I love traveling and visiting other affiliates across the country. I also love being an affiliate owner and having people from across the country visit us! Because of our downtown location we have a very large number of Drop In visitors (especially during the holidays.) We also have a lot of our members that travel to other affiliates. As you are traveling to or from here, there are a few things to remember to be a courteous and welcomed visitor.
NEVER show up unannounced.
NEVER. Send an email, make a phone call, fill out the Contact Us page on the web site. Some affiliates even have Visitor registration right on-line. Coaches want to know if a new person will be joining their class that day. They want to know a little bit about you before you show up and they are expected to coach you.
Arrive EARLY to meet the coaches and the other members.
And you KNOW you are going to have to fill out waivers and liability forms. There is nothing worse than having someone come in right as class is starting and then trying to get paperwork filled out and get warmed up properly.
EXPECT to pay a Drop In fee.
Each gym has it’s own rules on the fees. Some will waive the fee if you buy a t-shirt (though this is becoming more rare.) Expect and offer to pay. You are using up that affiliate’s time and resources. Remember that you are NOT a Free Trial Class Prospect, you are a Drop In Visitor. It is also very helpful if you take care of all of the fees/t-shirt buying upfront. You should be there early anyway to fill out the waivers.
Expect to ATTEND a regular CrossFit Class.
Drop Ins/Visitors are expected to be attending a regular CrossFit Class. Don’t expect to attend a specialty class or even Open Gym time while you are visiting a different affiliate. If you have your own programming and need Open Gym time and space, DEFINITELY contact them ahead of time. Gyms have different rules on Open Gym time, and many will not be able to accommodate you.
Don’t be a NO SHOW.
When you do contact an affiliate and tell then you are going to attend a class, show up. If something comes up and you can’t make it (which does happen) send an email or make a phone call and let them know you won’t be there.
SCALE for yourself according to your abilities.
The coaches there won’t know you very well. Now is not the time to show off and attempt an Rx workout if that is beyond your abilities. Err on the side of caution. You may be in a different climate zone or elevation, and trust me, that will affect your workout.
Be COURTEOUS and RESPECTFUL.
Remember that you are the guest and being their guest is a privilege, not a right. Not every affiliate allows Drop Ins. Don’t take away from the Members that pay a monthly membership fee.
Have FUN and ENJOY yourself!
You can learn a lot from visiting other affiliates. New warm ups, new stretches, new movements, and new ways of doing things. You may also get a greater appreciation for your home gym, but every gym and every class has something to offer and something for you to learn.
We LOVE having Visitors from other gyms. So far this month already we’ve had a couple from Thailand, a visitor from New Zealand, one from Scotland, and a visitor from Australia! CrossFit is built on Community – not just within your own gym but within all of the CrossFit gyms!