Wiping Out Headgear

In this photo, Alan schools some of the new people who signed up for the fall boxing session at Loyola Park.  I recognized one new face as Chris, a guy who owns a computer repair shop in Rogers Park.

I had a lot of energy for some reason last night, but I didn't spar.  Instead, I watched as Alan and Gabe sparred.  Gabe wore no headgear, but Alan put on the hockey mask type headgear that Kevin left behind a few years ago.  He asked me to take it off of him and wipe it out between rounds.  "This gets so hot," he said.  I need new headgear, but having worn that particular headgear before, I would never buy that design.  Headgear is hot enough without also feeling like I'm in a cage.

Kathy and Celeste sparred.  I didn't get a chance to ask Celeste if she'd had some prior experience.  It sure looked like she did.  Celeste had to work harder to fend off Kathy's long arms and the punches at the end of them, but she did fine.  Kathy showed more confidence in the ring.

Gabe wondered if there had been anyone at the recent Loyola Park boxing show that could have matched up with him.  The only adult I remember participating in the show was Kathy.  All the guys who fought were under eighteen years of age. "It's just as well that I didn't make it to the show," Gabe said.  It's not that Gabe wasn't able to be matched up with people at other shows.  But Gabe is very tall and lanky, and that build is often hard to find among other fighters in the Chicago Park District.

In a few days, the private boxing show at Fernando's gym in Evanston will take place.  I'm going to attend regardless if have any fighters from LaFollette Park with me.

Snafus and Absences

Due to a snafu on the part of the insurance company, I had to forfeit a doctor's appointment that I had been waiting to go to for about three months.  The insurance company kept (in my late dad's words) dicking me around over the phone, so I could not resolve the problem right then and there.  Because of that, I was late to LaFollette.  After I arrived, I was wishing that I could immediately go home.

Kody and BJ came in.  They have signed up again for the class, but there's been no change in either.  If I don't stay on BJ, he doesn't train hard or consistently, and Kody just plays around.  It's a long 75 minute session when I have people in the gym who won't do what they are supposed to be doing.

Finally, I asked Kody, "Do you want to win fights?"  His response was, "I want to be able to hurt people on the street who mess with me."  I told Kody that he has to train as hard as someone who participates in regular matches to be able to defend himself elsewhere.  Kody was bugging BJ to spar, but BJ wasn't interested.  Then Kody turns around and says he's not interested in sparring.

BJ backtracked on his promise to take a fight at Simons Park next month, as well.  "I don't think I'm ready for that," BJ said.  "Why are these kids in here?" I thought to myself.  To make matters worse, Kishaun and Derrick Jr. were no shows.  I expected Kishaun to at least come in and explain why he didn't show up at Loyola Park's boxing show yesterday.  I'm trying to get out of the habit of always snapping and yelling at the kids as I don't like channeling either of my late parents' angry tones.  I forced myself to talk in even tones to BJ and Kody despite of all the slacking that was going on.   But it was damn hard for me to do.

There are only two more Chicago Park District boxing shows I'm going to take the kids to, and a private boxing show in Evanston, and that's it for this year.  I expect the self-motivation as well as the attendance to suffer even further after the opportunities to participate in matches dwindles.

None of the adults -- Dan nor De-Fetrick -- showed up for their class, either.  The absences did give me a chance to sign up two new kids, Felicia and Deshawn, for the 12 years old and under class.  That class is padding out a little more, and for that, I'm grateful.

Exhibitions and An Almost Fight

The photo above was taken in the gym after the Loyola Park 2015 "Boxing Explosion" show.  Barry is on the far left.  Gary is standing behind me on the left.  The twin teenage boys to the right of me had an exhibition match, and I worked the corner of one of them.  Alan worked the other corner.

I nearly got a fight.  Yeah, you read that one right.  Kathy, who's birthday was today, was matched up with a much younger girl for a fight.  Alan proposed that I take an exhibition match with Kathy.  I don't live very far from the field house, so I could have ran home and got my mouthpiece.  But Tommy felt more comfortable matching the younger girl up with someone else.  It appeared that Kathy would not be able to fight.  Then three fights into the show, Alan and I heard the announcer calling Kathy to come to the glove table and get suited up.  We thought the announcer had the wrong information, until we found out that Kathy was going to fight after all.

Alan was in Kathy's corner, and I helped in the corner of the other girl.  Kathy hung in there the full three rounds, despite taking a couple of hard hits directly in her face.  Unfortunately, Kathy lost the match.  But she did get a nice birthday present near the end -- she was given an award for Best Fighter Of The Show.

I also helped out another of Barry's fighters, a kid named Max, during a fight.  Max was putting his left jab out there fine, but wasn't throwing the straight right hardly at all.  During the breaks, I told Max to use that hand more, and to cover up his left side.  The other guy, also from Loyola Park, kept catching Max with hooks there.  That was also an exhibition match, so both guys received trophies.

My fighter, Kishaun, was a no show.  I can't understand it.  Kishaun was all hyped up about going to Loyola Park for weeks.  But Kishaun had not been in the gym at LaFollette to train for days, and I had a feeling I wouldn't see him at Loyola.  I was disappointed, but I can't get mad about it anymore.  This is the second time I was "stood up", but it's more about Kishaun missing an opportunity.

The turnout at the Loyola Park show was very low.  There were seven fights instead of the usual ten fights.  The audience watching the fights was small.  There were a lot of reasons:  fighters who didn't show up, it was raining out, and I heard from those who drove in that traffic was bad.  Those things happen sometimes when the boxing shows take place.  But like they say in the entertainment world, the show must go on.

What A Boxing Coach Wants Parents To Know

1.  I can only focus on the kids who are actually signed up for the program.  I'm not there to give free lessons and "try it out" sessions to the siblings, cousins, and buddies who have tagged along with the kids, but who are not signed up for the gym.

2.  I'm not a babysitter nor a playground monitor.  I can't watch the siblings, cousins, buddies of the kids in the program.  If they're not signed up for the gym, please leave them at home, or take them with after dropping off the kids who are signed up for the gym.

3.  Boxing will not automatically solve bullying issues.  In fact, it may escalate matters.  Also consider that most schools have a zero tolerance policy about fighting.  I do agree that people should be able to defend themselves.  However, it would be better to address bullying with your kid's teachers, the school administrators, and the parents of the kid who is doing the bullying than teaching your kid how to fight.

4.  I'm not going to deal with kids who present discipline problems to me in the gym.  I will bring it up to the parents at least once.  If I keep having to deal with it, and especially if I suspect nothing is being done at home to curb the behavior, I will strongly suggest that the kid be placed in another activity.  Please know that I'm not putting up with disrespect.

5.  Don't sign up kids for the gym with the idea of making them tough.  Some kids will, but others don't have the personality for it.  Know your kids.

6.  Don't force the kids into boxing.  Please ask the kid if they really want to take the sport up.  It is a waste of the kids' time to put them in an activity they don't enjoy.  It is also a waste of my time to try to teach them.  I will step in when I see a parent/guardian forcing a kid to spar when I see the kid is not returning punches, being injured, crying, etc.

7.  Make sure the kids are there on time.  When people show up late, people cheat themselves out of valuable training time.  The class times are what they are.  I'm not in a position to change them, nor make accommodations and exceptions.

8.  If the kid is involved in another sport whose practices take place at the same time, make a choice.  People can't train for two or more sports at the same time.

9.  Make sure the kid is showing up at the gym on a regular basis.  No one is going to learn how to box properly by showing up at the gym on and off.  I have other kids in the gym who show up regularly.  I'm not going to call home to find out why your kid is not there, because I'll be doing that every day.  I don't have the time to chase people.  If the kid really wants to be there, they'll show up.

10.  The classes are divided by ages for a reason.  I can't have an eight-year-old sparring with a fourteen-year-old.  I can't allow kids who aren't old enough for the classes to sign up.  Kids aren't allowed in the adult classes under any circumstances.  Kids need to be in the correct boxing class for their age group.

11.  People must be on time to boxing shows and tournaments.  Once the officials close the weigh-in, there is nothing I can do.  I'm not going to argue with them to let one more kid in, because everyone knew in advance when they were supposed to be there.  If a kid shows up without a mouthpiece, they won't be fighting that day.  I won't be carrying extra mouthpieces with me, especially when I know I gave your kid one some time ago.

12.  Respect the fact that there's only one boss in the boxing gym, and that's me.  I don't need parents/guardians standing at ringside calling out instructions over the instructions I'm already giving to their kids during training.  I don't need parents/guardians in the corners during boxing shows and tournaments giving their opinions.  If I know for a fact that the parents/guardians have had some boxing experience, I will gladly welcome their help.  Otherwise, it my job to coach.  Also, to male parents/guardians -- don't assume that I need help or worse yet, that I don't know what I'm doing because I'm a female.

Sniffling and Not Breathing

Kishaun (on the left) does a sparring drill with his cousin Derrick Jr., or has Kishaun puts it, "shadow sparring".  Hopefully, both boys will get fights at Loyola Park's boxing show later this week.

While I was at Loyola Park, I got some pad work with Gabe.  Standing next to him really pointed out how short I really am.  I believe Gabe is six feet four.  I lasted two rounds, and learned some new punch mitt techniques at the same time.  Gabe noticed that I wasn't breathing as I threw my punches.  I was a bit embarrassed because that is a rookie mistake.  As much as I tell the kids at LaFollette Park to "breathe!" I should know better.

I was also sniffling.  Right before I got to Loyola Park, I stopped to play with Alex, a tomcat who lives up the street from me.  No sooner than I started petting Alex, my allergies kicked up.

I was running the gym for Alan because it was Rosh Hashanah.  Outside of Gabe, Kathy, David, and Connor were in attendance.  No sparring took place but it could have.  "When I was a volunteer," I told Gabe, "I couldn't let people spar when Alan was out.  But as a coach, I can."  "That's what's up!" Gabe said.

Over the weekend, I brought a new pair of five pound weights for LaFollette's boxing gym.  I was never crazy about the neoprene covered ones that were available in the storage room.  After the kids broke one of them, I was determined to replace them with some real cast iron weights.  As time goes on, I'll build up a collection of cast iron weights for the boxing participants to use.

The Fall Season of Punching

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.

Father and Son Boxing

I sparred with Kathy at Loyola Park, and nearly tripped and fell over my own feet.  My hands are always able to cooperate, but my knees don't agree.  Alan told me to cut off the ring on her, which wasn't easy.  For the most part, I kept planting myself in the middle of the ring to try to keep the action there.

Alan went a few hard rounds with Connor.  Alan's son, Matt, was watching from ringside.  "Is he doing this because I'm here?" Matt grinned.  Alan was popping Connor with vicious hooks, then Alan caught the younger man in the gut.  Connor was bent over.  They were scuffling in the corners, too.  Connor caught Alan with some full-on jabs and rights.

Matt got into the ring with his dad, and as you can see from the photo above, Matt was not wearing headgear.

They rumbled around the ring for a few rounds, then stepped back into the ring later for a second sparring session.  They were all up in the corners and on the ropes.  Alan was bouncing off of the ropes; Matt was blocking a lot of punches. As Matt was stepping out of the ring after their last session, Alan held up his hand in victory.  Matt didn't see the gesture, but I did.  I was laughing.

Matt gave me some good advice about some supplements I can take to help with my arthritis.  I take glucosamine for my knees.  Matt said that would help rebuild cartilage, but not do much about the daily pain that I feel.  I'm willing to try anything that will help me to move better when I walk and run.

Rain Day

No one showed up at the gym.  I guess the rain kept people at home.  Well, no people in attendance gave me time to:

a) eat my lunch
b) check on the attendance numbers for the upcoming fall session
c) read
d) do a little clean up in the gym
e) plan for the upcoming boxing shows and the fall session

As an extra food bonus, I was invited to have some BBQ sausages by LaShawn, a guy who came in to check out the gym.  He took pictures of the fall schedule times so he could promote the program to people he knows.  LaShawn was doing something with the field house's football team; I think they had a scrimmage game today.  The food was mostly for the team.  I also took a picture with the team.

The football coach had me give a brief speech to the team regarding boxing training.  I told them that boxing training can help them with stamina and conditioning.  Again, plans were made to have the football team come into the gym, but it seems the timing is never right.

Kishaun and Rocky did show up yesterday.  The reason they didn't make it to Harrison Park was because they couldn't get a ride.  Public transportation was working, but hey, I don't know everyone's situation.  Oh, well.  No sense in me continuing to grumble about it.  I'll just have to hope for the best when we go to Loyola Park in a few weeks.

That sparring session I planned that didn't take place?  I learned that a lot of the coaches didn't receive the flyer -- which I received late to mail out -- until after the event.  Next time, I'll skip having a flyer made, and I'll just call everyone directly to invite them.

Let Down At Harrison Park

Both Rocky and Kishaun called me at the field house, assuring me that they were going to be at Harrison Park for a boxing show.  "Please get there by 5:30 PM,"  I advised them.  I showed up at 5:00 PM.  Many fighters showed up in hopes of getting a fight.  There a long line for the weigh-in.  But after the last two fighters showed up around 6:25 PM to get weighed in, Tommy shut the scale down so the coaches could get about the business of making matches.  Rocky and Kishaun never showed up.

Of course, I was ticked off.  Kishaun could have had a match because of the wealth of boys who showed up looking for fights.  But then, Kishaun hadn't been in the gym for two days, and he might have re-thought taking a fight because of missed training time.  However, both Rocky and Kishaun have to think about the fact that I closed the whole gym down.  That meant that no one was able to train today, including the adults who have to pay for the boxing class.  I don't have an official park district volunteer for whom the staff will feel comfortable to open up the gym for in the event that I'm away at a boxing show with other fighters.

Also, both Rocky and Kishaun would have got to see some very good fights at the show. The fighters were serious about winning, and some very hard blows were thrown.  Most of the fights went the distance; only a couple of them were stopped.

I saw Joe, a trainer who I hadn't seen for a long time.  I received a warm greeting both from him and Sean, a referee.  "Gentleman" Gerald and Shifty were the other two referees.  Ernest, Rodney, Fermin, Mike, and Jeff rounded out the coaches who attended.

Fortunately, the night wasn't a total loss, because John from Loyola Park was able to get a fight.  I helped Alan in the corner with him.

John didn't win, but he put up a good fight.  I told Alan that I was bringing fighters to his and Barry's boxing show next month.  But whether Kishaun and any of the other kids choose to show up remains to be seen.

40 Years Older

No sign of Kishaun today.  Ashanti called her cousin via cell phone, only to be told that Kishaun was hanging around with another set of cousins somewhere.  I know I told him last week there was a boxing show at Harrison Park going on this week.  "Kishaun shouldn't be missing days at the gym," Ashanti said, and I agreed with her.

For a brief moment, Shanita and Julius made another appearance.  As usual, Shanita did all of the talking, while her brother just looked around.  She's fully into basketball these days, so she (nor her brother, for that matter) are returning to boxing any time soon.  The both of them seemed surprised to see Derrick, his parents, and Ashanti in the gym.

I had Ashanti and Derrick do sparring drills for a few rounds.  Then Derrick asked if I would do some rounds with him.  The drill was made up of just us moving around and throwing punches, but not landing any.  The point was to work on footwork, head movement, getting out of the corners, and defense.  Derrick is very quick, but I managed to get him backed into the corners several times.  Once there, he easily turned out of the corners.

At some point, I realized that I was chasing around a 13-year-old kid.  "I'm forty years older than he is," I thought, as I struggled to keep up.  That's one of the benefits of being a boxing coach.  The coach has to practice their skills in order to keep time with the people he or she has in the gym.  I got a good workout today.  "You've got some skills!" Derrick exclaimed afterwards.  I try to do my best.

Ashanti's mom doesn't want her to spar, I learned.  "Accidents could happen," Ashanti explained.  I guess that means she won't be taking on any boxing matches.  Yet she has a good pair of strong hands.  Sigh. . .it seems that I've lost Ashley, even though she won her one fight.  Now it looks as if I won't have Ashanti facing anyone in the ring.  Girls show up expressing their interest in fighting, but the challenge is getting them to really get into it.

Upcoming Shows

"Ralph is a good fighter," Alan said.  "Too bad he's leaving tomorrow."  It was Ralph's (wearing the blue hoodie in the photo) last day at Loyola Park.  He's flying home to attend college, where he will major in international economics and law.  Alan wished he could have gotten more fights for him.

I learned there will be a show fight somewhere on Ravenswood, but I don't know if there will be any slots for younger fighters.  I'm planning to take some of my fighters to Harrison Park later this week for another Chicago Park District boxing show.  Kishaun is up for it.

His cousin Derrick needs to control his temper, however.  Last week, Kishaun got the better of a sparring session between him and Derrick.  Despite Rocky, Derrick Sr., and myself telling Derrick to keep his emotions out of it, the boy stormed out of the gym afterwards.

The summer session is now officially over as of last week, and I'm looking forward to fall.  I want to take my fighters to the upcoming boxing shows at Loyola Park, Simons Park, and Humboldt Park.  I'm very pleased that summer camp is done, so I don't have to deal with that set of kids vandalizing my gym, at least until next year.

Blood On My Work Shirt

Yesterday was the boxing show at Ogden Park.  Initially, I was concerned about having my fighters come there because it is far from LaFollette Park.  Kenny, the coach at Ogden, wanted a rematch of one of his girls with Ashley.  Yet Ashley hasn't been in to train in weeks.  So that left Kishaun, whom I had been trying to get a fight for the longest time.

First, Kishaun was the eighth fight of the evening.  But there was a switch-up, and Kishaun ended up having the fifth slot instead.  Tommy wasn't there for the weigh-ins, but other staff were, including a guy named Dan.  I'd never seen Dan before, but he seemed to be very concerned about making sure everything was on the up-and-up.  I got there after Kishaun and his family did, so I immediately had Kishaun to weigh in.  I filled out a paper indicating my fighter's age (11 years) and how many fight he'd had (none).  But Dan asked Kishaun those questions again to verify what I had written.

"Gentleman" Gerald was the referee for all the fights.  Gerald is the boxing coach at Ada Park, and he's also a professional boxing referee.

Rocky warmed Kishaun up while I kept an eye on the fights.  The fight before Kishaun's ended quickly, so we had to rush up to the ring.

Kishaun's fight didn't last long, either.  Even though my fighter hesitated too long sometimes to throw punches, Kishaun kept his guy against the ropes and in the corners.  Then suddenly, the other boy was in his corner, holding on to his face after the first round ended.  I made Kishaun sit on the stool in our corner.  Gerald came over, waving his hands.  "It's over," he told us.

I looked down on my shirt and saw specks of blood on it.  Kishaun wasn't bleeding.  The other kid was bleeding, however.  The blood from that kid on Kishaun's gloves got on me when I took Kishaun's gloves off.  Well, that shirt has to go into the laundry.  Luckily, I have extra work shirts to wear.

My fighter clearly won the fight.  However, no winners were declared in any of the fights that took place.  The hands were raised of each fighter, and the announcer would say, "They are both winners!"  That was the first time I had seen that happen for every fight at any boxing show I've seen.  I understand the reasoning behind the "every kid wins a prize for participating" issue, but I'm not in agreement with it.  Kishaun had waited a while to get a match.  I wish his trophy had "winner" imprinted on it.

That's okay.  I'll just make sure I talk up his win the next time I'm in the gym.  Hopefully, that will not only encourage Kishaun to keep going in the sport, but will inspire other kids to try boxing, too.

A Gym Full Of Cousins

Now Kishaun doesn't want to jump rope in addition to not wanting to shadow box.  "I don't like jumping rope," he told Rocky.  Both Rocky and I explained that jumping rope is for stamina, coordination, and footwork.  But Kishaun kept complaining.  Rocky told him, "Just for that, you'll jump rope every day next week."

Slowly, the kids and teen boxing classes are gaining participants for the fall season.  Ashanti, a cousin to Derrick Jr. and Kishaun, signed up.  I joke to myself that the youth classes are being filled up by Rocky's relatives.

Joseph, another of Rocky's relatives, is planning to sign up, but he lives out in the western suburbs, as does Tyrone.  The park district's usual policy is that if someone who lives outside of city limits partakes in a class or activity, they have to pay a higher fee.  That doesn't seem to apply to the youth boxing classes, which are free.  I'm more concerned about the suburban kids being able to come to class on a regular basis.  Most have to depend on someone driving them there. If they can't get a ride for any reason, that's another day of missed training.

Nassir ran in and ran out of the gym, not doing a workout.  Looks like I'm going to have to have a talk with his mother regarding whether boxing is a good fit for her son.

I hope Mel and Ben return for the adult class, even if they continue to split their time between the fitness center and boxing.  I like having them, and Ben's sister, Alex, in the class.

In light of the speed bag I had hung up to be used as a slip bag being torn down last week, I'm now concerned about having other equipment in the gym.  The ring is showing wear and tear from the two months of hell the summer camp kids inflicted on it.  The heavy bags took some damage, too, and the bulletin board closest to the entrance door was targeted for vandalism.  Thank God I could lock up the gloves, headgear, jump ropes, etc., or else those would have been destroyed and/or stolen.  If I can arrange to keep the summer camp kids out of my gym next year, I will.  Summer camp is for a short time, but my program is all year long. The equipment needs to remain in good condition for my fighters.

Another Walkout and More Vandalism

I walked into the gym to find an old speed bag, which I had hung up for the fighters to use as a slip bag, had been torn down and thrown to the floor.  I had just hung that up yesterday, as well as a new slip bag I purchased from Ringside. I guess the rope holding up the new slip bag was too hard to pull down, which was why that was still hanging.  I have no doubt that one of the little wonders were literally swinging on the speed bag that came down.

So I go to the camp director -- again.  I had the downed speed bag in my hands.  "The kids were only in there to get their lunch, but they didn't eat in there," she said.  Regardless of the fact that the summer camp kids don't eat in the gym often, they're always in there long enough to mess with the equipment.  The camp counselors never seem to put the kids in check about that unless I happen to be on the premises yelling at the kids to stay off the equipment.  Fortunately, one of the attendants backed me up.  They had been in the gym to clean earlier in the morning.  "I didn't see that bag on the floor when I was in there.  It had to be one of the summer camp kids who did that," they said.

The camp director had no answer -- again.  I walked away, loudly grumbling, "I'll be glad when these summer camp kids are gone!"  "You and me both, so we can get back to a regular schedule!" the attendant said in agreement.

Later, Nassir and Derrick Jr. showed up for boxing class.  Derrick Jr. was working hard as usual.  Nassir rolled into the place twenty minutes late, then dawdled around for several minutes more.  I kept getting on Nassir to follow the workout schedule which is in black and white, and in plain English up on one of the bulletin boards.  But Nassir didn't want to listen, nor do what was required. "Do you want to win the next fight?' I asked him.  Apparently tired of my nagging, Nassir left early, but not before leaving a parting shot.  "I'll just get out of your way," I was told.  Nassir comes to the gym when the mood hits, often shows up late, is seldom focused on the workout, and then tries to put me on a guilt trip?  Very few have been successful in sending me on those journeys; Nassir better ask somebody.

Lateness and Attitudes

Nassir waltzed into the gym 35 minutes late, and I pointed it out to him.  "What's going on?" his mom asked, and I explained the situation to her.  Then Nassir mostly wasted what was left of class time:  taking too long to put on hand wraps, talking with the other kids, being distracted by other activity in the gym, and generally just standing around.

I worked mainly with Little Jordan, because Rocky and Derrick Sr. were working with Kishaun and Derrick Jr.  Little Jordan was not turning his fists over properly while hitting the punch mitts I was holding.  I kept thinking about how badly Little Jordan's last fight went, and I got on him a little hard about not being focused.  Little Jordan didn't appear to be enthusiastic about the rest of his workout, either.

However, I gave up on Nassir after several minutes.  At ten minutes to the end of class, I told both him and Little Jordan to take off their wraps and finish out with floor exercises.  Nassir mumbled some excuses, but I wasn't in the mood.  "Nassir, when you're late, that's training time that's being missed," I said.  Nassir's last fight was a disaster as well.

I compared how hard Kishaun, Derrick Jr., and later, Andre, were working to Little Jordan and Nassir's attitudes.  I wanted to ask Little Jordan and Nassir if they wanted to win their next fights.  Concerned about how my tone would sound, I kept quiet.  I would really like to hear their answers, however, since Little Jordan and Nassir's attendance has been sporadic as of late, and I can't seem to get any cooperation out of them when they are in the gym.  

Locked Doors and Missed Sparring

I was tired Monday night, but I went up to Loyola Park anyway.  Usually that is the only time of the week where I actually get some real exercise in.  I begged off sparring with Kelly, however.  My knees took a pounding from walking extensively through two street festivals the day before.

Not many people were in attendance which is the usual for this time of year.  But it is always such a pleasure to go to a gym where there are mirrors for shadow boxing, a speed bag, and more than one heavy bag up -- all things which LaFollette Park's gym still doesn't have.  I ordered a slip bag over the weekend, but I don't plan to put it up until LaFollette's summer camp is completely over.  I don't need any of the summer camp kids swinging on it and tearing it down.

The kids and teen boxing classes were empty today at LaFollette.  Before the adult class began, I noticed that the outermost door leading to the gym was closed.  People know I'm down here.  Why in the hell was the door closed?  I thought to myself.  Ben, BJ, and Alex showed up for the adult class.  Just as I was closing up the gym after they left, Rocky showed up with Derrick, Kishaun, and a couple of new boys who wanted to join the classes.  They told me they had showed up earlier, but the outermost door was locked.  When they went up to the front desk to ask if class was taking place, they were allegedly told that I was either walking along the track in the park or I was on break.

Really?  I haven't had time to walk on the track surrounding the football field since last summer.  And when do I go on break?  I don't really get breaks; I'm always in the gym.  Rocky and the boys were disappointed that they missed out on sparring.  I was irritated that they had been given some wrong information about my whereabouts.  Also, the outermost door being locked was probably the work of the kids who are attending the late summer camp and/or the camp counselors.  They didn't come inside the gym, thank goodness, to get their afternoon snack.  The kids went directly into the Teen Club room down the hallway from the gym (where the kitchen is) to get fed.

Since I still haven't received the fliers I requested, I called the other coaches to let them know about the sparring session I'm having on the last day of the summer session.  I didn't catch anybody as most of their classes start later in the day, but I did leave messages.  Next week is another boxing show -- this time at Ogden Park -- so I'll spread the word more when I get there.

Biting My Tongue To An Extent

The above photo is of one of two bulletin boards up in La Follette Park's boxing gym.  This particular board hadn't been up for too long when I took the picture.  These days, the board looks like it has been through a war.  Today I walked in to find another of the postings on this board torn down and on the floor.

So I take my concern to the appropriate parties, namely the camp director, and a few of the summer camp counselors who happened to be standing nearby.  Let's just say the answer I received as to why the kids can't be told to stop putting their hands on the bulletin board was not satisfactory.  One of the counselors had the nerve to say, "I feel you, but tomorrow is the last day of the regular camp, and we'll get a break."  "I needed a break all summer long, because this keeps happening," I said, my temper rising in my chest.  I abruptly walked away before I really said something that would upset everyone.

If the posting had been completely destroyed, I could have easily replaced it.  What really pissed me off about the incident was the lack of respect shown towards my work space.  Later, when the summer camp kids came down for their afternoon snack, I parked myself in a chair in front of the board in order to keep them off of it.  When I saw kids with food sitting on the apron of the gym, I barked at them to get up.  Another kid put her finger on my thigh as she passed by in the food line, and let it linger there for too long.  She grinned at me.  "Why are you touching me?" I snapped.  She moved away.

There was a boxing show at Seward.  I closed up the gym and came upstairs to the front desk about 45 minutes before leaving La Follette to go there.  "Why are you looking so mean?" another staff member asked me.  "I'm not in the mood to deal with these kids today," I said.  "Well, that's your job, boo," they answered.  "I'm glad I don't have to deal with kids at home," I retorted.  I was in a foul mood, and efforts to keep biting my tongue were threatening to fail, big time.

Andre and Kishaun made it to Seward.  Surprisingly, not enough parks showed up with their fighters.  That was too bad for Kishaun, who didn't get a fight. Andre got a fight with a kid whom I was told didn't have much experience.  However, the kid was a little bigger than Andre in terms of strength.  The kid looked like they lifted weights.  "Uh, oh," I thought when I saw him.

Alan, who was there with four guys from the adult boxing program at Loyola, helped me in the corner with Andre.  Andre has strong punches, but he didn't use them.  I kept telling Andre not to allow the other kid to back him into the ropes and corners, but to no avail.  Andre kept bending over and covering up, as well as not keeping his eyes on the other guy.  Rocky was giving him advice, too, but Andre wasn't listening.  Andre received three eight counts.  Of course, Andre did not win the fight.

Then I helped Ralph, one of the fighters from Loyola Park, in his corner.  He had an exhibition match against John (who is a teacher, by the way, just like the other John at Loyola).  John caught Ralph in the nose.  I was wiping blood off of Ralph in between the second and third round.  They both did well, however.

During that fight, Nassir, who had tagged along with Andre, was standing ringside, calling out instructions as if he was the coach.  One more thing to piss me off today, I thought.  Then Nassir was peppering me with questions about upcoming boxing shows while the match was going on.  I tried to keep my focus on Ralph and John.

After taking the headgear off of Andre after his fight, I told him, "We're going to have to work on technique again in the gym."  Back to the drawing board -- again.

Thirty Years Younger

I did four rounds of sparring at Loyola Park -- two with Annie, and two with Katie.  It was Annie's last day at the gym.  She's moving to Maryland.  Alan told her she could probably find good boxing gyms out there.

Annie moves similar to Erica.  She bounces a lot, but it's not wasted movement.  I got cracked upside my head a few times because I didn't have my hands up.  I was able, however, to get in more hooks.

It was hard to get in body blows on Katie.  She uses her long arms to an advantage.  I kept tapping her left jab down, and I tried to come over with my straight right.  I kept thinking "be an inside fighter", but it was tough for me to do so.  Katie would get hers in then move back.  I was trying to return punches from a mile away, as Alan put it.

Turns out that both Katie and Annie are about thirty years younger than I am.  No wonder I was having a hard time keeping up.  Sparring with them just further proved to me why I should no longer entertain the idea of competing.  Both my knees felt like they were swollen.  I was moving around the ring like a turtle.

One reason that I spar when I go to Loyola Park is to get exercise in.  Another reason is to keep up on skills so I can pass them on to the kids and adults at La Follette Park.  Also, when the kids in particular start talking about, "I'm tired", I can point out that if a middle aged woman like myself can do a few rounds of sparring, the kids can do a workout.

A Fair Interruption

I saw the move Southpaw.  Reviews for it had been mixed, and not really complimentary, but it wasn't bad.  Jim Lampley, Jimmy Lennon Jr., Roy Jones Jr., and Lou Di Bella -- real-life members of the boxing community -- were featured in the film.  Jake Gyllenhall was cut.  Whoever trained him for this film did a good job.  Most of the punches were rough and beautiful.

Yesterday was the second day of zero training in the gym at LaFollette Park.  The day before that, the gym was shut down for cleaning in preparation for a neighborhood gospel fest that took place the following day.  I spent all day yesterday keeping people off of the ring and the heavy bags.

Hot dogs and hamburgers were being given away outside to the kids attending the fest.  There is a kitchen in the gym area, and more mature fare (chicken, macaroni and cheese, etc.) was prepared for the adults who didn't want hot dogs and burgers.  A few tried to park themselves on the apron of the gym to eat.  "No food on the ring, please," I said loudly.

I overheard one parent grumbling because they were told that their little wonders were only allowed to get the hot dogs and hamburger that were being grilled outside.  The parent went on and on about how "mean" church people, the ones who were serving the food, are.  What I heard was an entitled mama attitude that she needed to get over and drop.

After explaining to the one of the boys who plays football why the gym was shut down for two day, he asked, "So Coach Hillari, you're not happy about not being able to train?"  "Yeah, I'm a bit pissed, but there's not much I can do," I replied.  Nearby was a dental outfit who were offering teeth cleanings in the gym. Yes, you read that right; dental services in a boxing gym.  Earlier, they had moved the equipment table and a chair I had been sitting on without asking.  I know they heard my comment, but I didn't care.  I've become very protective of my space in the field house.

A New One On Me

The other day found Rocky and I trying to convince Kishaun to shadowbox.  "It just doesn't feel right," Kishaun said.  "What doesn't feel right?" I asked.  "I don't have anyone in front of me," Kishaun answered.  "It doesn't matter!" Rocky said in frustration.

We still don't have mirrors in the gym, and I doubt there will be any in there anytime soon.  But I explained to Kishaun that shadowboxing is part of boxing training, and it has to be done.  I had never heard "it doesn't feel right" being used as a reason not to shadowbox before.

Rocky took a a seat and grumbled about Kishaun wasting time in the gym.  I was irritated, too, because Kishaun seems to give his all during football practice, but acts lazy in the boxing gym.  "Use your imagination!" Rocky snapped when Kishaun repeated again about shadowboxing being hard because of the lack of having a live person in front of him.  Eventually, Kishaun did do a couple of rounds of shadowboxing, but more should have been done.

Derrick won't be going to Seward Park's boxing show next week because his dad believes he needs to work on head movement and the left jab more.  I'm in agreement with Derrick's dad.  BJ's dad wants him to wait a couple of months before taking a fight.  I agree with that, too.  Tyrone is fairly new, and not ready to take on a fight yet.  Neither is Andre.  Nassir and Little Jordan show up to train on and off, and don't follow instructions when they do.  Little Jordan's sister, Jordana, seldom attends the gym.  Dorian and Trejan don't show up consistently nor train hard enough.  LaKendrick hasn't been in the gym for over a week.  Ashley wants to fight, but doesn't want to spar.  Mya doesn't want to spar or fight.  Guadalupe, Big Jordan, and Tandi seem to have disappeared, and Shanita and Julius quit.

That leaves Kishaun, who's dividing his time between boxing and football, and Carmelius.  The gym is going to be closed for two days due to a gospel fest that I just recently learned about (and I have to be there to monitor the people going in and out).  None of the kids can afford to lose training time in the middle of the park district boxing season, but there's nothing I can do about that.  We'll just have to step up training next week for the couple of days before the boxing show takes place.

Parents Need To Know Their Place

I walked into the gym, thankful that I did not have to deal with the summer camp kids today.  But they had been there earlier in the day.  A large poster I had up on the bulletin board had been ripped down.  Someone had laid it to the side, but no note had been left explaining how it got there.  Nor did any of the staff say anything.  After re-stapling it up, I reported the incident to Steve, the supervisor.  He promised to talk to the camp counselors about seeing to it that the kids touch nothing while they are in the gym.

To avoid a repeat of having to deal with most of the kids' destructive ways, I sat in a chair right in front of the bulletin board when they came down to get their afternoon snack.  I had to put up with a lot of offhand remarks about my hair (I went to the barber shop yesterday), but my presence kept the kids from leaning on and touching that board.  I wish I had thought to do that the first time I noticed the kids were vandalizing that board.  Unfortunately, I can't protect the board earlier in the day when I'm not there.  But I'm damn sure not going to allow the kids to tear it up when I'm actually in the room.

Shanita and Julius came in again.  Why?  I have no idea.  I officially withdrew them from the class today.  Shanita's insistence that she has still "got it" indicates she has no understanding about how quickly skills not being used can diminish.  Julius said nothing, and I didn't say a word to him. Maybe he picked up on the fact that I'm still a bit ticked about Julius backing out of a fight a few weeks ago with no notice.

Later, there was a sparring match between two of the boys.  One boy is usually very good on his feet, but for some reason, he stopped defending against the other boy's punches.  When I saw the headgear was askew, and tears running down the boy's face, I called him to come out of the ring.  However, the parent of the boy who was "winning" wanted the other boy to keep fighting.  "He's good," the parent kept insisting.

But the other parent pulled their kid out after admonishing their kid for being a "sitting target".  Despite of this, the parent of the "winner" kept pushing for the sparring to continue.  The other parent snapped, "I got this!" and a small argument began.  I stayed quiet, waiting to see how it was going to play out.  The other parent apologized to me and took their son home.  "We'll try again tomorrow," they told me.

However, the parent of the "winner" still didn't get that the sparring was over.  They didn't even notice the other parent and their kid had left.  I noticed they thought it was amusing that a minor argument had taken place.  But it wasn't funny to the other parent, and it wasn't funny to me.

Parents need to know their place in the gym, and to be honest, I need to be more direct with some of them about who really is in charge.  I was not cool with the idea that the parent of the "winner" was willing to ignore the fact that the other boy was hurt just so their kid could get some sparring work in.  That's not what amateur boxing is about.  Yes, kids are going to get hurt from time to time.  But amateur boxing is about safety, not letting sparring or actual fights go on until one or both fighters need serious medical attention.  Trust me, that incident will not happen again.  The door to the gym opens as well as closes.

Five Rounds Of The Night

It's Gabe vs. John (the other one, not John the teacher) during sparring at Loyola Park.

I did five rounds of sparring: three with Kelly, and two with Katie.  Kelly is not much taller than I, but she stayed on her toes and moved around a lot more than I did.  It was only during the third round with her that I remembered to move my head.  After going a little too hard with my right hook, I heard Alan telling me, "Easy, Hillari!"

Katie's long arms were hard to get around, and she kept the jab in my face.  I got in hooks to the body, but like Kelly, she kept moving around, too.  I could back Kelly up into the corners sometimes, but I couldn't do that to Katie.  My knees were not doing so well during the last round with Katie.  I plodded along until the bell rang to end it.

John also sparred with Rafael, who is from Austria.  I missed seeing a hard punch that John gave Rafael, but I saw the result.  Rafael was bleeding all over one of the gym's towels.  He went to the washroom to clean up, and when he returned, he gave John a high five.  Alan was praising John about how he opened up on Rafael.

Geniece opened up on a guy named Richard.  I could tell Richard wasn't hitting her very hard.  But she didn't hold back on him.  A couple of times, Richard stepped back and shook his head to clear it after Geniece rocked him.

Today, I finally brought a scale for the gym at LaFollette.  I'm going to hide it for a minute in the storage room.  Some of the kids treated the other scale (which belongs to Ken, who trains people in the fitness center) like a toy.  They kept wanting to get on it every time they were at the gym, which is unnecessary.  I also ordered cones so the kids can work on their footwork.  An agility ladder would have been better, but the floor in the gym is uneven, so a ladder wouldn't sit properly.  Alan suggested that I also get milk crates so the kids can jump over them in order to work on their footwork.  I also got a pair of one pound weights; I'll buy a few more pair before summer ends.  Those are for shadow boxing.  Unfortunately, I can't buy everything I want for the gym out of my own pocket, but I can purchase a few things to help the fighters out.

No Apology and No Understanding

There's a moment in the movie Bye Bye Birdie where Paul Lynde (the guy in the above photo) sings a song called "Kids".  It is a father's complaint about kids in general.  I felt like that today when Shanita and Julius dropped in, along with a woman who was either a friend or relative of theirs.

"The other fighter, as well as that fighter's coach were not happy when you didn't show up to fight at the show," I told Julius.  I got no apology.  Not even a "Hey, coach", or even "Shut up, Hillari".  Just a dumb look.  Shanita started going on about how she had a basketball game coming up, and how she still thinks she has boxing skills.

The woman they came in with asked if she could get into the ring with Shanita.  I explained that since she was not signed up, she could not use the equipment nor spar.  "It's an safety issue, and I don't want my boss mad at me," I told her.  Moments later, as if I had said nothing at all, the chick asks me could she hit the uppercut bag.  "I'm an employee, and I have to follow rules.  Sign up if you are interested in the class," I said, trying to keep the annoyance out of my tone.  What in the hell did she not understand about what I told her earlier?  Thankfully, all three left the gym after that.

Otherwise, it was another slow day at the gym.  Thank goodness the ring did get some use by Mike and his kickboxing class.  I have a nice, roomy gym space, yet the ones who are supposed to be using it don't bother to show up regularly. Today was a sparring day, too, and week after next, we're supposed to be going to Seward Park for another boxing show.  Shaking my head. . . . . .

An Empty Gym On A Summer Day

I want the bulletin board in the photo above to keep that display permanently.  But I don't know how long it's going to last because the summer camp kids keep touching it.  Unfortunately, the kids come down to the gym to get their meals and snacks during the day.  I fix what damage that was done in the morning when I get there later in the day.  However, when they show up for their afternoon snack, I'm there, watching them like a hawk.  Every day I have to snap on several kids for pulling staples out of the pictures.  

Today was slow because no one showed up for the classes.  Jadora and her brother Little Jordan came in, but I didn't count them because their stay was brief.  Little Jordan walked in for a second, was distracted by something on his cell phone, then walked back out.  Jadora was late returning from a field trip (she's in summer camp).  She began to wrap her hands, then said something about having to go get her brother.  When she came back, she had undone the wrap she had put on one hand, and announced she couldn't do the class today.

Ben, who's in the adult class, was nice enough to stop in and explain that due to a family event, he, his wife, and their teen son wouldn't be in class for the rest of the week.  "It's summer," he said, and I understood.  But I don't understand the kids in the 12 and under class going MIA when they know another boxing show is on the horizon.

Yesterday was a sparring day, and tomorrow is a sparring day, but not today.  I'm beginning to wonder if some kids are skipping the non-sparring days.  The last few times, the gym was populated on the sparring days, but not so much on the regular workout days.  No matter how many times I keep saying that sparring alone is not going to help in a regular match, few, if any of the kids, actually pay attention.

Ashley had the nerve to tell me that she doesn't want to spar, but she wants to fight.  I told her if she doesn't spar, she won't fight.  Some of the kids have a habit of trying to picking with whom they want to spar.  Their decisions are usually based on how easily they believe they can handle the other person.  I told Ashley she will have to spar with the boys.  Her sister Mya is too small, and Jordana is taller and bigger than Ashley.

She made a big deal out of knowing the ages of the boys.  I was going to put her in with Jordan, whom I believe is eleven years old.  Ashley is nine years old.  "He's older than me!" she said.  "It doesn't matter.  You're both somewhat equal in height and weight," I answered with a bit of irritation in my voice.  She ended up sparring with her brother, Carmelius, who is a year older than she.  I've told both her and her sister how I sparred with men in the past when there were few or no women for me to spar.  Looks like I'm going to have to have that conversation again with them.

A guardian of one of the kids noticed that Big Jordan hasn't been in for awhile.  "Can you call his mom and tell her you're taking him out of the class?  I got a friend who wants to get his son in here," the guardian told me.  It's incidents like that which make coaches grumble about having to deal with parents and guardians.  I patiently explained that not only do I need permission from a parent/guardian to put a kid in the class, I also have to have their permission to withdraw a kid from the class.  I can't just take it upon myself to drop someone from the class because I haven't seen them for days or weeks on end.  Sometimes I get the feeling that people think I can -- and should -- bend the rules.  People forget that as an employee, I have rules that I have to follow.

I Had To Have A Hot Dog

During the summer, religious groups can be found in the park, doing missionary work.  I was half thinking about sparring while on my way to the gym, when I came upon such a group.  They were giving away hot dogs and chips.  There went any plans for me to spar.  As I ate, I had a pleasant conversation with Rachel, one of the full-time missionaries.

"There are a lot of new faces here," I told Alan when I got to Loyola Park's gym.  The gym was crowded, which was very unusual for a hot day in July.  Alan pointed to the ring where Gabe, who I hadn't seen in a long time, was working out.  I told Gabe I was coaching at LaFollette.  "About damn time they gave you a coach's job," he smiled.  "I'm happy to hear that!'

A few of the guys sparred, but it was mostly women's day in the gym  Erica sparred with Gabby, then with Kathy.  Melanie wanted to spar with Gabby, but they probably will do that later in the week.

While monitoring a couple of the guys who were sparring, Alan said, "It's harder to be the coach than the fighters!"  I laughed.  "It's mentally exhausting!" he continued.

Boxing To Make A Bad Day End Well

This is a shot of Alan and Anna between rounds.  Anna was sparring with Erica, who is a Golden Gloves winner.

My day started off with yet another visit to probate court to settle my dad's estate.  This time, my oldest half-sister, who has been fighting for control of the estate, actually showed up to court.  She finally voiced what I've always known:  that she can't stand the ground I walk on.  I was subjected to her muttering curses about me under her breath.  I almost slipped up and snapped something back to her, but sometimes, I have to be the better person.  So I didn't talk to her at all.  But I was pissed off about her remarks.

Then I learned that a friend of mine had died in a car crash a few days ago.  We both had been disparaged and put down by the pastor at the church where we both used to be members.  Those two events put a huge shadow over the day, so I had to go down to Loyola Park to clear my head.

John the teacher had a great idea.  He recorded the sparring action on his digital camera, then showed it to the participants so they could see what they needed to work on.  There was a lot of sparring, mostly by the women.  I begged off because my left knee had acted wonky while I was walking to the gym.  Erica, a Golden Glove winner, was dominate in the sparring sessions she took part in.

The other John in the gym had a fight at Garfield Park's boxing show last week, and he won.  John said the other guy was shorter than he, but very quick with his hands.

Sebastian, who I hadn't seen in a long time, stopped in.  It was very good to see him.  He said that he and his brother Gabe are planning to come back to the gym. Just in time, too, given that all the park district boxing shows are going on.

Over the past weekend, I was looking for one-pound weights to buy for LaFollette's boxing gym.  The class participants can use them during shadowboxing.  I didn't have much luck in finding a lot of them, and what I could find seemed a little too pricey.  I will get some, but I'm going to have to search a little more.

The Crying Game

I told Ashley that she wasn't going to spar with her sister Mya again.  Mya is too small, too short, and on top of that, she cries at the drop of a hat.  She appears to be willing to spar on the days that is allowed.  But as soon as the heat is on, Mya freezes up, does not answer punches, and turns on the waterworks.  She acted like that with LaKendrick, as well.

I paraphrased Tom Hanks' character from A League Of Their Own in my thoughts:  "There's no crying in boxing!"  Mya's not the only one guilty of tears.  Little Jordan and Nassir were crying rivers during their boxing matches last week.

No, it doesn't feel good to get punched.  But the kids not only have to focus on giving licks, but they have to learn how to take them, too.  Mya's dad said it best when he told all of the kids in the gym that they can't do street fighting in a boxing match.  "It looked so easy to all y'all until you actually got in the ring," Mya's dad said.

Big Jordan was grumbling instead of listening, mouthing off to his mom, as well as to Mya's dad, who was helping him out.  "It's not going to happen overnight," Mya's dad admonished Jordan.  "There were a lot of days when I was playing sports when I wanted to quit.  But you just have to keep going."  I suspect Big Jordan was still smarting over having been bested by Kishaun the other week.  He's always looking to spar with Kishaun now (who didn't come to the gym today), and some revenge might be behind that.

Everybody wants to fight, but few want to deal with the punishment.  They have got to understand that it is part of boxing.

Another Loyola Monday

It didn't seem that Melinda was believing Alan, but he was being sincere.  Those two sparred again at Loyola Park, with me outside the ring coaching Melinda.  He told her that she really hits hard, and that she could win at Park District boxing shows, and at the Golden Gloves.  Melinda is nervous about taking a fight.

Alan really wants to get fights for Geniece, too, but it's hard all over for women in boxing.  He believes the two of them would do extremely well in bouts.  He told Melinda, "Sometimes, I had to turn down fights for Hillari because the other person was too tall."

I sparred with Annie and Anna.  Annie's just starting out, so I went light.  However, I did force her back into the corners and ropes periodically.  Anna was moving around a lot, so I couldn't get a lot of hits in.  She pushed me down once, and I fell like a tree.  But I wasn't hurt, and the action went on.

Alicia was at the gym, and she looked good due to some more weight loss.  I admire her determination to get her weight down.  I've changed a lot of my eating habits, and I've been exercising more, but it's still a struggle for me.  Sometimes I wonder if I am actually supposed to be chubby, and if so, should I give up trying to tone down.

Lessons From The Boxing Show

1.  Parents can be helpful.  Ashley and Man-Man's dad helped get their wraps on, and he encouraged them during their matches.  Nassir's mom told him to expect to get hurt when someone is throwing punches back.

2.  Parents just don't understand.  I got the feeling that LaKendrick's dad felt that his son was entitled to have a match.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen.  I wanted the boy to have a match, but there was no one available for him.  The boxing shows are a roll of the dice in terms of who will get a fight.  I can't make a match happen out of thin air.

3.  Kids just don't understand.  Johnathan tried to pull a fast one on me by telling me he had a match when he didn't.  I'm hoping that he watched his fellow gym mates during their fights.  Johnathan needs to realize, like a lot of the kids need to do, that street fighting will not help them in a boxing match.  Nor can they try to get a fight when there is none for them to have.

4.  Some kids need to learn a sense of personal responsibility.  Shanita and her brother Julius have been slacking off for weeks.  I made a fight for Julius, only to learn the boy had gone out of town without a word to me.  He knew he had a fight.  Shanita, who had been going on about wanting to be a professional boxer, didn't bother to attend the show, either.  I won't pre-match Julius again.  If he and his sister continue in boxing and want to participate in the shows, they'll just have to show up and hope they can get matches.

5.  Some kids will not step in a ring again.  I had made a fight for Mya, but at the last minute, she opted not to participate.  Honestly, I don't think she wants to box, but her dad wants her to keep attending the gym.  It remains to be seen whether the other kids in the gym -- regardless if they boxed in the show or not -- will have second thoughts about being in the sport.  Now that they have seen what it really is, some minds might be changing.

6.  The boxing show is a great recruiting tool.  Several parents came up to me during and after the show wanting to put their kids in the boxing class.  Both the kids' and teens' class are full for the summer, but I suspect there will be a lot of people looking to sign up in the fall.  Who knows?  I might even have to create a waiting list.

7.  The gym door has to be locked.  I left it open.  Luckily, the equipment was all locked up in the storage room.  I was told later that during the show, kids kept running in and out of the gym, playing around the ring.  A few kids had their skateboards in there.

8.  I have to remember to use the stool and the buckets.  The riggers brought stools to use in the corners.  However, I did not have Ashley, Man-Man, or Nassir sit down in the corner between rounds.  It didn't occur to me to use the stool until Jordan's fight.  I forgot to bring out the spit buckets, too.

The Fourth In The Gym

A few days ago, Nassir's mom asked how often the hand wraps got laundered.  She must have smelled them.  I had been noticing the smell for awhile.  The kids don't seem to care, and to be honest, I never washed my own hand wraps out on a regular basis when I was at Loyola Park.  However, if a parent noticed that, then I needed to take action.  So today (yes, I had to work on the Fourth of July), I took the time to wash the hand wraps.  I hung them up on an old, unused exercise bar in the storage room to dry.

I also got rid of a small trampoline that has no legs.  Every time the kids saw it, they would ask about using it.  Having long been tired of the questions, I decided that it was time for the trampoline to go.

The refrigerator in the storage room was filthy.  Luckily, I was only storing bottles of water in it.  Now that I will occasionally store food in there, it was high time for a cleaning.  It's not spotless, and it could still do with a good scrubbing in some places.  But it is passable enough so that I don't have an icky feeling when I open the door.

Of course, no one showed up for class.  The park was filled with people and barbecue grills.  After doing my chores, I spent the rest of the day listening to my old, rickety radio in the gym, then for the last hour of the day, I helped monitor the front desk.  Leonard, an attendant, and myself had to keep admonishing boys who were coming in the building shirtless, or coming out of the pool area shirtless.  Other people were going in and out to use the washrooms.  The day was slow and quiet.

Fight Night at LaFollette Park

The fighters for LaFollette Park's boxing show arrived early.  It wasn't long before the gym was filled with kids from Scottsdale Park, Ogden Park, Hamlin Park, and Fuller Park.

Shanita and Julius were complete no-shows.  Unfortunately, I expected as much.  When Rick from Scottsdale showed up with the kid whom I had pre-matched with Julius, I called Julius's mom.  Come to find out that her son had gone visiting somewhere and would not return until next week.  I didn't even bother to ask about Shanita after that.  I was embarrassed to tell Rick that his fighter no longer had a match.  But Rick shrugged his shoulders and said, "We'll make do."

I really wanted to get fights for Kishaun and LaKendrick, but there just weren't enough contenders available for either.  Most of the kids had a lot of experience, too much for Kishaun and LaKendrick, both of whom have no fight experience.  But I'm determined to get them fights in the upcoming boxing shows.

Johnathan, one of the new kids, apparently thought that he was just going to bulldoze his way into getting a match.  In everything that I was going on, I momentarily lost track of who actually had fights.  I gave Johnathan a pair of hand wraps to put on, and I helped him wrap his hands.  When I realized that he had no fight, I was irritated with him.  "Boy, why did you put those on?  Don't waste people's time like that!" I snapped.

Coach James, seen here in the above photo, did a nice job being the announcer.

Mya decided at the last minute that she did not want to fight.  "If you don't want to, I'm not going to be mad," I told her, and she bowed out.  Her sister Ashley, and her brother Carmelius were pre-matched, so they were ready to go.  Nassir and Jordan came in later and were able to get fights.

Alan came by with John (not John the teacher), but there were no adults available for matches.  Kenny and Colonel came by, and they told me they wanted to volunteer in the gym.  I would love to have them there.  Some of the people in Loyola Park's adult boxing program also came to watch the fights.

Carmelius went the distance with his opponent, who I believe was one of David Diaz's fighters.  Diaz has some aggressive fighters in his group.  Carmelius did not win.  Every time he ran up to throw a punch, the other kid was laying in wait and had something for him.

Nassir was throwing wild punches during his bout.  I think Nassir's opponent was from Scottsdale Park.  Nassir wears glasses, and I'm not sure if that was because perhaps he couldn't see what was coming back at him.  That fight ended in the first round, when Tommy, who was the referee, saw that Nassir was taking too many punches.  Nassir's mom said to her son, "Why are you crying?  You know that this is boxing, and that people get hit.  Remember we talked about that."

Jordan's fight also ended quickly.  Another first round of throwing wild punches, while the other kid was picking shots and aiming correctly.  Jordan wasn't happy, either.  Next week, it is back to basics for all three boys, because they've got to learn how to control their punches.

Ashley fought a girl named Diana from Ogden Park.  Ashley was moving a bit slow, but her hands were not.  She kept popping Diana while constantly moving forward.  I could see Diana becoming frustrated because she couldn't figure out how to ward off Ashley's onslaught.  Twice, an eight count was called on Diana.  The third time it happened, the fight came to an end, and Ashley got the winner's trophy.  Kenny, Diana's coach, told me, "We want a rematch!"  "You've got it," I smiled.

Here is a shot of Ashley with her winner's trophy and her brother Carmelius (otherwise known as Man-Man) holding his second place trophy.  So Ashley is the first fighter I have trained to a win.  I felt very good about that, but even more so for Ashley who gave a good fight.