It’s an exciting time of year: the CrossFit Open is upon us! Your members are anxiously awaiting the announcement of 18.1, cramming in that last-minute work on their double-unders, muscle-ups and pistols. What about you? You as the box owner have your own responsibilities, too. What should you prepare ahead of time to ensure the Open goes smoothly at your gym? Fortunately, CrossFit is providing us with some expert tips to make for a great event.

Leading Up to the CrossFit Open

Before February 22 arrives, there are a number of things you should prepare for.

Is Your Affiliate Caught Up on Business Matters?

You should be in good standing with CrossFit Inc. and up to date on fees and insurance. Be sure you have the right email address on file with CF so that you can register yourself as an affiliate manager and validate scores.

Have You Done the Judges Course?

All coaches and athletes who want to judge will need to complete this. If you want to validate scores, you will need to as well. Additionally, you should read the rulebook and tell your staff and athletes to do the same.

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Be sure to have more than enough judges available for each workout.

The Logistics

Don’t forget all the little details, including:

  • Notifying your members of the days and times they can test and re-test the Open workouts.
  • Announcing heat registration, and allowing members to sign up for a heat ahead of time.
  • Updating your website and social media pages with a current drop-in schedule.
  • Announcing when scores must be submitted by. You should know with certainty what the deadline is for validating scores.

Lastly, make sure you have the supplies you’ll need: clipboards, pens, paper and ink to print scorecards, etc. These should be ready to go the night prior.

The Day Of

Designate the necessary area specifically for members doing the Open workouts, and signify lanes by taping the floor. Go over the workout with the entire team, including the movement standards. Make sure everyone is on the same page regarding how to keep score and what the tiebreaker is.

When it comes to the CrossFit Open, early preparation is your best friend. Avoid waiting until the last minute to make plans, and your events each week should be relatively stress-free. If you’d like more information, visit CrossFit online for all the details.

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