NORCAL CLASSIC
Thoughts UNDER THE POP-UPS
It’s fascinating to me how MidState CrossFit has cultivated real, meaningful adult friendships.
There is nothing surface-level about competing in an online qualifier, taking time off work, planning a holiday around exercise, and then spending four straight days together pouring your heart and soul into six workouts. Emotions run high. Energy ebbs and flows. You see people at their best, their most vulnerable, and everything in between.
Not many people in modern society are doing this.
Well, plenty of CrossFitters are, but I would argue MidState CrossFit is doing it differently.
There is an enthusiasm that permeates our clubhouse. More than one spectator is celebrating their birthday’s at the NorCal Classic this year. Children are watching their parents, and their parents friends compete. They are going to emulate what they see. And what do they see?
They see men and women taking care of themselves. They see adults embracing challenge. They see people engaging with a larger community. They see competitors looking each other in the eye, shaking hands, embracing after hard-fought workouts, and laughing through the struggle. Somewhere along the way, many adults stop making real friends. Life gets busy. Careers, families, responsibilities, and routines take over. Relationships become centered around convenience rather than shared experiences. We have acquaintances, coworkers, and people we wave to, but genuine friendship becomes increasingly rare.
What makes this community special is that it creates opportunities to earn friendship. Not through small talk, but through shared hardship, commitment, and showing up for one another repeatedly. You learn who people are when they are nervous before an event, exhausted after a workout, frustrated by a setback, or celebrating a victory. Over time, trust is built. Respect is earned. Friendships deepen. That is what I saw all around me yesterday and expect to see for the rest of this weekend.
Broadly speaking, many people are worried about the present and anxious about the future. But the society I saw at the start of this weekend was filled with hope, aspiration, challenge, and purpose. We are setting an example. Others are right there here with us. They see it too but it’s 1-3 competitors not a tribe. There will be well over 30 MidState CrossFit athletes, family, and friends here today!
Let's continue to roll deep because people are getting excited. With this tide of momentum, we all have an opportunity to rise to the occasion. Adult friendship is no simple thing. It can be superficial. It can be transactional. But not this. Not this magic. This is real. This is pure. We protect it through our actions. We strengthen it through shared experiences. And this weekend, it is on full display for the world to see.
