Weather Or Not

Only three kids -- Anayah, Kayla, and Jamarion -- showed up for the youth class yesterday.  Sahia wondered where was everyone else.  "It's nice outside," I replied.  "So?" Sahia said.  I understood her point completely.  However, the weather has always had an effect on attendance in the gym.  It is automatically a given that there will be people missing if it is raining, snowing, very cold outside or if it's a warm, sunny day like it was yesterday.

Weather conditions are a sure sign of people's motivation and dedication when it comes to boxing.  A few winters ago, blizzard conditions closed most places for the day.  A friend of mine, Jay, messaged me to ask if Loyola Park was going to be open that evening.  If I remember correctly, it wasn't.  Jay was disappointed because he would have braved the snow to get his workout in.  To be honest, I would have trudged through the snow, too.

Unfortunately, the mindset of most of the kids, teens, and adults aren't like that when it comes to boxing.  To an extent, I can understand people not wanting to be inside a hot gym during the warm weather months.  Most of the field houses are very old buildings that were constructed long before air conditioning was invented.  It's costly for the park district to outfit the buildings with that.  I've never been inside a private boxing gym, whether it had been around for decades or was a newer place, that had A/C.  There must be some unwritten rule somewhere that boxing gyms should never have cool air flowing through them. 

Also, this is Chicago, and on average, we only get about two-and-a-half months of good weather.  People want to be outside as much as possible before having to bundle up under layers again.  I expect gym attendance to go down in June, July, and August.  Attendance doesn't go up much in September, either, even though that's when the fall classes have begun and all the kids are back at school.  The weather is still holding up. Sometimes, the good weather extends into the middle of October.  

If people do not have it on their mind to stick with the boxing program and take it seriously anyway, the weather is just another excuse not to train.

Something I Seldom Do

It was later in the day at work when Paulette left a message saying that she was coming by church to put up a sign that the Bible study class was canceled for the evening.  She mentioned that the weather was going to get rough -- high winds and rain -- and that she could give me a ride home if I wanted.

On the way to my apartment, she asked if I was going to stay in the rest of the night.  "No, I'm supposed to go to the gym," I replied.  When I got in, I found no notification on the Chicago Park District web site that any of the field houses were closed.  I called Loyola Park, but no one picked up the phone.  Alan called to say that he did talk to Mary, who told him the field house was indeed open.  However, it had started pouring outside, along with thunder and lightning.  "I'm surprised it is open," I told Alan, "but judging by the weather reports, maybe I shouldn't go in."

It didn't occur to me until later that Alan had to go in because he had talked to Mary.   He had previously passed the field house on his way home from work.  He wouldn't have been able to give the weather as an excuse not to come back out from his home.  Somehow, I got it into my mind that none would show up, so I got on the computer and again started my nightly quest to make some money online (a story that is appearing to be more complicated and frustrating as time goes by).

So I didn't go to the gym.  Alan called again a little while ago.  "You missed a good workout," he told me.  Only Sarah, Amy, and Igor showed up.  While I didn't care about Igor being there, I could have gotten in some sparring with Sarah and/or her sister.  Now I'm ticked, because I should have gone down to the gym instead of listening to the weather reports.  I'm not a weather wimp.  When that blizzard hit two years ago, I would have gone to gym if it was open that day.  I don't like to miss any time at the gym, and I'm irritated that I missed a day for nothing.

"I could go up to Hamlin Park this weekend to make up for the lost workout," I thought to myself.  But my gear is locked up down at the field house.  Normally, I bring my gear to the gym on the first day the gym is open during the week, and I take it home after the second day of being at the gym.  I'm confident that Hamlin Park, like all the boxing gyms under the Chicago Park District banner, has headgear and sparring gloves I could use.  However, I've gotten used to using my own stuff.  Besides, the weekend is already booked up with street fairs, riding my bike (that is, if my left knee holds up), and more time spent online trying to get some businesses started up.

Sigh. . . .now I have to wait until next week to get my boxing fix.  The sport is truly like a drug, at least with me.