Countdown To Brooks Park

This past Monday, Jamil and I sparred.  Jamil had told me some time ago that he didn't feel comfortable sparring with women.  Alan had talked him into it by saying, "You're just going to be moving around."  He and I didn't do any real damage to each other, but we got in the aerobics.

When I walked in the fieldhouse, Rashawn, Savon, Cameron and Miles were at the front desk.  "Yay, the boxing gym is open!" they exclaimed when they saw me.  I smiled, but Mary was behind the desk, and she looked concerned.  Carol was going to open the gym when the boys ran ahead of her.  "They're not supposed to be in the gym," Mary said.  "Alan let them come in and play a few weeks ago," I explained.  Mary shook her head, as the boys came back to the front.  "You all can't go in the gym when the adults are in there.  Talk to your dads and ask them if you can sign up for the kids' boxing program," she told the boys.  Mary had Carol grab some ping pong equipment in an attempt to distract the kids from going into the gym.  "Their time in the baskeball gym is over, and the boys are waiting for their older brothers to finish playing ball.  That's why they're hanging up and down the halls," Mary told me after the boys went around to the ping pong table. 

I hadn't been inside the gym two minutes when the boys came rushing in.  "We saw the door being opened," they said, as they reached for the gloves and headgear.  "Remember, Miss Mary said that you all can't come in," I gently told them.  "Aw, why not?  We like to play in here," the boys said.  Truthfully, I don't mind Rayshawn and his friends being in the gym.  They don't bother anyone, and when asked to come out of the ring so the adults can spar, they do so without complaining.  They are nice kids.  But Mary has concerns about them getting hurt.  Regardless of the fact that I keep an eye on the boys, there is always the specter of possible liability issues. As I was trying to explain to the boys why they had to follow the rules, Mary came in and told them to come out of the gym. 

I got to the gym a little late Wednesday night to find Alan and Johnny already there.  "It's going to be a quiet night again like Monday, huh, Hil?" Alan said.  Ralphie came in, and that was it as far as attendance.  Johnny and I took turns sparring with Ralphie.  The timer is normally set for three minute rounds with one minute rests.  Alan set it for two minutes rounds instead.

None of us knew that until Alan told us.  I was wondering why I didn't feel as tired after doing a couple of rounds with Ralphie.  "I thought the rounds seemed short," Ralphie commented.  Alan figured it was a good way to help us work on our stamina.  We thought it was easier on the canvas, so we did extra rounds.  I ended up sparring for three rounds, something I hadn't done in awhile.  Brooks Park boxing show is about two weeks away.  "We're going to amp it up, right?" Johnny said to me.  We're going to have to, as there are a lot of competitors who will be at that field house. 

Photos of the Old Girl's Fight

Alan called me last night to say that there would be no matches available tonight.  There's a charity boxing show at the Evanston Boxing Club this evening.  There was a possibility that Carlos and I might have gotten some matches, but it was not to be.  The Chicago Park District has several more weeks of exhibition boxing shows, so we'll just have to try again.

I met Barry a couple of days ago at Starbucks, and he gave me pictures that Kitchens had taken during my fight back in September:

I'm hoping to get at least one fight in because Meg and I have a rematch in December.  The next photo shows that I did take some shots to the face:

In the next photo, I'm looking worn out as Alan gives me instructions.  This must have been taken between the second and third rounds:

That was not my headgear; my own is red.  I wish I could have worn my own, because what I was wearing kept slipping.  Headgear and gloves are provided to boxers during Chicago Park District amateur shows, and during the Golden Gloves, as well.  Boxers aren't allowed to use their own gloves and headgear.  The main reason is to keep things on the up-and-up.  Also, the amateur boxing gloves are either red or blue with white to help the judges distinguish between the boxers in the ring.

Birthday Licks and Blood

Today is Pastor Roger's 40th birthday.  On his Facebook page, he wrote that he was "over the hill."  When he came in, I gave him a hug and told him, "You are not over the hill -- don't say that."  After he went to his office, I remembered that I had planned to give him birthday licks.  In grade school, whenever it was someone's birthday, that person would get hits that matched how old they were.  Plus, they would get one lick for bad luck, and one lick for good luck.  Usually the last two hits were harder than the ones that came before.  Depending on how much you liked or disliked the other kid, the previous hits would be soft or very hard.

I announced my intent to give out the birthday licks to him.  Pastor Roger picked up two cups, one that was filled with tea.  "You wouldn't hit a man with glasses, would you?" and we both laughed.  When he put the cups down, I took hold of his arm.  "Uh, no, don't. . ." he started.  I softly tapped him on his shoulder with my fist.  "One for bad luck and one for good luck," I smiled. 

Carlos sparred with Elvin in the gym this evening, and it wasn't long before Carlos was bleeding.  Elvin caught him in the face a few times.  Alan did not bring his workout clothes.  He wiped the blood from Carlos' nose, and a spot of it got on Alan's dress shirt.  "It's okay.  I can get it out with peroxide.  It gets a lot of stuff out including wine," he explained. 

Ralphie and I sparred, and I ended up bopping him in the back of the head.  "Sorry!  I put in an illegal punch," I said, and Ralphie laughed.  We were in for two rounds.

Unfortunately, the Seward Park boxing show for tomorrow was canceled.  Yale had let me know about a boxing show that's taking place in Evanston on Friday.  Alan said he would call Yale to see if any matches are available.