Let There Be Music In The Gym

This is what the gym looks like now that the walls and posts have been painted and the floor has been waxed.  The place looks brighter.

But alas, the same old challenges remain.  Only Marine and Angel showed up yesterday (Talky and Tough opted to rehearse for the Black History Month assembly that took place later that day).  Marine and Angel know they should be coming to the teen class, not the kids' class; they said it themselves.  The only way I can think of to convince them to show up later is to point out that they won't get any sparring practice if they remain in the kids' class.

I've talked to all of the kids about the upcoming Chicago City-Wide Boxing tournament.  They have yet to give me an answer about what day they want to go weigh in.  Time is short.  A bus has to be arranged to take us over to Curie High School for the weigh-ins, and I can't afford to deal with the usual hemming and hawing out of most of the kids.

I found it odd that Tough, who's so quick to defend herself verbally, couldn't speak in front of the audience at the Black History Month assembly.  She tried twice -- she was supposed to talk about Muhammad Ali -- and ended up crying during the second attempt.  Talky didn't get through her speech about Laila Ali because she kept stumbling over the words.  I was the only one who completed my short speech about Ernie Terrell, and I winged it based on what I remembered reading about him.  I also got a chance to talk to the few parents who showed up about the boxing program.

While pricing speakers yesterday, I noticed there are a lot of wireless ones.  It seems hard to find the regular stereo speakers that are hooked up by wires.  I threw the old speakers out, and also a radio I found which did not work.  There needs to be music in the gym.  I'm considering buying an inexpensive radio.  If it gets stolen, I'll be ticked, but not as much if the radio is not a name brand with advanced features on it.  I'd rather have the speakers, however, because there is a stereo component already set up in the gym that works.  A trip to some pawn and thrift shops may be in order to find the type of speakers I want.

I also need a cornerman's jacket.  I have a lovely one that Amy brought me while I was still at Loyola Park.  But it has the name of that gym on the back of it.  I could do like some coaches and put tape over the name, but that wouldn't look right.  It might be better to have a jacket with "Coach Hillari" on the back of it, or just "Boxing" on the back of it, so I can wear it to more places.  I'm anticipating helping out in the corners of the boxers from other clubs or who are not affiliated with a club (especially at the Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament).