Monday, January 02, 2017

Slow Sign Ups


On New Year's Day, Antenna TV ran a marathon of "The Joey Bishop Show" (1961-1965).  I watched Bishop's late night talk show when I was a kid, but I didn't remember ever seeing his sitcom, which was on TV several years before the talk show.  One episode featured comedian Jan Murray.  Murray and Bishop had agreed to put on a "comedic" boxing match to raise funds for a boys' club.  Bishop's manager tells him that he saw Murray working out in New York's Central Park.  Actually, Murray had been running after his dog who had slipped off of a leash.  Bishop, concerned that Murray actually wants a real fight, decides that he is going to train for real, too.  The two end up showboating for each other in a local boxing gym.

When the fight happens, Murray throws wild haymakers that miss Bishop by miles.  But Bishop actually got some convincing-looking punches in, leading me to think that maybe the late comedian knew a little about the sport.  Finally, both men realize there has been a misunderstanding.  "Who told you that I was out training?" Murray asks.  Bishop points to his manager, Larry (Corbett Monica).  Both men throw punches at Larry, who runs out of the ring to avoid being punished.

This is the beginning of another week where I will not have much to do other than help watch the front desk (which I'm not crazy about).  All the signs have been put up in the boxing gym, the equipment has been cleaned and checked.  As of right now, I have six kids in the youth class.  Three of the kids, a girl, her brother, and a male cousin of theirs signed up late last week.  However, only Maz and Donovan are on the list for the teen class.  Despite reminders to their parents and guardians, James, Summer, and Ariel have yet to re-sign up.  

I've learned that most parents and guardians in the area let things slip by during the holidays.  I'm not going to be surprised at people waiting three and four weeks to sign up for the class.  But I'm going to be clear from now on about consequences (no sparring, no competing, for example) that will happen due to lack of attendance as well as lack of interest.  I also have a good response for those pushing their kids into the class for self-defense purposes.  "I'm not teaching anyone's kid how to beat up another parent's kid.  Talk to your kid's teacher and principal to solve the bullying problem, teach them how to fight at home, or put them in a proper self-defense class, because this is not it."




2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Hilari--- thanks for sharing your blog. I signed up for the adult classes starting tomorrow and I'm a little unsure of what to expect. Do I need to bring anything, like my own gloves? Could you tell me what to expect on day 1? Any advice or guidance you could share would be much appreciated!

Sincerely,
Andrew

Hillari said...

Hi Andrew. Did you sign up at Loyola Park? The Chicago Park District provides boxing equipment for use in the class. However, everybody uses the equipment, so if you want to buy your own personal gloves, headgear, etc., you can. If you want to spar, you must have your own mouthguard. But I would suggest seeing how it goes first before investing funds into equipment. Most people who show up to Coach Alan's class are beginners. On day one, he's going to show you basic footwork and go over the left jab and straight right. After that, he'll turn people loose on the equipment to practice. Expect a few group lessons for the first week or so. After that, everyone will be expected to craft their own workout, depending on what they want to get out of the class.