Having To Reschedule and Weed Out

I couldn't get the van, so my fighters and I could not go to the weigh-in for the City-Wide Boxing Tournament.  It's been rescheduled to next week.  To say I was disappointed is an understatement.  Over the past month, there seems to have been one setback after another in the boxing gym.  I thought I could breath a little easier after the painting and wax job was finally done, but that's not the case.

No sign of Tough, Talky, or T1.  All three of them knew they should have shown up yesterday to go to the weigh in (as did Angel and Nay-Nay, who didn't come in, either).  But it's just as well we have to go on another day.  Neither one of them want to fight; Tough and Talky just want to come along for the ride. Tough and Talky are signed up for another activity that regularly meets on the day the weigh-in is rescheduled, so they won't be able to go.    

I put in a phone call to Tough, Talky, and TI's home, but got no answer.  I left a message stating that I need to talk to their mom.  Based on their spotty attendance and performance in the gym, the kids need to identify why they want to be in boxing.  I've have already reached a point where I only want to deal with youths who are willing to make a commitment and put in the work required.  I can't keep starting over from the beginning with youths who show up on and off, nor with the youths who attend more frequently but who play around instead of train.  It's unfair, time-consuming, and disrespectful not only to the other kids who want to learn how to box, but also to me.

That's also the reason why I haven't reached out to the youths associated with that neighborhood community organization.  None of them have shown up for weeks.  I know that the work in the gym threw a lot of people off.  But even before that, those kids were seldom attending the program, and most were not paying attention.  I don't have time for that anymore.  If the workers at that organization come around to sign those youths up again, I'm going to insist that I talk to the parents of those kids first.  Everybody has to be on the same page.

Marine and his brother Curly sparred.  Curly got a bloody nose, and I rushed to wipe his face off.  Both Marine and I pointed out afterwards that Curly had his hands down too much.  But I have to give him credit.  Curly took those hits to the nose like a soldier.  Normally, he would leave the ring, but he stayed in for four rounds.  Those two continue to be my best bet for a good showing at the tournament.