State of 1st F: F3 Louisville is Thriving

Posted byf3mcafeePosted in#Louisville, #thecounty, #TheMutt, #TheO, #ThePoshlandsTags:

Good afternoon F3 Louisville,

In response to the State of the Region post (if you haven’t read it, take 5 minutes to update yourself and be amused) by our very own Nathan, Captain Insane-O, I wanted to give an update and notes from our latest 1st F/Site Q meeting for the region.

I will echo what CI said, and say we are good, but I will also add that while our growth has slowed from last year, we are still thriving and continue to expand with every post. As we continue to grow our F3 footprint, 1st F is still the hook that helps draw men in, and for that purpose, Nino and I continue to move forward and strive for more.

This upcoming week, we will be hosting a Q School Week that will help educate and invigorate more leadership within our region and I think it will be a great way to kick off the school year for us. Here are some notes from our meeting as well as some actions for us moving forward.

In these notes I plan to highlight some of the key discussion points and topics. If you care to skip to the end to see what new objectives and plans we are putting into place, you can skip to the end to see what we are moving forward with.

Q School Week

We spent a large majority of our time discussing the upcoming Q School week and what is expected of Site Qs during this time. This information will be shared with the Site Qs, and if you are interested to learn more or see the notes regarding this, feel free to reach out to McAfee or Nino on Slack.

For new PAX, or all PAX for the matter, her are key items to pay attention to during Q School week that we want to ensure sticks as we move forward.

  • All F3 Louisville PAX are expected and encouraged to lead. This starts with leading a workout, co-Qing a workout, or splitting the Q with a veteran PAX. This is the first step to taking your leadership capability to the next level. F3 is a leadership based organization, fitness is just a byproduct.
  • Three key components make up a successful workout: COP (Circle of Pain), The Main Thang (The main portion of the workout), and COT (Circle of Trust).
  • How do I develop a well-planned, successful beatdown? (i.e. exercises, counting cadence, explanation, modifications, etc.)
  • Q School week is all about education. Educating the newest PAX on how they can get involved and begin leading. Fixing bad habits for some of the PAX who have gotten lazy over the past months, or even years. Reinvigorating a passion for F3 that may have fallen away. So wherever you may fall, come ready to learn and grow.

After some lengthy discussion about Q School week we moved on to some other topics that are what the main reason for this post is about.

F3 Expansion

As F3 Louisville continues to grow, we need to continue to think about how we are going to grow most efficiently and effectively. Part of how we do that is through the development of well-established workouts. As many of you know, Fungi has stepped up and will lead most of our F3 Expansion initiatives. With that being said, Nino and I will work with him and how we do so most appropriately.

1st F Initiatives and Adjustments

Over the past year we have had a lot of growth, but with that growth we have lost some PAX members as well. While we recognize that F3 isn’t for everyone, we want to do our best to make it accessible and available for everyone. This means offering some varieties of workouts (i.e. run based, heavy, rucks, etc.). We have even seen some water based workouts for those who are recovery from injury and others who are just interested in that type of exercise.

A couple different PAX have brought up some ideas about offering different styles of workouts for PAX who are either recovering or may need a modification of the workout. As a Q, we all want to be sure to give the PAX a great workout. However (and I am guilty of this as anyone), it seems as though each and every workout is an opportunity to try to outdo the previous Q. While I love this approach, it may really only appeal to a few PAX, and I have heard that members will skip certain workouts based upon the Q and that leads down a downward trajectory to them not coming back at all.

We had a lengthy discussion as a group about the possibility of adding a “modification” day to the current schedule, or even an intro workout for newer PAX/FNGs, but after we talked through many of the options, it all came back to the Q. The Q needs to mindful of the PAX and his workout. Be sure to take notice of who you have before your workout and be ready to adjust as necessary. When we announce our disclaimer at the beginning of the workout, we say “modify as necessary”, and while I think all PAX should be able to do so on their own, the Q needs to have modifications available to share with newer PAX as well as FNGs so they know what is appropriate.

In addition, I think there can be better communication amongst the Q and Site Q prior to the workout so they can be prepared to adjust the weinke as necessary. This is going to be a requirement for all workouts moving forward. Better communication, leads to better thought and ideation, which leads to better workouts and higher attendance. Simple yet effective.

1st F Action Items

Here is a list of action items that will take place at the start of Q School week, which begins August 5th. Please read the list below and let myself or Nino know if you have any questions or concerns.

  1. All Qs will give a proper introduction at the beginning of the workout”
    1. Introduce themselves, give an appropriate disclaimer, explain the workout breakdown (using examples from Q School week as a reference) and receive verbal confirmation from the PAX.
    2. Be sure to explain the purpose/mission of F3 when appropriate and incorporate the 5 core principles as well (FNGS and new PAX are attending)
  2. The Q and Site Q for the workout will communicate prior to the workout to be sure both are on the same page and have an expectations what may need to be adjusted or modified depending on the PAX attendance for that workout.
    1. This can include, but is not limited to, providing modifications for particular exercises, staying with the 6 while the groups moves on (part of liability as well – CYA policy), splitting the group into two if the group is too large, or Site Q stepping in to lead if Q fartsacks, etc.
    2. We hope this will lead to better developed and more effective workouts for all.
    3. This can also help a newer PAX feel more comfortable going into leading a workout for the first time.
  3. Site Qs will be responsible for the PAX attendance being reported on the “Attendance-Reports” tab on Slack. Whether the Q puts it their, or the Site Q, it is ultimately the Site Qs responsibility that it gets there.
    1. This will help Tron with reporting.
    2. We ask that this be reported on the page by noon the day of the workout, or sooner.
  4. Continue to lead with passion, authenticity and zeal!

I appreciate the time and attention of the PAX who attended this call and for those of you who read all of this. Looking forward to continuing to build a legacy here and can’t wait to see who is going to be a part of it next.

SYITG

-McAfee Out

Leave a comment