A hug. I know it seems basic and possibly foolish at times but really when you need encouragement, what's better than someone doing that for you? Although society is spending more and more time on computers and smart phones I think the basic need of acceptance and being in communal events is bubbling under the surface. Click after the jump to see thing two examples of these trends.
Take two examples. Spartan Races and CrossFit. At first both were viewed as taboo or extreme. Now both sports/activities are at the mainstream and people are competing in the event is droves. If you want to see the evolution of the races check out this interview with the Barbell Shrugged crew. Click here. The second is the juggernaut, *Reebok CrossFit Games Open. The numbers of participating are staggering to look at sometimes. For the 2015 Reebok CrossFit Open numbers, the numbers ranged from upwards of 275,000 participating. To get a small history lesson from the people of CrossFit and Reebok, Click here. From these two phenomenons have given birth to other events such as- Battle Frog, NPGL, ALN, FTL (Funtional Training League), etc. Main Point: The combination of having a genuine real experience with having a challenge has been the catalyst of a thriving environment and business model throughout the globe. This looks to continue to evolve and change throughout the years. *Sidenote: If you haven't noticed the real catalyst to this while expulsion is Reebok. That will be explored in another rant in the next few posts. Side Rant: I think all these competitions has awoken a need for competition back in the lives of the 20 or 30 something year old athlete. Looking at the last generations what has been the model? Go to school, graduate, get married, spawn children and settle down. With all these weekend events and community etc it gives people a push towards an attainable goal and get back in competitions like they did in their early 20s. A bigger purpose. The Amateur Grid is going to be another outlet for that. And I think it takes the best of what functional fitness competitions up to this point have been offering and adds a bunch of needed changes.
