Coaches' Public Service Annoucement

A PSA for parents who have kids enrolled in boxing classes:

I, nor any other coach is there to coddle them. That's what daycare and nurseries are for. That's what Miss Crabtree, or Mr. Jones, or whatever the names of your kids' grade and high school teachers are, may be doing. 

I'm not there to teach your kid how to beat up some other kid in school or in the neighborhood who is picking on them. I am aware that most schools have zero tolerance for violence policies, and I and not going to contribute to violating those policies. Teach them how to hand out those types of beat downs at home, like my mother taught me at home, if you want the kids to be able to defend themselves. Boxing is a sport, and I'm preparing your kid for competitions, not for scraps out on these streets.

I'm not paid to babysit, and I seldom do that in my personal life, so don't use my gym as a spot to push the kids off on me because y'all don't want to be bothered with them.  I might get personal and ask why y'all wanted to have kids in the first place.  

If a kid is being disruptive and disrespectful, I will turn into my mother on them. And while I can't put my hands on your kids, I can and will hurt their feelings to the quick if they try me. 

Don't complain about me admonishing and/or yelling at your kids when they are not focused because my job is to push them to be the best they can be while they are in the ring. I used to compete, so I know how easy it is to get injured. I don't have time for lazy, unmotivated, uncoachable kids.

Don't get an attitude when I suggest that your kid should sign up for a different sport or activity when it's obvious they don't want to be in boxing. 

Don't expect your kid to learn how to box if they can't show up to train every day.  No, your kid can't train for two or more sports at one time, especially if all the practices are going on at the same time. They need to stick to one whether it's the one I coach or another sport in order to get good at it. I have a lesson plan that covers the several days the gym is open not one day.  I don't have time to keep up where I left off regarding your kid's training when they are showing up to gym one day and missing several other days.

Don't assume that boxing is a good fit for a special needs child, or a child who is dealing with some other mental, emotional or physical issue. First of all, I'm not a medical doctor nor mental health professional. Don't send some social worker to convince me to take your child in my gym.  Talk to me before you enroll them, whether the kid has an issue or not. I need to tell you about the program and what the expectations for your kids are so we are all on the same page.

Don't expect your kid to be first in line always when I've got to deal with the other kids in the gym, too. Their parents expect me to give them attention, too. 

Don't bring along your other kids, nieces, nephews, godchildren, grandchildren, young cousins, and friends' kids to the gym if they aren't signed up for the class.  The kids who are actually in the class don't need to be distracted while training.  I'm not going to give lessons to kids who aren't on my attendance sheet, and they aren't going to be allowed to touch the equipment.  

No, your kid may not get a fight every time we go to a boxing show because there may not be a suitable opponent available for their age, weight, and experience.  I'm not even going to consider putting them in a fight if I know they haven't trained enough for one, and that will be my final decision. It's not up for discussion.  If the kid gets a fight and doesn't win, I'm not going to argue with the referee and judges in a vain attempt to try and change their decisions.  I'm not going to tolerate a parent causing a scene because they think their kid was "robbed".  I'm also not going to tolerate a kid who is a sore loser.  

Yes, I DO mind when I'm being told how to run the gym and a parent thinks they have a right to play coach when I'm already doing the job. If a parent wants to be a volunteer, fill out the application and submit to a background check.  Even if accepted as a volunteer, parents need to never lose sight of the fact that there is only one boss in the gym, and that's me.  

Going, Going. . .Finally Gone

The adult boxing class at LaFollette Park is now officially off the schedule.  Today, I expanded the hours for the youth and teen winter classes which will begin in January.  The number of participants who can register for those classes were raised as well.

I tried with the adult class.  If I had not asked for that class to be canceled, I'm sure the park district would have eventually ended it.  The main issues were too few registrations and low attendance numbers.  I expected to have a vibrant class similar to the adult boxing class at Loyola Park, but it just did not work.  Initially, I was told that adults were eager to have a boxing class at LaFollette, but that proved to be false.

Now I'm thinking that an adult boxing program was a bad fit for LaFollette from the jump.  The kids and teens need that program more.  Youths in neighborhoods such as Austin need as many positive programs as possible to keep them away from what lays in wait for them out in the streets.  Some of the youths don't fully commit to the program.  Too many of them are forced into it by parents who think they're doing what is best for their kids without actually asking the kids what they want.  Other parents and guardians use the class as a time killer to keep their kids away from the house as much as possible and try to put me into the position of being a glorified babysitter.  But at least the kids do show up.  I do get a few kids who are actually interested in the sport and are willing to put in the work.  Most of the adults just wasted their money by disappearing after showing up once or twice.

Of course, this means I'll have to rearrange my lesson plans again.  But I feel that the change will make the program more manageable and give it more room to grow.

Radio Silence

I wasn't happy to find out that the speakers connected to the radio and CD player in the gym were not working.  Looks like I'm going to have to find a cheap boom box to place in there.  I fiddled around with the speakers (both the radio and CD components appeared to be working) but there was no sound. I thought I was the only one who touches the radio down there, but who knows?  All I know that the speakers were fine the other day.

Only one kid showed up, a seven year old girl.  She told me that another girl who had been in the gym previously, like she had, was going to be late.  However, the other girl never showed up.  The seven year old was disinterested in being there initially, but eventually she warmed up to it.  We spent most of the time going over uppercuts, left jabs, and straight rights.

I didn't get my own workout in, even though no teenagers showed up for the second class.  Nor did I work on the lesson plan that the field house manager needs me to turn in to him in a few days.  I have most of it done, but I feel like I'm missing some things.

Instead, I was distracted by the smell of food from a group that had rented out the auditorium.  They were generous enough to allow me and another co-worker to get plates of food.  It was a typical soul food meal.  I skipped the greens, but got a double helping of the dressing, which was delicious.  I hadn't eaten much of a breakfast, so I was starved.  But I figured maybe I'll have a light dinner to make up for overdoing it.