The Power of Connection: The Heartbeat of Our Community

Where It All Started

At the heart of everything we do here lies one of the most important principles I’ve come to understand in nearly two decades as a coach and athlete: connection.

When I started coaching out of my garage back in the summer of 2016 "(“CrossFit 6’ and under”), I wasn’t trying to build a business—I was trying to build a place where people could show up, work hard, and support each other. The folks who trained with me back then were people I had already coached, and they chose to follow me into that dusty garage because they believed in what we were doing together. That crew became known as “sTRONgFit YXE,” and by the fall, we had our first official space—and the true beginning of a community with purpose.

Why 150?

In 2017, we became a CrossFit affiliate and took on the name CrossFit CL—roman numeral for 150. That number comes from Dunbar’s number, a theory that proposes humans can maintain around 150 meaningful relationships at any given time. That idea has always stuck with me. I never wanted to build something so big that we’d lose sight of each other. I wanted to build something meaningful—where people knew your name, noticed when you were gone, and celebrated when you hit a milestone.

Shared Experiences, Real Connection

Connection has been the through-line of our growth. Over the years, we’ve taken part in the CrossFit Open, competed in Semifinals, trained for and hosted weightlifting meets, organized partner workouts, and built out events like the RUNble—a chance to test our limits and make memories through shared struggle, photos, and fist bumps. It’s not about the scoreboard. It’s about building bonds through shared experience.

Our logo reflects what I believe health and happiness are truly built on. At the center is a five-pointed star—you—and each point represents one of the Five Factors we focus on here: Eat. Sleep. Move. Think. Connect. Every layer beyond the star represents your circle, your environment, your relationships. These are the things that shape how you live, think, and feel.

Who You Surround Yourself With

I’ve always believed that who we surround ourselves with matters. Jim Rohn, a motivational speaker, said it best:
“We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.”

That’s not just a nice quote—it’s a truth I see play out every day in our gym.

Forming deep, meaningful relationships is at the core of living a happy and healthy life. The nature of those relationships shapes how well we’re able to grow and succeed. One quote I always come back to is this:

“Meaningful relationships provide the opportunity for three key benefits: exchange of support, social engagement, and sense of worth—all major pillars for the foundations of healthy aging.”

That’s what we’re doing here. We’re not just getting fit—we’re building support systems, staying socially engaged, and helping each other feel valued.

Navigating Modern Connection

In today’s world, connection can feel a little more complicated. With texts, TikTok, Instagram, and group chats, it’s never been easier to reach out—but that doesn’t always mean we’re forming deeper relationships. Social media makes it easy to connect quickly, but meaningful connection still requires intentionality.

So I encourage you to pause and ask:
Are the people you follow and spend time with helping you grow?
Are your conversations lifting you up or dragging you down?
Are you comparing yourself to others or expressing gratitude for what you have?

Finding Your People

The good news is, the people around you can help you move forward. Whether it’s a training buddy, a nutrition challenge group, a coach who checks in, or someone who invites you to try something new like watching a sports match together, taking part in pottery or yoga classes, or skydiving—these connections matter. They stretch us, shape us, and often surprise us.

After all these years, I’ve had the privilege of watching members become coaches, coaches become leaders, and kids who used to play on the sidelines grow up into strong athletes and confident young adults. Coach Meranda’s youth programs have played a huge role in that. She’s led with heart and consistency, and now we’re seeing her athletes step up, lead, compete, and connect in ways that make a real impact.

We’re also watching our Masters athletes continue to crush goals well into their 40s, 50s, and 60s—proving that a strong, active life doesn’t have to slow down with age. And personally, I’ve been doing CrossFit now for over 17 years, still surrounded by many of the same people I started with. That’s what makes this so special.

The Thing I'm Most Proud Of

What I’m most proud of isn’t the competitions or the PRs—it’s the trust. The community. The relationships built rep by rep, class by class. Our coaches do an incredible job creating a space that’s physically, mentally, and emotionally safe—and that’s what sets this place apart from any other fitness facility.

This gym isn’t just where we train—it’s where we connect, grow, and live better. And I feel incredibly lucky to be part of it.

Thanks for being here.

– Jason

2025 UPDATE

In 2025, we’ve partipated in the CrossFit Games Open, Semi-finals, weightlifting meets, planned partner workouts, hosted our annual RUNble, and we have plans to continue hosting and competing in events to help build and maintain connections with one another. These are all opportunities to form closer relationships with one another, testing our limits with like-minded people, and make memories through shared experiences, taking photos, and working hard together to achieve a common goal - become happy, humble, hungry, and healthy people.

Our community has grown, evolved in many ways, and we continue to chase the dream of making fitness a part of the daily routine of all that we reach. We do our best to provide our community with strong leadership, to encourage healthy habits, thoughts, and movements. Our strongest tools are our connections - we build trust between our coaches and members and we hope everyone that we reach can see the same success that our long-time members have seen. It has been my pleasure to take part in the journey of members turned Coaches, and watch them turn into strong voices with a passion for fitness. I am proud of all of our coaches and what each of them bring to the table. Their dedication to keeping our gym a physically, emotionally, and mentally safe space for our community is what separates us from any other fitness centers and I couldn’t be happier in the direction we continue to head in.

My personal involvement with CrossFit is now in it’s 17th year and I’ve had the pleasure of growing and connecting with many of the same people I had started with. Not only is it possible to be strong and active well into adult, we have Masters athletes that are continuing to practice, train, and compete with continued growth and success well into their 40s, 50s, and 60s. We’re doing more than just teaching old dogs new tricks, we’re also fostering a healthy lifestyle filled with exercise and connection for our younger generations. Coach Meranda has led her own youth programs which have produced amazing role models and coaches, leading our youngest members to play, connect, and even compete in both CrossFit and Weightlifting. Her leadership has become a beacon for so many young adults and we are now seeing the fruits of her labors in the growth and development of her students and athletes.

I look forward to the years to come as we continue to build on our community of all ages, experience levels, and lifestyles. Our community is filled with people I look up to and admire all of the time and I hope we all continue to bring the best out of each other and live our best lives.

- Jason