The Crying Game

I told Ashley that she wasn't going to spar with her sister Mya again.  Mya is too small, too short, and on top of that, she cries at the drop of a hat.  She appears to be willing to spar on the days that is allowed.  But as soon as the heat is on, Mya freezes up, does not answer punches, and turns on the waterworks.  She acted like that with LaKendrick, as well.

I paraphrased Tom Hanks' character from A League Of Their Own in my thoughts:  "There's no crying in boxing!"  Mya's not the only one guilty of tears.  Little Jordan and Nassir were crying rivers during their boxing matches last week.

No, it doesn't feel good to get punched.  But the kids not only have to focus on giving licks, but they have to learn how to take them, too.  Mya's dad said it best when he told all of the kids in the gym that they can't do street fighting in a boxing match.  "It looked so easy to all y'all until you actually got in the ring," Mya's dad said.

Big Jordan was grumbling instead of listening, mouthing off to his mom, as well as to Mya's dad, who was helping him out.  "It's not going to happen overnight," Mya's dad admonished Jordan.  "There were a lot of days when I was playing sports when I wanted to quit.  But you just have to keep going."  I suspect Big Jordan was still smarting over having been bested by Kishaun the other week.  He's always looking to spar with Kishaun now (who didn't come to the gym today), and some revenge might be behind that.

Everybody wants to fight, but few want to deal with the punishment.  They have got to understand that it is part of boxing.