New Session, Same Issues

I was told that I should not tell kids the boxing class is full.  Instead, I should put them on the waiting list, especially if the kids regularly participate in other classes and activities at the field house.  If some kids already in the class stop showing up, then I can let the kids on the waiting list in.  Sounds like a solution on the surface.  But none officially withdraw out of the class once they are in.  Most opt to just show up sporadically, which to me, is a disruption of the class.

It was the first day of the spring session for me yesterday.  The kids' class is full, but only half of those who signed up came in.  Deja and her brother Terry returned.  The attendance list I had didn't show their names, so I told them they weren't signed up.  A check on the computer later showed me that they were.  I wondered why those two didn't speak up to tell me they were registered.  I'll have to rectify that situation later.

Michael showed up, but he is not signed up for spring.  I told his mother I have to put him on the waiting list.  She promised that Michael was going to act better, but I'm not putting any bets on that.  After all, it was about twenty minutes into the class when he walked in, and Michael's attitude clearly did not say he was ready to work out.

The dad of Shynla, a new girl in the class, explained she was over 15 minutes late because she gets out of school the same time the boxing class begins.  It's not worth me getting annoyed about that situation anymore.  The parents know what time the class begins when they sign their kids up.  Their kids will just cheat themselves out of training time, that's all.  I can't wait to see what happens when the kids' and teens' class times are cut down from 75 minutes to 60 minutes when the summer session begins in June.

Earl started his usual habit of talking too much, but I dismissed both him and his cousin TJ.  "The both of you have been in here before, so start your workout.  I have to work with the new kids," I told hem.  TJ had the nerve to ask me, "What do I do next?" while standing in front of the workout list.  "Read the board," I said dryly for the umpteenth time.

Elizabeth and her brother Jamil roamed in and out of the gym a few times until I asked them to recognize that class was taking place.  Apparently, Elizabeth never asked her mother to sign her for boxing.  Oh, well. . . . .

I've taken an instant liking to Suave, who's real name is Joseph.  His mother told me he's wanted to be a boxer since he was five years old.  She had taken boxing at the YMCA, but her dad took her out of it.  "My parents didn't like the fact that I boxed either," I told her.  Suave seems to be a little scrapper to me.  I have to help him channel that energy into boxing technique.

There are currently eight people signed up for the teen class, but only Xavier, and a newcomer, Cordell, came in.  Terence signed up again, but he can only come in on the weekends.

Three are on the books for the adult class, but none of them came in.  That class keeps teetering on the brink of being cut completely, in my opinion.  It's the only one of the classes I coach that never really took off.  There's only a couple of times I can think of where I paid for a class of any type and didn't finish it.  The cost for the adult class is low, but that's still money wasted when people don't continue through or don't show up at all.  That class is already slated to continue during summer, but if it keeps going like it has, I may strongly suggest that it be dropped from the fall schedule.