Every day, police officers, firefighters, and military service members face the unknown and unknowable, risking their lives to protect our communities.
Firefighters need to be able to run into burning buildings and pull people out of the flames, police officers need to be able to get out of a squad car swiftly or run quickly and restrain a person under fatigue, and military service members need to be ready for combat at any moment.
It is important these service members are best equipped to face the demands of their jobs, not only to serve our communities and country to the best of their abilities but also to protect themselves.
That is why CrossFit was designed — to ensure people are fit enough to perform any physical task thrown at them in life and to mentally overcome challenges.
Joe Masley, a member of Boston Fire and CrossFit Seminar Staff (CF-L4), says, “We need CrossFit because our jobs demand a high degree of ready state fitness — the ability to perform any physical task asked of us, at a moment’s notice, with limited (if any) time to prepare in that said moment. Many times, we’ll be called upon to perform at the highest level when we are already fatigued and the least ‘ready’ — the definition of the ‘unknown and unknowable.’ The margins for failure in this arena we operate in are far more severe and unforgiving than regular civilian jobs.
“Consistently training via the CrossFit methodology gives us that ready state needed to, as CrossFit Flowmaster Stephane Rochet elegantly put, ‘Perform complex tasks, with excellent mechanics, while fatigued.’
“This capacity will not only help save the lives of those we are charged with protecting, but also the lives of our teammates, and ourselves so we can realize longer, healthier careers.”
The New Hampshire Police Academy has shown that CrossFit is a successful training program for police cadets to ensure they not only pass the Physical Agility Test but can also perform their job properly in the field. After cadets had completed the 16-week academy, injury was also nearly non-existent.
In May 2010, the U.S. Army published a 69-page study documenting the effects of CrossFit training on combat readiness. The findings noted a significant improvement in overall fitness in all participants regardless of their fitness level at the start.
CrossFit knows the impact the methodology can have on service members. Therefore, affiliate fees are waived for the following types of affiliates:
- Military
- School (primary or secondary)
- University
- Fire Department
- Law Enforcement
How to Open an Affiliate For Service Members
Step 1: Obtain Eligibility
The requirements to open an affiliate for service members are the same as a normal affiliate, but there are a few extra requirements.
The affiliate owner must first obtain their Level 1 Trainer (CF-L1) Credential.
At this time, active military personnel, veterans, and first responders are eligible for a 20% discount for the CrossFit Level 1 Certificate Course. If you would like to register for a CrossFit Course, please reach out to seminars@crossfit.com and provide the exact date and location (or time for online courses) of the course you wish to attend and the team will provide you with a unique discount code.
Find a CrossFit course near you.
Other Eligibility Requirements:
- Military Affiliation Eligibility: To qualify for a military affiliation, you must be on a military base, training military personnel only, and be free of charge. If you meet those requirements we will waive the annual affiliate fee and the insurance requirement.
- Police/Fire Affiliation Eligibility: To qualify for an LEO (law enforcement officer) or fire department affiliation, you must train law enforcement personnel or fire department personnel only, be located on city property, and be free of charge. If you meet these requirements, we will waive the annual affiliate fee and the insurance requirement.
Step 2: Fill Out An Application
You can reach out to the Affiliate Support Team (affiliatesupport@crossfit.com), Joe Masley (joe.masely@crossfit.com), or your regional field leader to help walk you through the next steps toward applying for CrossFit affiliation.
View regional field leader contact information.
The affiliate team will provide the eligible affiliate applicant a code to gain access to the Affiliate Starter Kit course and affiliate application which gathers information on the location and proposed naming. Once the application is reviewed and approved by CrossFit, you may sign your license agreement and open your affiliate.
Step 3: You’ve Affiliated! Now What?
CrossFit affiliation allows you to legally use the CrossFit trademark and offer CrossFit training at your affiliate location. With affiliation, you will also receive:
- Full access to all resources in the Affiliate Toolkit. These resources include checklists for hiring and developing your staff.
- CrossFit Affiliate Programming (CAP)
- Access to affiliate roundtables to connect with other affiliate owners.
- Access to affiliate summits.
- Discounts on flooring, cleaning supplies, software, and more to reduce the cost of opening and maintaining a gym.
Questions?
For any questions related to opening a CrossFit affiliate for service members, please reach out to affiliatesupport@crossfit.com.
For a full list of FAQs related to opening a CrossFit affiliate, click here.
How to Open a CrossFit Affiliate For Service Members