Failing

Eric Karls • September 4, 2024

Why Failing the CrossFit Level 3 Coaching Exam 3 Times was a Good Thing

Yep, you read that right, it took me 4 attempts to pass the CrossFit Level 3 Coaching exam. Also, for the record, that didn’t used to be an easy thing for me to admit.
 
At the time, in CrossFit there were 3 levels of coaching credentials, 1,2,3. Ranging from the Level 1, which is a CrossFit Coach’s invitation to the party. Get this and you are eligible to start coaching CrossFit. You might not be ready, but this is the starting point. The Level 2, a 2 day in-person gauntlet of small group coaching of one’s peers. You are put into small groups where you lead other coaches through movement explanations and then are critiqued on your performance. Last but not least, the Level 3, a 3-4 hour written exam that tests coaches on their CrossFit knowledge, ranging from methodology to seeing, cueing, and correcting movement mistakes. There is now a Level 4, I’ll save my experience with this for another day/article.
 
Let’s get back to me failing my first 3 attempts and why I now think it was the best thing that could have happened to me.
 
“Struggle is temporary, quitting last forever.”
 
Attempt #1 – Ego – I registered for the exam and thought to myself, “I’m good to go!” I’ve been coaching for years, I know my stuff, let’s do this. 

Minutes studied - 0
Result #1 – FAIL
 
Attempt #2 – Excuses for the Ego – That must have been a fluke! How could I have failed? I must have just barely missed it, let’s try again.

Minutes studied - 30
Result #2 – FAIL
 
Attempt #3 – Sad excuses for a broken Ego - WTF! Maybe I’m not as good as I thought. Maybe the test is shitty. Maybe the format of the test isn’t geared towards my strengths. Eric Thomas “Maybe you just need to study” He’s right, maybe I need to look this stuff over. I start to read through the suggested study material online. Picking through articles and topics that I am the least familiar with. Now I’m ready, I’ve studied like I should have, let’s do this!
Minutes studies – 60 per week for about 8 weeks
Result #3– FAIL
 
Attempt #4 – Now I’m embarrassed, I want to give up, I’m doubting myself until a few friends give me some advice. 

Jocko – “Good!” 

Eric Thomas “Did you really study? Did you get help? Did you REALLY study?”

Jocko – “Good!” 

David Goggins “You need get your shit together and put in the work.”

They are right, I didn’t look for help, I didn’t really study, I can make this a good thing. I look for help and find an article about a Level 3 Coach who says he studied for the Level 3 the same way he studied to pass his legal bar exam. I decide to do the same. Every day I print out one of the suggested study articles, read through it, highlight it, and go back through it. I start lesson planning all of the classes I coach and research coaching tips within the study material that pertain to that day’s workout.  I accumulate a hard copy study guide the size of 2 large telephone books. I do this procedure every day, Mon-Friday, for 8+ months.
Minutes studied – 30+ minutes a day, 5 days a week, for 8 months = 4800+ minutes or 80+ hours + all of the coaching hours I was putting what I studied into action = 10-15 hours per week = 19,200 minutes or 320 hours for a TOTAL = 400+ Hours or 24,000+ minutes.
This is all slightly higher than my first 3 attempts.
Result #4- PASS
 
“There is no failing, only winning and learning.”
 
Failing the exam 3 times not only made me have to master the material and own it. It taught me a valuable lesson. When something doesn’t work, it’s not the end, it’s not time to make excuses, it’s time to find a different solution/answer to the problem. In the beginning, I made excuses to protect my ego. “It’s not my fault I failed”, “the test is poorly designed”, “who cares about getting a Level 3, it’s not that important.”
It was my fault I failed; I didn’t know the material.
The test was and is difficult, but it should be. Anything worth doing should be difficult. It’s what makes it special.
The Level 3 is important, to me and to what it represents - a higher level of mastery. 

So yes, failing 3 times sucked, I hated going through it and the process took over a year, but in the end, it was the best thing that could have happened to me. Something not working, don’t give up, find a different path, it makes success that much sweeter. 

In Strength,

Eric Karls, M.Ed.

CrossFit Conductor

Awesomeness Engineer
CrossFit Level
3 Certified Trainer 
(859) 494-9119


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