When Your Name is Circled

There are a few meaningful systems we have around the gym. On a day to day basis, it doesn’t matter whether you as an athlete know about them, however. Since these two systems seem to have some correlation, I figured I’d share.

The first system I’m referring to is how we monitor attendance. We have an entire backend system that tracks memberships, visits, purchases, and even automatic membership payments. In addition, we use a class roster that is printed each week to monitor who shows up to class, who switches classes, and who misses class without notice. 

An “X” next to your name means you’ve communicated with your coach and we know you’re missing that class. In conjunction, a name handwritten in to any class time means you’ve temporarily opted to take the class. Handwritten names and an “X” are general good signs. It means your communicating. You’re still generally enrolled in this process.

A circle around your name, however, means you weren’t in class and we didn’t know you weren’t going to be there. This, most literally, means you are not only missing the very thing you signed up for (i.e. improved health and fitness), it also means you aren’t present enough to communicate about it. Furthermore, it puts your coach to work to attempt to hold you accountable. Emails, calls, and efforts to reach out can be a result. For a select few, this becomes habitual and success becomes virtually impossible.

There’s another circle we use here of an entirely different meaning. We circle efforts (weights, times, and scores) on the daily whiteboard that signify a new personal record (PR). The PR is the most valuable thing one can attain in the gym. Personal improvement is, after all, our entire reason for existence here at DEUCE.

The trouble is that the folks that often have circles next to their names on the attendance sheet rarely enjoy or even know about the circles that signify PRs. Ironically, those folks that continually are in conversation about missing class wouldn’t read this blog either.

 

Logan Gelbrich

@functionalcoach