Another Red Eye

Alan and Tony are all smiles in the above photo.  It was taken after Tony had sparred with Connor.  Alan joked with Tony about going into the ring with me.  Tony laughed, "Oh, no!  I don't want to end up bleeding!"

Normally, Loyola Park boxing gym is not packed around this time of year.  But last night, not only was it packed, but there were new people who had just signed up for the program.  A familiar face had also returned: Jason.

Jason was wearing a breathing mask that he said helps with his stamina.  The mask can be set to mimic high altitudes found in mountain areas.

I sparred with Celeste, and managed to catch her with a left uppercut.  "That uppercut was perfect," she told me later.  She got me in my left eye, and bopped me in the nose a couple of times.  I looked in the mirror and chuckled to myself.  David, over at LaFollette, had turned that same eye red when we sparred last week.  Celeste told me she needs all the practice she can get.  She's going out of town soon to compete in a boxing match.

"I'm surprised that Kathy didn't come in," Alan said.  He plans to take people to the Humboldt Park boxing show next week, and Kathy would be one of them. I'm hoping that one or two of the kids at LaFollette will want to fight at that show.  Unfortunately, I'm anticipating a problem with De-Fetrick, who's in the adult boxing class.

The athletic cup I lent him at the Simons Park show still hasn't been returned.  The last time De-Fetrick showed up, I explained that the cup was park district property that had to be brought back.  Then De-Fetrick disappeared for several days.  I tried calling his mom's house, but I couldn't get through.  I was able to reach his grandmother, who told me she would contact his mom about the cup. Alan suggested that I not allow De-Fetrick to work out until the cup is returned.  A few years ago, Alan had to tell one of the program participants not to come back to the gym after it was discovered they had stolen a pair of bag gloves.

When and if De-Fetrick comes to the gym again, I'm going to have to lower the boom if he doesn't have the cup with him.  I anticipate there's going to be an argument when I announce there will be no workout until the cup is returned.  But like Alan told the person who stole the gloves from Loyola Park, I can't have anybody around the gym who's walking off with equipment.  The park district is on a budget, and it is not easy to replace items that have been damaged or stolen.

I brought myself another set of kettlebells over the past weekend, so I'm donating a lone 10 pound kettlebell I have to the gym.  I've always wanted to teach the boxing participants how to use kettlebells.  Some of them may like that over using the free weights.

Diets and Cut Lips

Once again, no other kids showed up for the eight-to-twelve-year-olds' class other than David.  After he did his warm up and a few rounds of shadowboxing, he and I sparred.

Twice I was hit in my left eye.  In-between rounds two and three, I felt something wet on my bottom lip, but I didn't pay much attention to it.  A check in the mirror in the women's washroom afterwards revealed that my left eye was red, and my bottom lip had a cut on it.  All that from a shy nine-year-old.

David is improving.  He still needs to throw his jabs and rights straighter.  There was a bit of windmill action going on with his punches.  David knows how to back someone up into the corners and the ropes.  There were plenty of times when he kept coming forward while pummeling me.  I got in some uppercuts and hooks to the body, some straight punches to his face, and some hooks to David's head.  But my punches didn't have a whole lot of pepper on them.  I'm always afraid of hurting the kids, so I hold back when sparring with them.  But I allow them to get as many punches in on me as possible.

The upper left side of my back had been bothering me since before I left to go to work.  Finally I figured out I must have pulled something when I was throwing the medicine ball around yesterday with David's cousin, Darlene.  We were throwing the ball from our sides to each other.  A fourteen-year-old girl could do that without incident, but not so much a 53-year-old coach.  However, I couldn't back out on sparring with David.  I had promised him the day before that we would spar.

A couple of the kids, Kody and BJ, like to see how they can gross me out by telling me what they've been eating during the day.  Kody usually shows up with a huge bag of junk food: chips, cupcakes, and a large liter of pop to wash it all down.  BJ has called Kody out on his eating habits, but BJ loves eating a lot of chips and sugary snacks, too.

BJ always asks me about what is healthy to eat.  I'm no expert.  Just like the kids, I ate whatever I wanted to back in the day.  Unfortunately, as an adult, I learned too late that ignoring my family's tendencies towards high blood pressure and diabetes was not a good thing.  I don't get on the kids hard about eating certain things.  I preach moderation instead.  Better to have a little bit of something once in awhile, than to make it part of a daily diet routine.

My Toleration Levels Ain't That High

A woman inquired about getting her friend's sixteen-year-old son into the boxing program.  I was interested until she told me that her friend's son has a major behavioral problem.  Her friend appears not to have much control over her son's disrespectful and disruptive behavior.  As usual, it is assumed that boxing will take the place of counseling and just plain old-school discipline.

The last thing I need is another problem kid in the boxing gym.  I used to have a whole crowd of them when I first started working for the park district.  Most of them stopped participating in the program, and the others I weeded out.  I've got a good set of kids who currently come to the gym.  I don't want to see that balance upset right now.

It was nice of the woman to want to help her friend out.  I told her that I need permission directly from the kid's mom to put them in the class.  She thanked me and said she would pass along the class information to her friend.  However, I was already planning what to do in case the kid is signed up.  I already know that what his mama is putting up with, I will not tolerate.

Look Who Decided To Show Up

A mom walked into the gym with her very husky twelve-year-old son.  She wanted him to be in boxing, but the kid wasn't so sure.  I told the both of them that her son would be put into the teen class as opposed to the kids' class because of his size.

The other day, I told a couple that their eight-year-old could sign up, but their seven-year-old would have to wait a year.  If the younger kid's eighth birthday was coming up during the next three months, I would have green lighted his being in the class.  However, his birthday is not until late next summer.

The kids and teens' classes are separated largely because of ages, sizes, and weights. But even among kids in approximately the same age group, there can be wide variations, especially where size is concerned.  I also have to consider safety, especially in terms of sparring purposes.  I don't often like having to tell parents that all of their kids can't be in the same class, but rules have to be followed.

However, I do have some parents who have decided that their young kids are going to be in the teen class even though they aren't old enough and are small in size.  "My kid can't come to the earlier class because they don't get out of school until later," is the most common excuse given to me.  But it presents a problem where sparring is concerned.  I want to avoid mismatches as well as injuries whenever possible.

Near the end of the teen class, De-Fetrick decides to show up.  After the teens left, I asked him, "Where is the athletic cup I lent to you when we were at Simons Park?"  "I think it's at my grandmother's house," he answered.  What  in the eff is it doing over there? was on the tip of my tongue.  What actually came out of my mouth was, "It has to come back here.  That's park district property."

The security guard for the building and a staff member came down to the gym to check on me.  They had heard about De-Fetrick's antics at the boxing show, and pulled me to the side.  "Everything cool?" they asked, giving De-Fetrick suspicious looks.  "Everything's cool.  De-Fetrick can continue to train.  Just can't box in any of the boxing shows anymore," I explained.

De-Fetrick didn't apologize for snapping on me the night of the show. He just did his workout, and as usual, didn't seek out any feedback.  Remember, this is the guy who told me, "I learned how to box from watching TV."  Watching TV didn't get him a win that night.  As much as I have demanded apologies from people, especially from those who still owe me ones from things done years ago, I don't care about receiving an apology in this case.  Tommy is the one to whom De-Fetrick owes a major apology, as Tommy was extremely disrespected that night.  If De-Fetrick ever hopes to fight again in a Chicago Park District boxing show, he's going to have to talk to Tommy.

I'm not going to plead his case to Tommy, either.  According to the state of Illinois, De-Fetrick is legally grown at age nineteen.  Grown folks need to take care of their own business.

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Professor showed up to Loyola Park last night with some good news.  He's has a new job that's paying him a nice piece of change.  Amen!  I believe in praising people who have come into good blessings.  I think a lot of people don't realize that praising others on their good fortune will return blessings to them as well.  It is always good to see someone who has been working for something for a long time finally achieve their goals.

It was mostly ladies' night.  There was a round robin of sparring between Kathy, Gabby, Celeste, Erica, and myself.  Erica got me in my head and jaw several times because of my habit of dropping my hands.  Since I'm not as fast as I used to be, it would pay for me to be a little better on defense.  Erica told me afterwards that I should have used the overhand right more.  Alan had told me that before I got into the ring, but I forgot to utilize it.

David and Professor had a short, but intense sparring session after the women were finished.  Then Professor held pads for Celeste.  Alan observed them and said, "Celeste is really coming along."  I agreed, as she was putting her punches solidly into the punch mitts.  

Meanwhile at LaFollette Park, I saw Eric in the hall a few days ago with his football gear on.  His dad was following him.  "They'll be back in the boxing gym," his dad told me about Eric and his other son, Aaron.  "They're just doing football now."  I nodded, but noted to myself that their dad signed up his sons for boxing knowing they were already involved with another sport.  I can't get mad it anymore because it happens so often with most of the kids.  However, I can't stop being disappointed at the low level of attendance in the gym.

I sparred with nine-year-old David the other day.  I felt it was unfair for him not to be able to spar because the other kids in the class don't show up as faithfully as he does, so I stepped into the ring with him.  David's confidence has gone up.  The kid also hits rather well.  One of his shots got me right in the nose.  

No sign of De-Fetrick, so it's probably safe to assume that he won't be in the gym anymore.  It's too bad.  If De-Fetrick hadn't been such a sore and unreasonable loser at Simons Park, we could have worked on techniques for the next fight.  

One, Then Two, Then One Again

David was the only kid who showed up for the eight to twelve year olds' class. David's mom remembered when David sparred with Johnathan.  "What happened to the other kids?" she asked me.  I shrugged my shoulders.  It would be nice if her son had other kids to work out with while he's there.  "Well, David gets the benefit of having the gym all to himself," I told his mom.

Darlene and a new girl, Aylah, were the only two who showed up for the teens' class.  I was hoping that Kody, who hasn't been around for a couple of days, would not come in to interfere with the girls' workout.  I got my wish.  Unfortunately, BJ didn't come in so the girls could have one more person in the gym to work with.

Alexis was the only one who came in for the adult class.  She was shaking her head when I told her about De-Fetrick's antics at Simons Park the other week.  "How do you get more adults to sign up for the class?" she asked me.  "It was easy to get the kids in.  I just passed out fliers at the schools, and word of mouth took over after that.  But it's hard to reach out to the adults," I answered.  Alexis pointed out that some adults aren't looking online to find out what is offered at the park district.  That's the problem nowadays.  Companies and organizations forget that everyone is not computer literate, everyone does not own a computer, and that everyone is not interested in learning anything about computers.  A lot of information doesn't get out to those who may be interested because people insist on putting everything online.

The three classes were easy to run today, but a lot more energy would be generated if everyone who is signed up would show up more often.

Three Strikes and Out

The photo above shows the ring in the boxing gym at Simons Park, where Marty is the coach.  I was at their boxing show.

I had a feeling that the evening would not go well.  Call it women's intuition, a hunch, or whatever.  I couldn't shake it off.  The first indication that my feeling was justified was when Eric failed to show up.  Just when I thought I had been stood up by my fighters again, De-Fetrick came in to weigh-in.  He was able to get a fight, which I was happy about.

De-Fetrick's fight was the sixth of the evening, and he was in the red corner.  I put the gloves on him in the middle of the fourth bout.  It took longer than necessary because De-Fetrick was playing around on his cell phone.  "Could you tape my fight?" he asked.  "I can't," I answered quickly.  "But all you have to do is to push--," he started.  I cut him off.  "I'm the coach.  I can't tape the fight and work the corner at the same time," I said, wondering why De-Fetrick's common sense hadn't kicked in.  He eventually found someone else to tape it.

Less than thirty seconds into the first round, De-Fetrick's opponent sent him down to the canvas with a straight right.  I winced.  Shifty, the referee, gave De-Fetrick an eight count.  Not long after the action resumed, De-Fetrick took another right to the face.  I knew Shifty was going to stop the fight, because my fighter was wobbling; the punch was a stunner.

De-Fetrick yelled and cursed at Shifty, demanding to know why the fight was stopped.  I demanded that he come back to the corner.  "It's over," I told him, but De-Fetrick didn't want to hear it.  "I don't understand that!  I still can fight!" De-Fetrick yelled.  My explanations about safety in amateur boxing, and the fact that De-Fetrick had been knocked silly had no effect.  "Why the eff did this happen?" he said to me, just as Tommy walked up to defuse the situation.  I took a step back on the apron and gave him a look.  There were so many things I could have snapped back, but I opted to keep quiet at that moment.

Tommy tried to talk sense to him, but that didn't take, either.  De-Fetrick snatched the second-place trophy from Shifty and stalked out of the gym area.  Moments later, he returned, watching the fight on his cell phone.  Ernest, the coach at Fuller, tried to communicate with him, but De-Fetrick waved him off.

A second later, he came to me, asking me to look at the video.  "I don't have to look at it, because I was standing in the corner.  I saw what happened," I snapped.  De-Fetrick then began to raise hell about "dirty fighting", accusing Shifty and the other fighter of not playing fair.  He had the colossal nerve to tell me that I didn't understand what he was trying to say.  "What do you think boxing is?  You can't get angry every time you lose a match!  This is what happens during matches!" I yelled back.

Tommy heard us and came over to intervene.  "I'm not going to argue with you.  I'm done," I told De-Fetrick.  Tommy tried to explain the rules again to him, but all he got for his efforts was an attitude. My fighter told Tommy to "eff off".  De-Fetrick was told to leave the premises.

Now he is not able to fight in any Chicago Park District boxing shows.  I technically can't put him out of my gym, but after tonight's antics, I don't really want De-Fetrick around me again.  The whole situation was embarrassing.

Just Got It, Now It's Gone

The hyperflex (Cobra) bag you see here in this photo is no more.  I was standing over the ruins of it just several hours ago.

BJ and Darlene came in for the teen boxing class, and it looked like Kody wasn't going to make it in.  But Kody always comes in late, usually riding his bike into the gym, which he did.  When Kody began interfering with BJ and Darlene's workouts, I told him to stop and go do his.  Kody got on the hyperflex bag, bending it way further than it normally is supposed to go.  "I just got that bag, Kody.  If it comes up broken, trust me -- it won't be replaced," I warned.

I was helping Darlene on the speed bag, but I could hear Kody hitting the hyperflex bag.  Then I heard something pop and hit the floor.  I noticed Kody quickly moving away from the bag.  A check of the bag revealed that one of the knobs used to adjust the height had been broken.  When I partially dismantled the bag to check for further damage, the pole on the inside was completely broken in half.  There was nothing I could do to repair it.

"Thanks for breaking the bag, Kody," I said sarcastically.  "I didn't break it.  I was only exercising on it," he claimed, not realizing that I saw him leaving the scene of the crime.  "Kody, you were the last one on it.  Now no one can use it anymore," I shot back.  I was pissed, but I kept calm on the outside.  Only one working hyperflex bag is left in the gym now.  I had a feeling that I should not have put both of those bags out on the floor.  Unfortunately, I expected that kids would respect the equipment.  I made a misjudgment.

My boss is not going to be happy that bag is broken, either.  Alexis suggested that we could send the bag back for a replacement, but I doubt that's going to be an option.  To be honest, I didn't want the hyperflex bags; I didn't ask for them.  They were ordered for the gym, and I accepted them when they arrived.  But now I know that a) I need to be in on all decisions about what equipment goes into the gym, and b) I need to make sure the equipment that is ordered is extremely hard for the kids to break.

Wisdom From George

A friend from high school, Donna, donated the stand in the photo above.  The Chicago Park District ordered two more similar stands for the gym.  Steve told me that someone has to come in with tools to assemble them.  I would like to see those stands up before Thanksgiving.  The more equipment up in the gym, the more of a recruiting tool I have to get people to sign up for the program.

On my way to the gym yesterday, I ran into George, who runs the boxing gym at Garfield Park.  He's going to retire soon; the paperwork has already been put in.  I hope the gym over there doesn't disappear after he's gone.  It has a history as being one of the best boxing gyms in the Chicago Park District.  I wouldn't want that space to be used for another purpose like what happened to the boxing gym at Clarendon Park.  "Don't let them kids drive you crazy," George told me before he got off the train.

I'm trying not to let any of the kids and teens do that.  For example, I like Kody, but as soon as he shows up for the teen class, control goes out the window.  BJ and Darlene are the only other ones who show up regularly for that class.  They are usually good about sticking to their workout.  Then Kody, who barely does anything that looks like training in the gym, comes in and starts goofing around with them.

Just recently, Kody told me that if his mom asks how he's doing in the gym, I should say that he's doing well.  But I'm not going to lie to her about her son's behavior.  Kody's never been that serious about the sport. The kid shows up each time with a bag filled with junk food and a liter of soda pop on him.  Even BJ and Darlene have pointed out to Kody that the food he has is not healthy.  If I had more teens in that class who were interested in learning, Kody would have to tone down his antics.  The other kids would not put up with Kody distracting them.

People have been roaming into the gym at LaFollette a lot recently.  That is just a hint of what I'll have to put up with once it really gets cold outside.  Some guy who knew better waltzed into the gym and started fooling around on the flex bags.  I had to tell the guy to get off of them -- twice.  "I want to be a professional boxer," he told me.  I explained that the park district only deals with amateur boxing.  "I've already done that," he said.  "Oh, yeah?  When?" I asked dryly.  I didn't get an answer.  Neither did I get a response when I told the guy he would have to pay to be in the class.  If I had a dollar for everyone who walks into a boxing gym trying to impress someone with alleged experience, I could have retired a long time ago.

A little boy strolled into the gym awhile later and started messing with one of the flex bags (Cobra bags). I didn't get a good look at who the kid was.  Before I could say something, Kody had ran the child out of the gym.  "Why did you do that?" BJ asked him.  "I know that kid, and the kid was acting up," Kody said.  Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

Two women expressed interest in signing up for the adult class.  I hope that means that class is beginning to grow.  If the women sign up that will helpful to Alexis, who is the only adult who shows up on a regular basis.  De-Fetrick keeps disappearing, and I think Dan has given up -- again -- altogether.

Eric had a football game yesterday, so neither he or his brother Aaron came to the gym.  Eric expressed an interest in fighting at Simons Park's boxing show tomorrow, so he needs to appear at the gym today.

The Boss Said "Merry Christmas"

When I arrived at LaFollette Park, Steve the supervisor said, "Merry Christmas!"  I finally received two portable equipment stands that were ordered by the park district weeks ago.  I also received two cobra bags.  The stands will have to wait to be assembled.  I was able to assemble one of the cobra bags.  I'll assemble the second cobra bag tomorrow.

Another teen, Damari, signed up for the class.  He had been talking about coming to the gym since last year.  He's got good punches from what I've seen so far.  I wonder how long he'll keep attending the class, however.  Damari plays basketball, too, and that season is beginning soon at the park.

Simons Park's boxing show is next week.  I know that Eric and Aaron want to fight in it.  They weren't in class, but the other kids I mentioned the show to didn't want to get matches.  BJ keeps telling me he's not ready.  "The last park district show we're going to this year after Simons is at Humboldt Park," I told him.  Most of the kids want to see the show, but not participate in it.  I guess I will close down the gym that day so we all can go.

David was particularly interested in what trophies boxing show winners get.  He might change his mind and take a fight; who knows?  But his mom may have her reservations.  She usually comes to the gym with her son.  When David sparred for the first time, his mom was nervous about it.  She understood what it was about, but like a lot of moms, she still considers her son to be her little baby.

A Blessing of Equipment

The above is a picture of myself and a group of fellow alumni who attended the 40th anniversary of the high school from where I graduated.  One of my buddies, Donna, who attended that event came by with her husband to drop off some boxing equipment.  I received a portable stand that holds a heavy bag and a speed bag, several bag gloves, and a leather jump rope.  I appreciated all of the equipment.  The kids and adults especially loved the speed bag.

I pulled an Alan move and talked Alexis, who is in the adult class, into some sparring.  We went very light.  However, Alexis does have power behind her punches.  If we were going hard, I would have had to seriously watch out.

Alexis just wants to learn boxing for self-defense, so I have to take a different approach to coaching her.  I also have to modify my coaching style for De-Fetrick, who basically comes into the adult class and does his own thing.  He wants to compete, so I'm trying to get him ready for the Simons Park show.

Of course, I'm baffled by how to approach coaching with some.  For example, Desmond was sparring with Eric today.  No matter how many times I kept telling Desmond to punch back, he would not.  Eric cracked Desmond all about his head and in his sides.  Against my better judgement, I let them do a second round.  By the end of that one, Desmond was in the blue corner crying and trying to hide it.  When I took his gloves off, I said, "We have to work on your response."

Sometimes I get the impression that some think being a boxing coach is easy.  It's not, but it's satisfying work.  I also have to think about how to help the fighters get better.

Sparring With Erica

The boxing gym at Loyola Park was full of people.  Bean came in and told Alan and I, "I'm waiting for the crowd to clear out before I sign up again.  It's too small in here for all these people."  He has been looking for Kenny for the longest time, because he liked working on the punch mitts with him.  But Kenny hasn't been around for awhile because he's been busy elsewhere.

I sparred with Erica, and I had to take my shoes off.  My old boxing shoes are up at LaFollette Park, and I haven't gotten around to buying another pair yet.  I was moving better, but Erica is very fast.  She was throwing a lot of double jabs and hooks, and I didn't move out of the way quickly enough.  I managed to catch her with hooks to the body, and even some uppercuts.  I kept grabbing her arms, too, something I normally don't do during sparring.

Erica also sparred with Kathy.  She was finding ways around Kathy's long arms. Alan kept telling Kathy to work her way in with the jab.

Igor showed no shame.  While packing up to leave the gym for the evening, Igor stripped down to his underwear to change into his street clothes.  It was not a pretty sight.  There were several women on the premises, but Igor didn't care.  I don't have an "Igor" in my gym as of now.  I hope I never do.

The Boxing Party

I wish parents would tell me if their kids have some medical issues before they sign up for the boxing gym.  I learned that one of the kids has asthma when they laid an inhaler on the equipment table.  I spent the rest of the time watching the kid like a hawk, hoping they would not have an attack.

This was a reoccurring issue while summer camp was going on.  I never knew who had a medical issue or not.  Of course, some of the kids were lying about having medical conditions to avoid having to do exercise when they were in the gym.  But some of them were not.  I understanding wanting to involve kids in activities.  What I don't understand is not checking to see if an activity is appropriate for a kid who has a medical condition.

Later, I attended an open house party at a private boxing gym in Evanston, IL ran by Fernando.  Barry, his wife and daughter, and Yale were in attendance.  Erick, who has trained with Barry, was there. I also met Joe, a 15-year-old who trains with Barry and Fernando.  Reygie was also there, and he was looking good in a suit.

Fernando had really fixed up the gym -- which used to be a BBQ restaurant -- up.  Heavy bags galore, free weights, a sound system, TVs, a ring, etc.  It is poised to fill the void left by the Evanston Boxing Gym, a place that used to be up the street until it recently closed down.  Fernando's in a good spot near downtown Evanston.  I think it will be a success.

"Coach, I'm Bleeding"

The eight to twelve year old class is full, but only Johnathan, Aaron, and his brother Eric showed up to class.  All of them are eager to fight in the next boxing at Simons Park.  I made a mental note to work with them closely to get them ready.

BJ and Kody were the only ones who came to the gym for the teen class.  Kody kept bugging me to spar, even though today was not a scheduled day for that.  "If BJ wants to spar, then you all can," I told him.  Those two ended up sparring for the rest of the class.  Kody was playing around a lot during and in-between rounds.  I had to stop the action to change Kody's headgear because it was too big for him.

BJ was smiling about getting the best of Kody most of the time.  "I like sparring," he said, and I hoped he would change his mind about not fighting at Simons Park next month.  After the last round ended, BJ said, "Coach, I'm bleeding."  Not seeing anything, I asked, "Where?"  He walked over to me, and that's when I saw a stream coming out of his nose.  I quickly ran to get paper towels to clean him up.

Kody was surprised and concerned at the same time.  "I made someone bleed," he said.  He kept asking BJ if he was alright.  "I'm fine!" BJ answered.  He took it well.  I was amazed that Kody got a punch in like that.

Alexis was the only person who attended the adult class.  "Push me to the limit," she told me.  "I want to get healthy!"  She was tired out, but she soldiered on like a trooper.  I was also tired.  In-between throwing around the medicine ball, showing how to do footwork drills with the cones, showing how to use the slip bag, etc., I felt like I had put in some exercise as well.

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.