I just spent the weekend in snowy Boston, Massachusetts watching/coaching some of the Power and Grace athletes compete in the East Coach Championships hosted by Crossfit New England. To be honest and as a bit of a disclaimer, I have never been a huge fan of local competitions in the Crossfit world. Yes, there are lots of good reasons why athletes should compete in them and why they should exist BUT for every good reason I can pick two bad ones. However, it seems they are a necessary “evil” in the fitness world.
That being said, I was pretty surprised by the ECC. Ben Bergeron and his team did 3 things really well and I want to give him props for those.
1- The programming wasn’t gimmicky. Jeff Germond and I talked about this desire by most competitions to do something catchy and gimmicky to make the competition unique. Hence the hurdle jump at the OCT (definitely made them unique) OR the Triple Unders last year at the Fittest Games. Ben did a great job staying away from gimmicks at this competition and I know as I coach I appreciated it and so did the athletes.
2- Ben did a lot with a little. They didn’t have a ton of space and they didn’t have a ton of equipment. There were no prowlers nor the space for it. There was no place for rope climbs. No place for running. The competition floor was so refined that everything had to be done with the shorter bars from the Games. Yet, the programming was fun, entertaining, and concise. The short bars took away a snatch element which I didn’t like BUT Ben did a whole lot with very little.
3- The weightlifting event. Finally, a competition recognized what crowds like to see. Big weights lifted by their favorite athletes. I loved that they made the athletes qualify by running through the ladders first but the finale was incredible. All by yourself on a platform in the middle of the competition floor with all the lights out and a spotlight on you. Make the lift or sit down. My kind of event. Simply beautiful and easily completed.
Great job Ben and great job Crossfit New England. Because of my fear of bad local competitions and my potential negative slant toward my athletes competing in them, I am always looking for good ones. The East Coast Championships are on that very short list. One day individual event with a lot programmed in but nothing that will destroy an athlete for a week. Great experience.