Guest post by Allison Dorman

CrossFit is spreading like a wild fire across the nation right now, and I truly think it’s for more than just the fitness. CrossFit offers something that everyone should have, and that is community. Real, authentic, do-life-together, blood sweat and tears, family style- community.

There is much to be said about having somewhere to go. We all desire our own form of escape. Whether you are a parent that needs a break from the kids, a working professional that needs an hour away from the office, or you are just looking to hang around other people. CrossFit created that  somewhere. The actual building doesn’t seem to matter much. It can be a garage that has been turned into a make shift gym with a driveway and street to run on, right Damon? Simply having a common place to call “home” keeps the community alive and growing.

It’s one thing to come and go somewhere unnoticed. But it’s quite another thing to go somewhere and actually belong. At CrossFit, and especially at White Tail, everyone belongs. How do I know? Your name goes on the board. The time clock levels the playing field because it counts down the same “3…2..1...Go!” for everyone in the room. CrossFit has no regard for age, race, gender, job, money, or status; everyone belongs. It doesn’t matter if you RXed your work out or scaled back, it doesn’t matter if you had the fastest or slowest time. Your name and your WOD go up on that board alongside everyone else. Your name belongs there. You belong there. You are part of the family.

So, not only has CrossFit created a place to go and belong, but it has also created a place where you can struggle. We live in a society that saves face and pretends like we have our lives under perfect control. Not with CrossFit. You can’t fake muscle ups, snatches, or a timed 400m run. You can’t hide that you’re exhausted and sore. You can’t pretend to knock time off your FRAN or KAREN. It’s one of the few places you are allowed to openly struggle. You are allowed to start with the basics. You are allowed to plateau out and then start building again. You are allowed to fail and then coach Amanda or Mike is going to encourage you to fail forward and keep pushing. It is good for the soul to struggle and then have a community come alongside you to keep you moving forward.

We all need community; we all want a place to go and belong, a place to struggle, and a place to encourage other people. People like Damon start gyms like White Tail CrossFit for the obvious health benefits, but also because he believes in the power of community and that it impacts lives. Amanda, Mike, Eric and Damon are all coaches at White Tail for the right reasons. They all care, they want to challenge people, and ultimately want to enjoy being a part of a growing and changing community. So come join them!  Because at White Tail CrossFit it isn't just about being healthy and fit, it's about the community of people around you.  And that makes all the difference.