Is She The Same Girl?

Damaris has been surprising both Sahia and myself.  Damaris is itching to be in a boxing show, and she wants to be worked harder in the gym.  For a long period of time, Damaris gave the impression that training was the very last thing on her mind.  But her focus has improved and her skills have become a bit better.  

But unfortunately, she doesn't have adequate sparring partners in the gym.  She's not really a good match with Anayah, Kayla, Lael, nor Aarav.  Elijah is taller and bigger than all of the other kids, so she can't spar with him, either.  Garfield Park's boxing show is coming up soon, and Damaris is going to need to spar.  I'm going to have to allow her to do very light sparring with Anayah or Kayla.  I won't feel comfortable allowing her to participate at Garfield Park unless she does.

I'm also hoping that Garfield Park's show doesn't get canceled.  There were a lot of hard feelings about the Humboldt Park show being shut down at the last minute.  My show was rained out.  I'm assuming that Taylor Park's show went on as planned today.

Sahia wisely pointed out to Damaris not to base what the Garfield Park show will be like based on  the Fosco Park show that took place back in May.  Due to low turnout, every fight at Fosco was turned into sparring sessions.  There were no knockouts nor big injuries.  That probably will not be
the case at Garfield.

Two new kids, Henry and David, signed up for the youth class today.  For the past three weeks there has been a pattern of kids dropping out or being withdrawn from class by me only to be quickly replaced by others.  Henry and David's father was so glad he was able to get them into class.  The boys appear to be ready and willing to work.  That's all I ask.

The Show That Wasn't

I knew before I left my apartment yesterday that the Fosco Park show wasn't going to go well.  My feelings were confirmed when I arrived and noticed a majority of the gyms did not show up.  I counted five coaches there including myself.  Those coaches did not have many fighters with them.  From my gym:  Anayah had told me she wanted to fight.  However, she did not appear until the show began.  Jamarion was supposed to participate but he didn't show up.

Because the turnout was so low, Thomas, the boxing program coordinator, announced that all of the fights that evening would be sparring matches.  When Sahia heard this, she wondered if Mikaela and Noel could get in the ring.  But they also were not there in time for the weigh-in.  Thomas had already put the scale away.  He could not and would not delay a show already in progress to add another fight.  There were only four fights instead of the usual ten or twelve.  The evening ended early.

There will be another show today at Fosco Park for open fighters and adults who want matches.  Seeing how I don't have open fighters nor adults who have trained enough to have fights, I won't be going.  Probably, the number of fighters and spectators will be no higher than yesterday.  Maybe it just wasn't good timing to have a boxing show in May.  As far as I know, that had not been done before.  I would not be surprised if Thomas sends an email around asking why the coaches didn't show more support for the Fosco show.

Approaching Warning Signs

There is a possibility that I may have an adult boxing class full of Chicago's finest soon.  Sahia was approached by a police officer who was looking for a gym where he and his co-workers could box.  The officer said he used to box out of Lafollette 15 years ago.  The officers are looking for a group rate which I don't believe the park district offers.  However, I told Sahia to have them talk to Steve.  Maybe they could get a discount because they work for the city.

In light of all the crime that takes place inside and outside of the field house, I would appreciate having a bunch of boxers at LaFollette who are also cops.  Summer is coming, and the signs of approaching mayhem are already present.  I had to check some kids who had propped open the back crash door that leads down to the entrance of the gym.  The kids had an attitude because I locked and closed the door as I was leaving for the day.  That crash door leads directly to the parking lot and the park.  When a man was killed a few months ago in the park, I have no doubt that the person holding the gun ran into the building via that door.  Thankfully, the person didn't take the steps down to the boxing gym nor fired off shots elsewhere in the field house.  Unfortunately, most people around the field house have no respect for boundaries nor care about safety issues.  

Dexter tried to run a game on Sahia.  He asked her help in getting back into the boxing program, but Dexter told the same lies to her that were told to me.  Sahia pointed out that she was only the volunteer and that Dexter had to make amends to me as well as get his story straight.  I'm waiting for him to step to me -- which I doubt will happen -- so I can ask him what happened to that so-called rap career he claimed was going to "blow up" and keep him out of boxing anyway.  

My coach's bag is packed and ready for tomorrow's boxing show at Fosco Park.  It doesn't appear that I'm going to have anyone fighting at that show, however, so I probably won't need it.  Several didn't qualify to compete mostly because of non-attendance issues as well as lack of focus and motivation.  I keep repeating that those who don't train won't get to fight, but I'm not listened to until I actually forbid some from fighting which is what happened.  Some others who acted as if they wanted to fight can't make up their minds whether they will or not.  A few have said they won't.  Unfortunately, it has also come to my attention that a few of the youths are being pushed to box and are unfairly being compared to some of the other youths whom the parents/guardians believe are doing better.  

I'll probably end up judging fights at Fosco which is what usually happens when I have no fighters participating in a boxing show.  The spring session started off so well, but mid-point everything collapsed.  I don't have good feelings about the upcoming summer session.