Boxing Is Not A Supplement To Playing Ball

I saw a Facebook post announcing the death of a young fighter.  At first, I didn't recognize who it was.  JJ, who used to train at Loyola Park, had posted a picture of the fighter as a kid. Then I saw pictures of the fighter during his baptism at church.  The fighter was Nate.  He and I attended the same church.  His dad was a volunteer at Loyola Park.  Nate was a nice guy.  It's always hard to hear about a decent young person who has passed on.

It's the beginning of a two-week break period between seasons at LaFollette Park.  Walz, one of my co-workers, brought in a guy named Alex to the boxing gym.  Alex wants to get back into boxing.  He had trained at Simons Park under the late, great, Johnny Heard.  I told Alex he could come in during the break period, but if he wants to continue, Alex will have to pay for the class.  Alex also wants to volunteer, so that is a possibility. 

One of the boys on the football team, dressed in full uniform, strolled into the gym asking to sign up for the boxing class.  I didn't get the confused look the kid gave me when I told him his parents have to sign him up.  Birth certificates are required of youths who play the team sports in the Chicago Park District.  Youths are only allowed to play on the teams up until they are 13 or 14 years of age, depending on when they were born.  Parents must provide that documentation. 

I still don't understand why youths on the sports teams don't think they need parental permission to sign up for other activities at the park district.  The football player asked if I had a paper registration form.  Those were discontinued back in late 2014.  I still have a few, but I only use them when parents show up in the middle of boxing classes to register.  Even with Sahia, the volunteer, on the premises, I no longer walk out of class to do registrations.  I will have the parents fill out a paper form in the gym then enter the information on the computer system later.  I no longer give out paper registrations to youths to take home.  Most of the time, the form never came back to me.  Once one of the teenagers took home a form and filled it out themselves with false information.  When I caught it, I kicked the teen permanently out of the class.

I believe the same football player asked me a few weeks ago about the boxing class.  I should have asked how they plan to train in the gym when football practice takes place at the same time.  I don't need youths in the program who are using boxing to help them do better in another sport.  That's not my function nor that of the program.  I rather have those spots filled by youths who are mainly interested in boxing, and who take it seriously enough to want to compete.