for helping others be better.

I encourage you to thank them, let them know you appreciate them, it makes their day.

"Once in a while you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right."  That quote from the Grateful Dead's "Scarlet Begonias" rings true at CrossFit.  We are coaches, but we also learn every day not just from one another but from you the athletes.  Whether it's you giving us feedback on class, or coaching someone and realizing we should be attacking this from another angle, or simply gaining a new perspective on a movement.  You all teach us every day and help us grow as coaches and as people.  

Lastly, I want each one of you to feel comfortable emailing me, texting me, or pulling me aside to chat with me.  ACF and CCP are my babies, I am constantly searching and seeking out ways to improve, but those all come from you.  We don't chase money, we chase excellence and in this case our excellence is serving our athletes.  I not only want your feedback, I need your feedback.  

Thank you all for trusting us, for supporting us, and for helping us be better.

Much love.