Coach Evaluation Guide
Gymnasium Coach Academy
Coach Evaluation
Guide
This guide explains every criterion on the Coach Evaluation Form — what it means, why it matters, and what each score level looks like in practice. Use it during your Academy observation classes to understand what you are working toward. The same criteria are used to assess you at Trial Class, through Shadow Coaching, and in every ongoing observation thereafter.
0
Not Done
1
Poor
2
Needs Work
3
Good
4
Great
5
Exceptional
Scoring System
How scores are calculated

Each criterion has a weight that reflects its importance within its section. When you score a criterion, that score is multiplied by its weight. The section total is then normalised to its share of the overall 100-point score.

This means that if a session has no Strength/Skill component and those criteria are marked Not Applicable, the remaining criteria are still scored out of their full section total. You are never penalised for a class format — only for how well you coach what is there.

Professional Standards
10 pts
The operational floor. Non-negotiables.
Member Experience
20 pts
How members feel. Drives retention.
Coaching Quality
55 pts
The technical heart of the session.
Community & Belonging
15 pts
What makes Gymnasium more than a gym.

Within Coaching Quality, the criteria are not equally weighted. The two most heavily weighted criteria are Every member is coached well (worth up to 9.5 of the 55 CQ points) and Coach interacts personally with every member, using their names (up to 8.8 points). WOD scaling is next at 5.9 points. The criteria with the highest individual weights are the ones Gymnasium considers most important to the coaching experience.

Overall Rating
What your score means

Your total score maps to one of five ratings. These are not pass/fail — they describe the standard of coaching observed in this session.

90–100
Exceptional
Averaging 4.5 across criteria. Rare. Every element of the class is actively coached.
75–89
Great
Mostly 4s with some 3s. Strong coaching with clear moments of excellence.
60–74
Good
Solid 3s across the board. The class was well run. Some areas to develop.
45–59
Needs Work
Averaging 2s or 3s. Identifiable gaps in delivery that need active attention.
<45
Immediate Intervention
Significant failures across multiple areas. Requires immediate coaching support.
Mandatory Pass Criteria
Why your score may be capped

Four criteria are considered so fundamental to the Gymnasium coaching standard that scoring below 4 on any of them caps your overall rating, regardless of how well you scored elsewhere. The cap level depends on how low the score is:

3
→
Good max 79
0–2
→
Needs Work max 59

A capped score is not the same as an uncapped score at the same number — it means a specific criterion is holding your coaching back. The evaluation form shows your actual uncapped score alongside the capped rating, and identifies exactly which criteria triggered it. The cap is removed as soon as all four criteria are scored 4 or above.

⚠
Coach interacts personally with every member, using their names
Personal connection is the primary driver of member retention. A coach who does not interact with every member by name has not coached — they have managed a session.
⚠
Every member is coached well
Every member deserves at least one moment of specific, technical attention. Without this, the class is a group workout, not a coached session.
⚠
Coach checks for injuries and adapts accordingly
An unmanaged injury is a safety failure. There is no acceptable reason to skip this.
⚠
WOD scaling and progression options given
Every class has a mixed-ability room. A coach who only explains the Rx version is coaching for a minority and has failed the rest of the room.
Not Applicable Criteria
When criteria don't apply

Some criteria are only relevant when certain conditions exist. Criteria marked as N/A are excluded from the scoring calculation entirely — they do not reduce your score, and the remaining criteria are normalised to fill the full section weight.

The Strength/Skill block and WOD block can each be toggled N/A on the evaluation form if a class has no strength/skill component or no structured WOD. Individual criteria marked with "if applicable" — such as partner management, new member introductions, and community moments — can also be marked N/A when they are genuinely not relevant to the session.