Most of the new kids - Desmond, Dennis, Jamesa, and her sister Jannetta -- showed up. TJ didn't come in. No sign of the other kids either, and that was a big concern where Kishawn was concerned. There's a boxing show at Loyola Park next week, and Kishawn was all hyped up about going. Even his cousin Derrick said he might weigh in at that show for his first fight.
However, the other kids made up for any disappointment I had. All were easy to work with, especially Jamesa and Jannetta, who are 13 and 16 years old, respectively. Jannetta has some boxing experience via After School Matters, a youth program. Someone told me the girls are home schooled, and the classes they take via the park district serve as their extra curricular activities.
I've come to realize that I can't expect or force the kids to follow the boxing training schedule I have up in the gym. It's caused friction in the past with some kids in the gym when I insisted on that. The kids are now being encouraged to use the list as a guideline and to craft their own workout.
No adults have signed up yet. It's not the cost, which is low. I think it has a lot to do with the time the class takes place. But it can't be done any earlier, nor done any later. Maybe if the adult class didn't meet on a daily basis, that would make it more attractive to people. Most of the kids have long split their time between training with me and doing other activities. Some of the adults have done this as well, but unlike the kids, they have more pressing demands on their time. Right now, the class time is what it is. I just hope more adults will find it.
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