Our annual Beginner Olympic weightlifting meet is Saturday, May 16th. Register Here!
It’s a great chance to get on the platform to test your best snatch and clean & jerk in a welcoming, positive environment that is catered to the beginner athlete. “But K, I’m not good at Olympic weightlifting, and competition just isn’t for me.”… you may be thinking. Hear me out, but I firmly believe competition is for everyone. “What do you mean by that, K?” I’m so glad you asked, here’s why:
So often I hear folx say “I’m not good at xyz (Olympic weightlifting, crossfit, etc), I can’t participate in a competition. I’ll just look, insert (“dumb”, “I’ll be last”, “I’ll miss my lift”, “I don’t lift heavy enough”, etc.)”. I get that self doubt, I hear it in my head all. the. time. Those doubts make my heart sad, though, because in my mind, you don’t have to be “good” in order to compete. You just have to show up, do your best, reflect, then keep moving forward. Competition is the culmination of a cycle. In order to get “good” at anything, we cycle through periods of learning the fundamentals, practicing movement throughout a strength cycle, and ultimately maxing out before we start the cycle over again. It’s exactly what we do in crossfit all the time. We learn how to squat, we spend a few months practicing our squat under various loads throughout a strength cycle, we max out and then we start again! Competition is a fun way to “max out”, and therefore, for everyone. If you’re willing to sit with your self doubt, tell your doubt that it’s okay to be scared, this is just another step in the process of getting better, and want to practice some lifts in front of friends and comrades, this meet is for you!
Prior to the meet in May, coaches Hannah, K and Ryan will be hosting 3 separate classes throughout the week catered to snatchin’ and clean + jerkin’, with a peak cycle just for those folks who plan to lift in May. Coach K will host a mock meet the weekend prior to May 16th to practice openers, commands and all the technical stuff that goes into a meet. You’ll be fully supported throughout the entire process!
If you’ve done this meet before, never fear, you are welcome to participate again. To read more about qualifications for the meet and to register, sign up here: https://forms.gle/BZs8VZawNdAsnxnF7. It’s $45 to register for the meet, with an additional cost to sign up as a USA Weightlifting member. I’d recommend paying for the meet first to guarantee your spot and sign up as a USAW member at a later date, prior to May 16th.
Questions? Let Coach K know! [email protected] or (319) 610-7155. For realsies, I hope everyone signs up. I wanna fill this meet up and cheer my face off for each and every one of you.