From Performance to Mastery: Rethinking Coaching Through Epstein’s TARGET Framework

CrossFit has had a profound influence on the global fitness industry. Its rapid growth, powerful community, and emphasis on measurable outcomes have shaped a generation of exercise professionals. Yet, as with many performance-driven models, the educational systems within CrossFit tend to prioritize results over learning.

This outcome-based, performance-focused orientation mirrors what Epstein (1989) described as a performance climate—an environment where success is defined by outperforming others, rather than by growth, effort, or skill development.

By contrast, a mastery climate emphasizes individual progression, learning, and autonomy. If we apply Epstein’s TARGET framework—Task, Authority, Recognition, Grouping, Evaluation, and Time—we see how CrossFit education has tilted almost exclusively toward performance, and how coaching could evolve to better support mastery.

Why Great Coaches Encourage More Than They Correct

If you’ve ever sat on the sidelines and watched a coach bark at an athlete after a mistake, you’ve

probably felt the tension ripple through the team. The athlete hangs their head, the energy dips, and the

joy of the game seems to fade away. Sadly, many coaches still rely on criticism and punishment,

thinking it will “toughen up” their players.

But research says otherwise. For over 30 years, sport psychologists Ronald Smith and Frank Smoll

have studied what really makes coaches effective. Their findings? The most impactful coaches aren’t

the ones with the loudest voices ̶ they’re the ones who encourage, support, and create a climate

where effort and improvement matter more than perfection.