CrossFit Yelm WOD Dogs

I started at CFY WOD Dogs in 2012, after learning the basics at another box, which closed. I left CFY just a week ago.
The facility is excellent. Since the latest expansion, there is plenty of room even on a Saturday, when (from what I’ve seen) the largest number of people are there. There are two restrooms, a shower, and a kids’ room with a TV and toys. Everything is kept up well and is always clean!
The schedule/​hours is exceptional. The 0630 class fit my life best, but there are also classes at various times throughout the day and evening, plus «open gym» times when one can go in to work on skills or make up a missed WOD.
Each class that attends at the same time every day tends to have its own character. The 0630 weekday class, for instance, became known as «The Breakfast Club» and we were (are) definitely a fun and goofy mix. More on Community later.
Coaching is amazing. I mean that, truly amazing. Of course each coach has a distinct style and manner, but across the board, the standards set by owners Annie Malone and Rob Carlson are embodied by every other coach I had the pleasure to work out under. They inspire, teach, critique, support, and hold each athlete accountable.
Lastly, the aspect of community cannot be overstated. The overall tone of most traditional gyms is that of individuals going in and slogging through their solo workout. Sometimes you will see someone with a workout partner, and I for one used to envy someone who had that. In CrossFit, everyone is expected to support everyone else. Yes, it is your individual workout, but all other people in your class are «suffering» through the same workout — at their own level. I worked out alongside athletes who were in excellent shape, strong and fast and who could do every element. I could not begin to count the number of times I was finishing a run at the end of a WOD, only to have one or more faster classmate (s) come back to plod the last part with me!
There is a saying that CrossFit is the only sport in which the last person to finish gets the loudest cheers. It’s true.
So, while my review of CFY WOD Dogs has turned into a spiel for CrossFit in general, I actually want to make this point: any gym or workout is only as good as the elements that keep you coming back. This place, this coaching staff, and this community is one that has been a huge part of my life and absolutely kept me going back for more.