Where The Boys Are...Not

Noel is the only guy signed up in the teens' class (the kid from the North Lawndale Boxing League that Thomas signed up only so they could compete in the City-Wide Tournament doesn't count to me).  It has been pointed out to me several times that Noel needs to spar with more guys.  But it is very difficult to get teen boys to sign up for boxing.  Many teen boys at the field house are always asking me about signing up, but seldom is there any follow through.

I appreciate Noel because he works hard when he is in the gym.  Noel is extremely helpful towards the other participants in the program as well.  I don't have patience for most of the other teen boys who just want to be poseurs who just want to put gloves on and jump around, not train properly nor regularly, and ignore my instructions.  Walz, who helps with the basketball program and who runs the teen fitness program, keeps sending those types of boys to me to inquire about the program.  Walz's intent is to help me out; however, I don't think he recognizes when the teen boys are peddling BS.  I can see it from miles away.  I shut it down by clearly stating my expectations of people in the program.

Some of the parents/guardians are going to keep being disappointed, and perhaps, irritated, because they don't keep up with what goes on at the field house.  One of them who already has a kid in the 12-years-and-younger class attempted to sign up a second child of theirs yesterday.  "The class is full," I informed them.  They noticed that only four of the kids showed up to that class which was behind them asking how many can the class take (12 participants are allowed in each of the three classes).  I've had parents/guardians thinking I should add their kid to the attendance roster based on how many kids they saw in class on a particular day.  It doesn't work like that.

I continue to scratch my head about why parents/guardians don't sign all of their eligible kids up at one time.  Maybe they're waiting to see if the first kid actually likes the class.  A lot of parents/guardians operate on a "we'll wait and see" approach and don't seem to understand that a class that's free for youths, like boxing, will probably fill up fast.  The same ones don't get that I can't and won't make room in a class that is already filled to capacity.  Regardless of the fact that I have Sahia as a volunteer, the both of us need to make sure that we're giving all of the participants equal time as much as possible.  That can't be done in an overcrowded class.