I wanted to take time to share an email received from Amber this week. No explanation needed. Thank you Amber for calling out David and Cory for their fine work as coaches!
Hi Todd!
I hope you’re doing well. I’ve been meaning to sit down and write this email all week, but haven’t found the time. I’m coming up on a year since I did my very first CrossFit class. I know I’ve grown, gotten stronger, and I’m more impressed with myself than I’ve ever been as a result of doing CrossFit. Who would have ever thought I would be deadlifting 150 pounds or cleaning 120 pounds–certainly not me!
With the significant amount of travel I do for my job and for leisure, I have dropped in to a good number of boxes throughout the country (and even in Dubai). Each time, I’ve felt so privileged for the size of our box, the quality of the members and the quality of the instructing from David and Cory (I single them out because the vast majority of my classes are with them–you do a GREAT job as well).
Anyways, it became incredibly apparent to me how amazing our box is last weekend when I was visiting my parents in @%#$^#. Right away, watching a coach do her snatches, I noticed her form was not good. There was no group warm up–everyone kind of did their own thing and hoped they stretched appropriately for the WOD. There was no review of movements right before we started the WOD. No recommendations for scaling. I thought–ok, I do this 5-6 times a week, I know what to do, no big deal.
I was paired up in my partner WOD with a girl that was 3 weeks into her CF journey and only in her 2nd WOD class. The coaches spent no time helping her scale appropriately, reviewing movements, etc. I found myself helping review clean technique with her and helping find a more efficient way to row as they do not spend any time on that at their box. I was applying things that I had learned to help others.
During the WOD, we were in the last heat, so we were the last ones going. Everyone was watching me do my cleans–cheering me on, telling me how great they looked, how impressed they were with my form and the ease with which I did my cleans. I felt like a STAR!!
So what’s my point in telling you all of this–it was that day that it clicked for me how incredible CrossFit St. Louis is. The quality of the instruction that I have received helped me feel extremely confident. I knew how to stretch for myself, and I helped a brand new CrossFitter find her confidence and initial success in performing a strength movement.
Each and every class here, there is never a WOD that begins that Cory or David do not review the technique first, give weight recommendations, scaling options etc.
So, thank you. Thank you for creating a place that prepares me, so that each and every time I go to another box, I never have to worry about “what if I don’t know what to do” or how to scale or what if a coach doesn’t help me?
Thank you for having such a phenomenal space with such great equipment. Thank you for hiring amazing coaches. Thank you for helping me be a better, stronger, more confident person. I never would have dreamed I could be where I’m at today. Also, thank you for encouraging me to come back after I was “injured”. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you, David and Cory. You wouldn’t believe how much they’ve helped me over this time as well. Not a WOD goes by that I don’t think about it, but because of you all, I know how to take care of myself and will be forever grateful to you all. THANK YOU!
I couldn’t let another day go by without telling you about what an incredible place you have. Thank you.
Amber Stark
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And thank you Amber, for being a vital part of our member community at CrossFit St. Louis. Below is a picture from our winter competition. Amber volunteered as a judge as is the second person from the right in the second row (next to Matt Dettmann)
