Nosebleeds and Sparring

The photo is of the headgear stand at Loyola Park.  I need one at LaFollette.

Earlier in the week, one of the kids had a bad nosebleed.  It wasn't from sparring.  Unfortunately, it was a bit too warm in the gym.  The kid was one of those people whose nose starts gushing when there is too much heat in a room.  Luckily, I'm not the squeamish type.  I managed to help slow the flow down.  However, his older brother decided to take him home, so they both missed out on sparring that day.

Li'l Mama and her brothers didn't miss out on sparring today, however.  She had to spar with her younger brothers.  One of them kept taunting her in the ring.  Li'l Mama stepped back and got that look of determination on her face again before punching back in the later rounds.  I told her brother that he wasn't going to be able to take advantage of her so easily in the future.

One of the twins was looking for another girl who had sparred with Li'l Mama several days ago.  "I want to beat up that girl that was beating my sister," he told me.  "Sparring is practice fighting.  It's not for actually beating down someone," I answered.  "But she was hitting my sister.  I want to knock her tooth out," he continued, serious as a heart attack.  His mother and I both had to laugh.

I ended up sparring with the twins.  They kept saying they were going to knock me out.  Her brothers are six year old twins.  Of course, I was just doing pitty-pat while in the ring.  One of her brothers laughed and told me, "You're quick!"

No teenagers showed up for the later class -- again.  The mother of Li'l Mama and her brothers said, "It's party night.  That's why they're not here!"  She was right.  Cold weather doesn't keep people from partying.  But it seems to be an excuse for not showing up to do other things.  Promoting the boxing program so close to the holidays doesn't seem to be a good plan.  But I have to think of something to get the older kids interested in boxing.