After a year of going back and forth with the Chicago Park District regarding the way I was pushed out of the coaching job I had at LaFollette Park, everything has come to an end. As of yesterday, I am no longer officially an employee.
I was given no apology for the park district's antics. Like older people used to say when I was growing up, that would have been too much like right for the Chicago Park District to do. So here I am unemployed again, as I have been on and off ever since I was laid off from the very last full-time job I had back in 2008. LaFollette Park was toxic in terms of environment (I learned that LaFollette was known as a "problem park" not long after I began working there), and I am glad never to have to set foot in that place again. Yet, that was the only job I ever had where I could truly tell people that I loved the work I did.
I played with the idea of volunteering again for the park district like I did for several years at Loyola Park before I became an employee. However, I have a bad taste in my mouth now that I know how the park district operates. Besides, I remember that Sahia, who volunteered in the program at LaFollette, wasn't respected nor treated right many times - mostly by staff - when she helped me out. I knew at least one of the parents was also acting funny towards her because Sahia is not Black. And Rick, who was very interested in being a volunteer and would have been a great addition, bowed out because of the sabotage he saw being done to the boxing program there from within.
Since COVID-19 began, the park district's boxing program has taken many blows. As of this writing, several of the field houses that had boxing classes don't at the moment. There was an attempt to have online boxing classes, but I don't think that went over well.
So...what's next? I'm quarantining at home, as I have been for months. The fact that I'm diabetic doesn't make me a good candidate for hanging out and about. Unless I really can't avoid going somewhere, I don't. I'm glad for Zoom meetings and email.
As for boxing, I don't know. I have to figure out another way to participate in it.
