A run-off election was held in Chicago yesterday, and the boxing gym at LaFollette was used as a polling place. It was the first day of the spring session, but of course, the class did not take place. Four of the kids showed up, and I had to express apologies for the gym being occupied. None of those in the adult class showed up, and no teens had signed up. I've been sending emails to Sahia to let her know about what was going on with maintenance issues in the gym, but I haven't heard from her. As usual, it was a poor start to another ten weeks of class.
None of the parents had talked to me before registering their kids. I received the usually surprised looks when I brought up that yes, class is five days a week, and all of those days must be attended in order for people to compete in the upcoming boxing shows. Most of the kids are signed up for other sports where the parents and guardians have no problem with the practice schedule. I don't understand why parents and guardians feel it's okay for their kids to give short shrift to boxing practice.
A conversation with one of the younger kids alerted me to the fact that not much research was done about what it takes to box before they registered. That's typical, too. The kid was overly concerned about the possibility of being knocked out. "Do they actually throw a towel in the ring to stop a fight?" they asked me.
Honestly, I'm not looking forward to running this session. My mind's not in it. There was too long of a layoff between the premature end of the winter session and the beginning of the spring session. I already have a good idea of who is not going to finish out this session. I'm not going to the City-Wide Boxing Tournament because I don't have anyone who is ready for it. In addition, I'm not hobbling out to the south side on public transportation with a cane. It's difficult enough for me to make the long trek to LaFollette these days.
