The Decision For Now

Just talked to Mary. . .we agreed that until a permanent coach is in place, the adult boxing gym should remain closed. Both of us had concerns about safety, people roaming in and out, and people trying to get free workouts. Mary is hoping that the fact the gym is temporarily closed will place urgency on the Park District's human resources department to hire someone for the position. The last time both Mary and I checked, Steve's old job is still not posted online.

Hopefully, it won't be too long before things are up and running again.

The Closing

Friday night, which was the last night of the Spring session, was quiet. Foster and Carla came in. Later, Manny came in for a little bit with his little daughter.

Mary and I were talking earlier that evening about how to handle the upcoming Summer session. Steve's job has still not been listed online yet. Mary was hoping that maybe it'll show up on Monday. Even if it does, it's going to be awhile for the applicants to get through the hiring process.

Judging by the past, summer is usually the time the gym has experienced the most problems with people thinking they can just roam into the gym. The fact that word has gotten around that Steve is gone has kept a lot of people away. It has also given the idea to others that they can come in and get free workouts. Jordan was one example. He wasn't even signed up for the spring session at all, and he stumbled in the other week. Jermaine's friend Antoine didn't cause any problems when he came in. Mary wasn't happy when it appeared that Antoine had been told he could come to the gym for free. I know the guys who have come in for awhile, like Jermaine, don't mean any harm when they invite their friends to the gym. However, Mary doesn't want anyone in there who hasn't paid.

When Steve was there, he would keep the gym open during the week or weeks in-between sessions. I opted not to come in next week, so the gym will be closed. After that, it's up in the air. I don't want to disappoint the guys who have been coming in for awhile, even those who come on-and-off. But in the absence of a coach, and the fact that attendance is normally down in the gym during warm weather, closing temporarily is looking like the best option. In the interest of safety and keeping drama down, it might be better not to give some hard-headed youths or strange adults a reason to be in the gym on Wednesday and Friday nights.

The guys who are serious about the sport have gone to other gyms for workouts and sparring on other days in the past. They'll continue to do so. I've spent time up at JABB myself, and I plan to check out Chicago Boxing. Those who were aligned with other gyms but came up to Loyola sometimes -- like Paul and Brian, for example -- will continue on at their home gyms.

It bothers me, but I can't think of another solution right now.

Surprise, There's A Girl

Know how I know that I love boxing? I can have fun in the gym even when I'm not training.

Earlier this afternoon, I stopped into the gym. The kids and teens are in the gym on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Barry asked me to stop by sometimes when they are there. Normally, Barry doesn't have many adults hanging around when the kids are in the gym. The adults aren't allowed to work out with the kids (except for Nate Sr., who held pads for Nate Jr. today). It can be a distraction.

Some of the kids I knew and/or recognized like Man-Man, Nate Jr., and Kenny. There were a few other kids there that I hadn't seen before. I was surprised to see a girl working out. She looked no older than eight or nine years old. The girl was keeping up with the boys, and she was the only female in attendance. It reminded me of all the times when I was usually the only woman in the gym. There have been a few girls in the youth program, usually teens, but they didn't seem to hang around for long. Today was the first time I have seen a little girl in the gym.

Barry is very good with the kids and teens. He keeps his eye on everything that goes on. He had the younger kids going through circuit training, where they switched between equipment and various exercises. The kids under 12 finished training by 5:00 PM, and then it was time to work with the teenagers. Kenny, Man-Man, and a kid named Steve sparred (Nate Sr. stepped in at one point to spar with Man-Man).

I learned that a former Loyola boxer named Turan had his first pro fight recently. He has another coming up soon in California. Barry was going to check the stats later to see how he did.

Annoyance Free Workout

I was ready to snap on Jordan if he did anything out-of-pocket tonight. Fortunately for him, he didn't show up to the gym. I was in the gym alone for about ten minutes when Jermaine came in. Jermaine invited a friend of his named Antoine in, and Carla and Tommy came in.

I had a good workout tonight. Not having to stand on my feet cleaning for four hours at church definately gave me a big burst of energy. Instead, I had an interview for a job that I doubt that I'll get. It was for an office manager at a medical office. The head doctor in the place called several people in for an interview at once. He came out and gave us all an overview of the job, and what was expected. Then another person took us in one by one to interview us for a few minutes a piece. I hadn't been to an interview like that in a couple of decades. That was for some boiler room sales position, if I remember correctly.

In between working out, Antoine asked me to show him some techniques. I was more than happy to help him out. It was refreshing to work with a guy who appeared not to be bothered by taking boxing tips from a female.

Wii and A Dinner

Mike took Steve, JJ and myself out for dinner earlier this evening. We all met up at Mike's condo. Brian stopped by for awhile, but couldn't join us to eat. He had to pick his girlfriend up from the airport.

Mike has a Wii game. I've been intrigued by those, but never saw one close up until today. We started off with the boxing game, where I was beat down by Steve a few times. The next game was tennis, where Steve, who plays tennis a lot, did well against Brian, myself and Mike (JJ was using Mike's computer to look up boxing info on the Internet). The last game was bowling, where to my amazement, I beat the guys. The Wii is actually good exercise, because you are not sitting to play, like with Play Station or XBox. You're moving around with the controls in your hand, and working up a good sweat.

Mike presented Steve with a very nice warm up suit, which had "Golden Gloves, 5 Champions" embroidered on the back of it. The five champs represent JJ, who won the Golden Gloves twice; Mike, who won this year; Mort, who won a couple of years ago; and Antonio, who won a trophy last year.

Brian revealed that he waited a week to see the doctor after hurting his thumb while sparring with JJ some time ago. I didn't realize that Gio had pulled on Brian's thumb in order to ease some of his discomfort that day. Brian's thumb is broken in two places, and he has to wear a cast for a few weeks. He's hoping that it heals up well enough before the Ringside Boxing Tournament, which is in August. That's the second time that JJ has accidently broken bones on somebody during sparring. The other guy who was hurt was Josh, and that was a few years ago. Josh had his nose broken.

We watched a few fights: part of the EliteXC MMA special that aired a couple of days ago on network TV; JJ at the Illinois State Tournament; when Jeff was a contender at the Golden Gloves back in 2004. After that, we went to dinner at an Argentinian steak house. Very good, although I was stuffed and couldn't eat everything. I ended up leaving half of some very delicious flan dessert behind, and taking half of a filet mignon home.

Steve and Ellen did find a home in Buffalo, NY, big enough for them and little Eli. From how Steve described it, it sounds like it sits on a very cool, tree-lined street. The couple will have a BBQ on the beach here later this month, another going away party.

Mama Said Knock You Out

Mary brought up the subject of having the gym closed after the spring session ends next Friday. "The coach's position is not yet listed online, and I'm not signing up any new people. I don't want people to be upset if they begin the summer session and there's no coach present," she said. Dealing with the real possibility of irate customers wanting their money back in that case is something the Loyola Park staff doesn't want to deal with. I don't blame them.

Mary and I will discuss plans regarding having the adult boxing gym open further next week. My original thought was to not have the gym open that week in-between the end of the spring session and the beginning of the summer session to keep looky-loos from just roaming into the place. It is now making a lot of sense to me to have the place closed temporarily until a new coach is in place. Of course, the kids' gym time on Tuesdays and Thursdays will continue as usual.

She told me that "the intense guy" had arrived at the gym before I had, and was hanging out in the basketball gym. Mary didn't remember his name, but I knew instantly that it was Jordan. "His name is not on the class list. He didn't sign up for this session," I said.

Mary left shortly afterwards, and I turned on the bell. As I was heading towards the radio, I heard footsteps on the stairs outside of the gym. I sighed and turned around to see Jordan. His hair was jacked up. Why he had a portion of it tied up with a rubber band was a mystery to me. "Where's Steve?" he asked in his usual clueless manner. "He resigned a couple of weeks ago," I said in my best cold business-like voice. Jordan, like everyone else, had been told months ago that Steve would be gone now. "I'll be in next Wednesday and Friday," he said. Don't do me any favors, I thought, as I turned my back on Jordan and turned the radio on. He didn't have any workout gear or clothes with him, so I thought he would leave.

"Who's coaching?" he asked. "No one," I said, not feeling the need to explain to him that I was temporarily in charge of watching the gym. Fortunately, Carla and Deb came in, so I could justify ignorning him. Unfortunately, Jordan is one of those guys that doesn't take hints because he doesn't have the brain power to realize when one has been given to him. "Who else is coming in?" he asked. Do I look like a psychic? I thought. Out loud I replied, "I have no idea, Jordan, until they come in here." He was probably looking for JJ and/or Mike to show up. Or any guy, for that matter, so he could brag about what he doesn't know.

Jordan was hitting the smaller heavy bag with no gloves on. "You shouldn't hit the bags without gloves on," I said, repeating something that Steve had told him many times. Jordan stops and gives me this -- attitude -- looking at me like I was some bug that he needed to swat away. He mumbled something about "it doesn't matter". In that second, I wanted to pick up something and knock his ass out in the middle of the floor.

He went back to hitting the bag, but I wasn't going to let it go. "Look, Jordan, that bag is practically brand new. Don't mess it up by hitting it with your bare hands!" I forcefully told him. I didn't give a damn if he didn't care about hurting his hands, but he was going to at least have some respect for the equipment. I got the feeling that he acted like the place was his personal gym. Just before this exchange, he asked to have the radio changed from V103 (an adult urban contemporary station) to B96 (a top-40 station). Usually, I had no comment about the music most of the guys liked to hear while in the gym. I don't normally listen to what they like when I'm not at the gym. It really wasn't worth me arguing with Jordan about it, so I changed the station. But I did tell him, "There, I put it on your crappy station."

He asked Carla to help him figure out his weight on the scale near the mirrors. The scale is not hard to figure out, but then this is Jordan we're talking about. I doubt that he was an honor student in school.

Seeing how he failed to intimidate me and the fact that none of the guys came in, caused Jordan to give it up for the evening. He left like he always does, with no acknowledgement of who is in the room. I immediately changed the radio station.

Possible New Recruit

Martha is a crossing guard that I see most weekday mornings on my way to the temporary custodian job at my church. She saw me with a Golden Gloves hoodie on, and inquired if I boxed. I told her that I go to Loyola Park, and she was interested. "I need to tone up," she told me. I gave her info about when the summer session will begin. "Don't sign for spring, because that session is almost over, and the Park District won't give you a discount because of that. You'll have to pay the full fee, then pay another full fee for summer," I told her.

Keith strolled in on Wednesday night, asking where Steve was. I know Steve told him he was going to resign. Perhaps Keith forgot. He hung around for awhile, then left. Deb, Carla, Paul and myself were the only ones in the gym until Jermaine came in later.

Earlier on Thursday, while riding the 'L home, I ran into Arin, who hasn't been in the gym in weeks. She said she would try to make it back in.

I think I'm going to suggest to Mary that the gym should be closed during that week in-between the spring and summer sessions. My goal is to keep characters from roaming in, looking for a free workout. Once June rolls in, activities in the fieldhouse increase, meaning more people hanging around. If no coach is hired by the time the summer session starts, then the week off would be a good time for me to come up with an interim lesson plan for the newcomers.

Learned that Brian hurt more than his thumb sparring the other week. Paul told me that Brian's hand had been broken in two places. I hope it heals up soon.

Open Later

When I got to the fieldhouse, Rob had to call Mary to come by with a key to open the gym. Jilberto has a key to the gym, but he doesn't work at the fieldhouse on Friday. When Mary arrived, I told her I doubted that anyone would show up. It was the Friday before a holiday weekend, and normally, attendance is low. I had a CD of music I downloaded from iTunes, so I put it on.

Foster came in about 10 minutes later. He's proven himself to be very consistent so far. He comes in and does a pretty consise workout routine.

BK, one of the staff members, came in and talked for awhile. He told me he has plans to open up a few businesses down the line. It's interesting to learn about people's future plans to even be more successful. BK always struck me as being a thoughtful, serious sort, so I wasn't exactly surprised when he told me about his plans.

Foster and I were the only two for a while until Manny came in. I hadn't seen him for awhile. Manny had been training at Clarendon Park, but he explained that not much has been going on down there. He plans to come to Loyola Park on Fridays to get a workout in. Manny wants to get a few Park District boxing show fights during the summer. I haven't seen a schedule for those shows yet, but one should be out soon.

Jermaine was the last one who came in for the evening. I quit working out around 8:30 PM, but kept the place open an extra 15 to 20 minutes for him and Manny, who came in later. Manny, like Barry, suggested that I apply for Steve's old job. Even Jermaine was saying that it would be a good idea for me to do so to keep the gym going. Mary told me earlier that the job still hadn't been posted online, but she'll let me know when it is.

Right Out Of The Gate

Brian was there when I arrived at the gym. Foster came in not long afterwards, followed by JJ and his new coach, Gio, then Tommy and Ben. None of the other women came in.

JJ had a tape of the fight he lost at the National Golden Gloves. It was just as he said before. His opponent came tearing at him right out of the gate. JJ ended up getting two eight counts in the first round. We all groaned when the camera didn't catch all of the action. Barry taped the fight, but didn't always keep the lens focused on the action in the gym. We were treated to a nice shot of Steve's wife Ellen, who had Eli sitting on her lap. At her prompting, Eli waved to the camera.

JJ sparred a couple of round with Foster and with Brian, with Gio and I looking on. Brian hurt his thumb during the second round with JJ and couldn't continue with his workout that evening. I don't think any bone was broken, but his thumb was swollen. Brian said his girlfriend is a nurse, so he would check with her about his thumb tomorrow. I told him to ice it up this evening. JJ and Gio left not too long after the sparring sessions were over.

I was very tired and sluggish, but I perked up a bit when I got into the ring to shadow box. My new medical ID came in the other day; I now have a couple of necklaces, one of them being a backup in case I lose the first one. I remembered to wear my volunteer badge, too. Now that the gym is in-between coaches, I thought it would be a good idea to wear that ID.

Gym Showcase

Mary left a voice mail for me earlier in the afternoon. The person who was supposed the sing the National Anthem for the annual Gym Showcase couldn't make it in. She asked if I could perform the song. I called her back and assured her that I would.

Barry had two of the boys in the youth boxing program, Nate Jr. and Kenneth, do some exercise routines for their portion of the showcase. I hadn't seen Nate Jr. do his fancy jump rope techniques before; he was good. Kenneth is a new boxer, a long, lanky quiet kid. Like Nate Jr. he also demonstrated his technique on the punch mitts for the crowd.

"I'm glad you're here," Barry told me when we came back inside the gym after the performance. "Most people wouldn't want to train on a Friday night. It takes a special individual to come in here on a Friday." I like going to the gym. Besides, what else am I doing on Friday night? Ask most unattached middle-aged women -- unless she's a cougar chasing down young men in the clubs, the dating scene is pretty slow. If I had a boyfriend, he'd have to wait to see me after I came out of the gym, anyway. First things first.

Barry and the boys left after a light workout. Attendance among the adults was very light again this evening. Only Sadiq, Carla and Foster were there. "Why weren't many people here?" Sadiq asked after we were the last two in the gym. "It's nice outside, it's Friday night, there's the Gym Showcase going on, Steve's not here anymore," I answered. Robert took a little break from his work to look in on the gym, and he noted the small amount of people inside. I told him, "The numbers will pick up again when a new coach is hired."

Just as I suspected a couple of days ago, I have picked up weight again. Ten pounds of the 20 I lost have returned. Damn. . .I know it is because of what I've been eating, and the lack of doing extra exercise during the week. It's my fault. I was looking at the DLife web site and learned that actor Jerry Mathers ("Leave It To Beaver") was diagnosed with diabetes when he was 50. He controls it with diet and exercise. I keep thinking about the complications I could develop because I'm not as diligent in controlling my weight as I think I am. If Mathers could take weight off and get it together, than I can too. I have to do it.

Pizza In The Gym

Mary and I were talking not long after I arrived at the fieldhouse. She wondered if Steve was going to come in tonight. She wanted to hold off on ordering pizza for the farewell get-together until he got there. He came in just as we were talking about him.

Steve cleaned out his locker, and found some notes that he had taken a few years ago on JJ and Mike. He gave both of them what he wrote. We got a good laugh out of those. Anarbo, from Brooks Park, was there, and Steve gave him some extra gauze that he found.

The gym was busy when the pizza arrived. I had Gilberto bring the food into the gym. He set the table up in the middle of the floor, and then it was moved towards the lockers to give people room to still work out. Gio, the trainer JJ is going to next, was there. Tommy, Carla, Ben, Jon, Foster and Brian were there, as was a friend of Arnarbo's (I hope I'm spelling his name right!). Even Sadiq and Mort (along with his girlfriend) came in.

I didn't touch any of the pop (no diet pop was ordered), but I ate more of the Giordano's pizza than I should have. It feels like the 20 pounds I lost are slowing creeping back up on me, judging by my thighs. Steve said he found a gym in Buffalo, NY where he could work out. "It'll be nice to get back in shape again. I figure I'd better do it because I'll be 40 years old in awhile, and it'll be harder to keep the weight down," he said. "Tell me about it. The weight just seems to stay on and never come off," I said. Many days, I feel like I inherited my late dad's blubbery physique. I used to be petite like my mom, but that was 21 years ago. I believe those days are gone. The best thing I can hope for is to be healthy.

Jon's thigh was better. It had been bothering him, and he had to ice it a lot. He asked me if my leg was better. My knees remain stiff, and my left foot is swollen again (I think that's a condition of hypertension), but I'm okay. Margaret, the choir director at my church, told me the cleaning I do at church in the mornings serves as a functional workout. Perhaps that's why I was so sore last week. I haven't been working out much outside of the gym because the temporary custodial job is a workout in and of itself, and it wears me out. But I have to get back to regular exercise, especially now that warmer weather is coming.

Soreness, Slowness, Sad News

Barry called me last night. JJ lost a close fight at the National Golden Gloves, so he's out. According to Steve, it was a close decision, but the other fighter was very good. I hope this doens't discourage JJ from his plans to go pro next year.

Barry also told me he found the gym door open on Thursday. I told both Mary and Gilberto when everyone was gone Wednesday night, so I don't know what happened there. I don't have a key, since I'm not a Park District employee. I have to depend on staff to open and close the gym.

My left leg and lower back have been hurting since Wednesday. I sat in a hot bath with Epson salt earlier this afternoon. It did some good, but not a lot. I think it's because I'm using extra muscles during my temporary custodian job at my church. I could move around a little more in the gym tonight, but it was still a light workout. During stretching, I felt some tightness in the left side of my back. I have no idea what that is all about, and I'm hoping not to have to scratch up money to go to a doctor. I'll have to rely on aspirin for the time being.

Only Carla and Deb showed up. Tommy came in on Wednesday, and he promised he'd come in tonight, but it was a no go. Carla and Deb did stay until near 8:30 PM, and I closed up not long after they left.

The Right Coach

Barry called me last night, and we talked for a long time. He's concerned about who the park district may hire to replace Steve. I don't blame him. Unfortunately, neither Barry or Mary will have input into the hiring process. That'll all be done downtown. From what Steve told me a couple of months ago, the application process has become more strict, as well. The park district wants everyone to have a degree. Uh, I can buy someone having to have a degree in physical education to teach in the exercise and sports programs, but there is no degree in boxing.

I told Barry that I would have applied for Steve's job, but I still don't have a coach's license. "You can get one. All you have to do is take the test. I think that if you were the coach, between you and I, the program could stay competitive," Barry told me. Now I'm thinking I might apply after all to provide consistency and continuity. After all, most folks who've come in there for a while know me. They might be skittish about having to deal with someone totally new. It wouldn't hurt to put in an application. The worst that could happen is that I don't get the job.

The new coach has to be able to work with Barry. Barry is essentially the head coach. He's been with the park district for over 20 years. It wouldn't do to have someone in there who can't mesh with him.

There was also concern on Barry's part about characters rolling into the gym now that Steve is gone. As soon as word gets around that no one's minding the store per se, I can see some attempting to treat the place like it's an open gym. I've documented the more annoying incidents involving adults and kids strolling in off the street too many times on this blog. I don't like dealing with that kind of stuff, but I know how to handle it when it happens. Barry told me stories of similar incidents happening when the kids are in the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
We both agreed that the squash on that stuff has to be consistent and immediate.

It may be weeks before someone is hired. I'm thinking the summer session might be half-way done before a new coach is put in place. In the meantime, I'll be in my usual spot, holding down the fort until that happens.

Steve's Official Last Day

I spent most of the day at home. It was rainy, I heard thunder, and I was a bit sad since it's the last day that Steve was going to be at the gym. I puttered around, applied for jobs online, watched a little TV. When I went to the gym was the first time I came out of the house all day.

Mary saw me as I came in, and told me of her plan to have Steve come back one more day. She wanted to give him a small going away party in appreciation for all of his work in the gym. Steve and JJ will be gone all next week for the National Golden Gloves, but Steve agreed to come in the Wednesday following that. I'm hoping that the going away party also doubles as a celebration party if JJ wins the championship.

I took pictures to document Steve's official time in the gym. Gabe had his camera, and he asked me to take a group shot of all the guys in the gym, which is featured above. From left to right, the guys are: JJ, John, Gabe, Jermaine, Steve, Foster and Wally.

Close to The End

The other Paris came in tonight, and he wondered if the gym is busier on Wednesdays than it is on Fridays. It depends. There have been times when the gym is so crowded that it's hard to find a clear spot to do your workout. Then other times, only two or three show up. Tonight was pretty busy. Mike brought his friend in, who is also known as Mike. Mike No. 2 sparred and got hit hard in the nose. He was bleeding for awhile, but eventually it was under control. It was the first time in a long time that I saw blood on the canvas. Steve wiped it up, but I suggested using bleach or rubbing alcohol to go over the canvas again later.

Diego and Nate Jr. came in, and they sparred. Nate caught Diego a few times, because Diego would back up, often into the ropes, and drop his hands.

Steve and JJ worked together, as JJ is going to the National Golden Gloves next week. He's going as part of a team. According to Steve, the teams and team coaches have had everything taken care of for them -- accommodations, travel, etc. Steve, Jerome and Barry are considered "private" coaches for the purposes of the tournament, so they have to come out of their pockets to take care of expenses. I wish I could go, but I don't have the funds. Also, I agreed to help the church stay clean now that the custodian is gone. I'll be doing that during the week until another custodian is hired.

This is Steve's last week at the gym, although he'll still be in Chicago for a little longer to finish things up. The gym will remain open; the Spring session is not officially done until the first week of June. I will come in so the door is open for people to work out. If I'm not able to come in on certain days, Mary will have one of the field house staff persons supervise the gym.

Mike received his belt for winning the Golden Gloves. It looked great! Had his name on it.

Tracy and Sam

When I arrived, Tracy Sr. and Tracy Jr. were already there, waiting for JJ, who came in late. Tracy Jr. was there to get sparring with JJ, which he did. He's only about 15, but he carries himself as if he is a lot older. Plus he has, as Steve said, "man strength". JJ commented on how hard Tracy Jr. can hit.

A man from Cameroon came in to work out. I noticed Older Jim watching him closely as the man shadow boxed. When I turned around again, it appeared as Older Jim was giving him tips, but it probably was the other way around. Older Jim hadn't been there two minutes, before he made a comment: "The gym is busy tonight." He was probably was thinking that he wasn't going to get a chance to work on the punch mitts. He didn't.

Sam, whom I hadn't seen in months, showed up. He gave us an update on Javon, another kid was shot recently. Sam and Javon had been hanging out at a friend's house. Javon had agreed to walk some dogs that were on the premises. He was approached by some gang banger. Javon told the guy he wasn't gangbanging, just out walking the animals. The gang banger seemed to accept this answer and he walked off. Javon returned the dogs back to their house, then left the house again. The gang banger double-backed, spotted Javon and said, "I got you now!" before putting a bullet in him. Fortunately, Javon is doing okay. "This happened in Hyde Park, which is something else, because that stuff doesn't happen in that neighborhood often," Sam told us.

Just like Rogers Park, Hyde Park has a diverse population, anchored by a university, in this case, the University of Chicago. One of the differences between the two areas is that Hyde Park has embraced diversity for a long time. In recent years, some of the encroaching condo and townhouse buyers in Rogers Park stereotyping races, most notably African-Americans and Hispanics. They openly wish "those people" would get out of the area on some of the blogs about the neighborhood. The idea of diversity has seemingly been more embraced in Hyde Park. But just like most Chicago neighborhoods, that neighborhood is not immune from crime.

As I was taking off my wraps at the end of the night, I noticed my medical ID bracelet was gone. If it had fallen inside the gym, I would have found it. The gym is not that big. It probably fell off when I took my jacket off while walking through the park to the fieldhouse. That damn bracelet has been threatening to fall off for the longest. Frankly, I had become tired of wearing it. I do have to replace it, however, but this time, I'll get a necklace.

Wednesday After The Gloves

I saw Jim as I was walking up to the fieldhouse. It wasn't long before his usual complaints began. Steve interacted with him as little as possible. Jim seems to have a fixation with working on the punch mitts every time. Steve was tired, having worked with JJ on the mitts for most of the evening. Jim opted to spar instead, and he got in with Brian. I think he only did a couple of rounds before stepping out of the ring.

Earlier, Jim decided he should give Ben some jabbing lessons. Ben went along with him, but gave the impression that he probably could have done without Jim's intervention. "He's been here a year, and he should be farther along than he is," Jim told me off to the side. "Ben has been here for a few years," I informed Jim. That conversation quickly turned into Jim complaining about what Steve doesn't teach him. I was glad when the bell rang to start the round again.

John sparred with Brian, and started giving out early. "Don't focus on when the bell will ring. The round will end when it does. Hoping and waiting for it to end will just make the round longer," Steve advised John. That's true. How many times I had I been in sparring, wondering what happened to the sound of the bell? Once you start thinking like that in the middle of a round, you're no longer focused on the opponent in front of you.

Seems like quite a few people were roaming into the gym, including Montrell, the star of the youth boxing program. A woman who claimed to be sixty years old -- she didn't look older than late 40s -- came in with her 25 year old son, who said he was interested in boxing. The duo looked around a little, but didn't stay long.

None of the new people returned, and I was the only woman in the gym tonight. It was a little quiet in the gym, as it usually is behind the Golden Gloves. Steve added JJ and Mike's names as winners on the chalkboard in the gym for that purpose.

Two For The Books

No one was guarding the door when I arrived at the Golden Gloves this evening. That was unusual, considering this is the week of the finals. I waltzed in, not having to show my license or pay.

Mike and JJ were already in the bleachers, chillin' out, when I got there. Steve showed up a few minutes later. Several of Steve's and Mike's friends showed up to watch the festivities, which thankfully, started on time. Mary, Loyola Park's fieldhouse supervisor, was also in attendance. JJ's fight was number eight; Mike's fight was number 11. There were 15 fights in total.

JJ, as expected, was highlighted in the Golden Gloves finals' program as a boxer to watch. He had been featured once before a few years ago. His strengths (long reach, listens to his coach) were pointed out as well as his weaknesses. I wondered if his opponent would read about the weaknesses and keep them in mind.

The guy JJ fought must have taken lessons from George C., a former opponent of JJ's earlier in the Gloves. He kept grabbing and holding. Barry and Jerome were in JJ's corner, along with Steve, while I stood in some bleachers closer to the ring to take pictures. I saw where JJ tried to get in some uppercuts, but they weren't fully formed. His opponent seemed to shy away from JJ in the second round, and he stayed near the ropes. Not a good idea. The guy was leaning over, away from JJ, and did not cover himself well. JJ tested him out with several jabs, then socked him with a right. The opponent thudded to the canvas. The referee stepped in and waved his arms over the fallen boxer. It was over.

Steve was so happy, that he hoisted JJ up in the air. Jerome was outside of the ring, hopping up and down, while Barry was grinning from ear to ear. I was in the bleachers, yelling "That's right, baby! That's how you do it!" while the people closest to me looked at me like I was crazy. I ran down to the ring. A litle kid came up to JJ when he came out of the ring and asked for his autograph. JJ obliged him.

A few fights later, it was Mike's turn. I was standing near while Nick, the coach of Mike's opponent, warmed his guy up. The guy looked rugged to me. "Mike's gonna have to work with this one," I thought to myself. JJ helped Steve in the corner with Mike, and I sat in an empty seat on the front row to position myself to take photos.

There was a lot of pushing and shoving, especially on the part of Mike's opponent. The referee warned the both of them about this. The opponent was also told about holding Mike so much. Finally, I heard the ref tell the opponent, "If I have to warn you one more time, you'll lose a point!" Not long after he said that, the opponent started up again, and a point was removed. Mike worked his jab to good advantage a few times, and caught the guy up in the corner a few more. At the end of it all, Mike was awarded the win.

"This is one for the books," I told Steve afterwards. "You can put this on your resume under accomplishments." He laughed. It was an excellent night for Loyola Park Boxing Club.

Grumble Free Wednesday

It was sort of old home week because both Javonte and Sadiq stopped into the gym. Javonte had his girlfriend and adorable one-year old daughter with him. They stayed around for most of the evening, but Sadiq was only there for a few moments.

John was a new guy who came in. He said he had trained at a gym out in Libertyville. I was surprised there was a gym there. The last time I was up there was to attend a singles' worship event at the church where my pastor used to work. That was about four years ago. From what I viewed of the town, it appears to be very conservative. Too conservative to support a boxing gym, it seemed. John explained that there wasn't much sparring to be had. He had visited a few gyms, including a few Park District ones, and he was impressed with Loyola Park the most. He signed up for the boxing program.

Otis and Pete sparred, and Otis got Pete several times with some hard hits. Steve finally had them stand very close to each other in order to make them work more on combinations, as opposed to going for the big shots.

Steve worked with Mike and JJ earlier as they both have their final bouts at the Golden Gloves this Friday. Older Jim did not come to the gym, so there were no complaints to be heard about the coach "working with the contenders". It made for a bit of peace in the room for the evening, which was refreshing.

I was interviewed on Monday about this blog, and the article featuring me, as well as a few other Rogers Park blogs is online at the web site for The Loyola Phoenix. The Phoenix is the student newspaper of Loyola University. I'll go up to the campus tomorrow and get the print version. I started the blog thinking it would be interesting for people to read a slice-of-life about a middle-aged woman who was crazy enough to be involved in a sport where one can become hurt easily and very badly. After viewing some of the negativitity on the other blogs, I also wanted to show that some positive things do happen in an area that is considered troubled, mainly by some condo and townhouse owners who are at odds with the poor, the working class, people of color and the renters who were here before they moved in. I liked the article, which sought to explore why Rogers Park is one of the "bloggiest" areas in Chicago and the USA.

Friday Night Grumbling

Steve told me something that made a lot of sense tonight. He sees the adult boxing program as being designed mainly for those in their late teens to mid-twenties. Those are the folks who would most likely be interested in competing. Plus, they have the stamina for it. After all, boxing is a young person's game. Of course, someone older, such as myself, is welcomed to join the program, and put in a workout. However, any amateur coach's time would be better spent on working with possible young contenders, then trying to get matches for people over 35 years of age. Unfortunately, the Masters division of USA Amateur Boxing gets no respect.

Older Jim was asking what happened to Igor. I assumed that Igor just disappeared again. "He probably was discouraged that he didn't get into the Golden Gloves. But he should be in here training for next year," Older Jim stated. It doesn't matter if Igor comes to the gym every week from here until next spring. He's about the same age as me, and his chances for making it into that tournament are just as dismal as mine. As disappointing as it was, I had to finally give up on that dream. Eventually, Igor and Paris will have to give up on their visions of glory in the ring.

I'm not sure what Older Jim's aims are in relation to boxing. He has mentioned that he teaches what he picks up in the gym to his son at home. Older Jim now follows the workout plan that was posted in the gym years ago by a former coach named Harlein, who unfortunately is now deceased.

Older Jim doesn't seem to understand that it's a program, not a class. The place is run as a traditional gym. No instructor is going to come out at the beginning and ask people to gather around each time. It doesn't work like that. He left early, grumbling to a guy out in the hallway that "The coach is spending all his time with the contender!" Steve was working with JJ at the time. "I want to learn boxing and there are no teachers here, so I'm outta here!" Older Jim continued to snap. No teachers? Really? I held the pads for him on Wednesday night, and also gave him some pointers on the double end bag. Older Jim has asked other guys in the gym to assist him when Steve was occupied with other boxers. He has also stated that he's mimicked the moves of the other boxers in order to pick up techniques. For him to say he's hasn't been taught anything is false. At this point, I'm wondering: if Older Jim is so dissatisfied, then why does he keep coming to the gym?

None of the newcomers came in tonight, which is a good sign that none of them may return. It's a shame that so many newcomers give up so early. The cost of the program is low, but money wasted is still money wasted.