No-Go Boxing Show

I should have paid attention to that little nagging feeling in my stomach that something would go wrong today.  According to the calendar of park district boxing shows, Humboldt Park was scheduled to have a show today.  I got down there and nothing was set up.

I called Tommy, who told me the Humboldt Park show had been canceled.  Fuller Park's show was being held instead.  I trudged back up to LaFollette Park and checked my work email.  There was no notification of that show being canceled.  I didn't get anything on my personal email, either.  It was just as well, because I didn't have anyone who showed any great interest in participating in that show.

Plan B was to salvage what was left of the work day.  A woman who had told me a couple of weeks ago about the son of a friend whom she wanted to get into boxing showed up at the gym.  Her friend's son, a sixteen-year-old with a smart-aleck smirk on his face, swaggered into the gym behind her.  "Here we go," I thought to myself.  I had already been told that the kid was a discipline problem at home and at school.  But after talking to the kid, I saw something there that I could possibly work with.  The fall teen boxing class is actually ending this month, not in December as I thought, so the kid will have to wait until January to join the class.  He wondered if there will be others in the class.  I couldn't give him an answer on that one.  But I hope attendance in the teen class picks up in the winter.

Sparring Time With The Girls

The boxing gym at LaFollette was very quiet yesterday.  Only the teen class had any activity.  Darlene, Ben (BJ), and Aylah showed up.  I did a round robin of sparring with the girls.  Ben opted to just do a workout instead of sparring.

Both Darlene and Aylah were apprehensive.  "No, Miss Hillari is going to beat us!" Aylah said.  "Please take it easy on me," Darlene smiled.  I promised to go light on the both of them.  "I'm not wearing headgear or a mouthpiece, so we're all have to go light," I told them.

I was tapping them while encouraging the girls to take harder shots.  I got a lot of taps in which prompted both girls to say,  "Miss Hillari, you're too fast!"  I did two rounds with Darlene, and one round with Aylah.  Then I had the girls spar each other.  Aylah is short and petite, so I advised her to throw more body punches at Darlene.  I told Darlene, who is taller, to keep the shorter girl away with her jabs.

It appears that De-Fetrick has effectively closed the door on himself.  The fact that the athletic cup he used at the Simons Park show hasn't been returned on top of De-Fetrick's lack of sportsmanship that day has forced me to deny him back into the gym.  If he shows up anytime before this fall session ends, I will also inform De-Fetrick that he can't sign up for the boxing program ever again as long as I'm the coach in that gym.  I've been tired of people thinking they can do whatever in the program, and I will make an example of De-Fetrick to prove to everyone that is not the case.

Kettlebells and Hits

I was not going to spar last night at Loyola Park.  My right shoulder was giving me problems, the left side of my upper back was acting up, and both of my knees were jelly.  But two new women in the gym, as seen in the above photo, sparred for the first time.  "You're just hitting each other's gloves," Alan said.  "Hit each other in the face!"  The women giggled, but they did not put more force on their punches.  "That's just pitty-pat.  If you all keeping doing that, I'm going to send Hillari in," Alan continued.  "Okay, I'll go in for a couple of rounds," I said.

"Hillari is actually going to hit you," Alan told both of the women.  I went one round with each woman.  I did get hits in, but I did not put great force on them.  Whenever Alan gave them instructions, I would turn down what I was doing to allow them to execute what he said.  Afterwards, one of the women said, "Sparring is not as scary as I thought it was going to be."

Leon, who neither Alan or I had seen in ages, stopped into the gym.  "I'm ready to do this, man.  I've thought about it, and I want to get back into the ring," he told Alan.  "But aren't you 90 years old?" Alan joked.  Leon insisted that this time, he was actually going to put the work in.  "I'm going to show you," he told Alan.  He promised to come in the next time the gym is open.

I read that Marlen Esparza lost one of the Olympic trial matches to qualify for competing next year.  She put up a video on social media to thank everyone who supported her.  I felt bad for her because she was very disappointed and sad.  It looks like the 2012 Summer Olympics -- where she won a bronze medal -- may be the first the only time she will compete on that level.

I've been observing Erica giving boxing tips to people in the gym.  If she wants to become a coach down the line, I believe that she would be a great one.  I'm also listening when she talks so I can help the kids I coach at LaFollette.

Alan let me use his kettlebell for exercise.  I had to struggle to swing it, and I didn't dare try to lift it over my head.  Alan's kettlebell is twenty-five pounds.  "I have to build up my strength more to do that," I told him.  Eventually I will purchase a few more lighter kettlebells for my gym, because I believe it will help the kids with strength and stamina.

No More Paper

The weather was winter-like today, and kids who are not in the boxing program are continuing to make a habit of attempting to use the gym as a hang out space.  No one showed up for the teen and adult classes, so I was quietly minding my business.  Then the bouncing of a ball interrupted my peace.  Kentrell, who bothers me like sandpaper against a blister, had a basketball in his hands.

"Do you have mouthpieces?" he asked me.  "Yeah, for the people who are in the boxing class," I said, giving the kid a hint that he did not take.  "Can I have one?" he asked.  "Uh, Kentrell. . . .you're not in the class.  I can't just give out mouthpieces," I said as evenly as I could.  I was reading a book to pass the time, having already put up the equipment for the day.  I had done a kettlebell workout.  I wanted to be left alone.

"I want to be in the boxing class," Kentrell announced.  I'm sick of that boy always coming to me with that every time he sees me.  There's no real interest in boxing on his part.  I know that from when Kentrell was in the class several sessions ago.  "For any activity in the park district, you must have a parent's permission to sign up.  Kentrell, you can't sign yourself up," I explained to him for the umpteenth time.  "Just give me me the paper.  My mama wants me in the boxing class," he whined.  "There is no paper anymore.  She either comes in person to sign you up or she gets on a computer and signs you up online," I told him.

Kentrell then decided he was going to goof around on the equipment in-between bouncing the basketball.  "This is not the basketball gym, so hold that ball.  And get off the equipment," I snapped.  Finally realizing that nothing was going to happen the way he wanted, Kentrell left.

It's a good thing that the park district has decided to go paperless.  When I first started, I handed out a lot of registration forms that never made it back to me.  Some of the kids kept telling me they wanted to be in the class, but the forms had been left at home, or at grandma's house, or they lost them.  Uh-huh.  Now if the parents truly are interested in their kids participating in any activity, they have to make an effort.  It appears a lot of the parents I deal with do not have a computer at home, so making an effort means having to interact with the staff.  It means actually getting information about the programs and activities so they know exactly what is going on.  It cuts down on confusion.

Or at least no one will have an excuse for not knowing the details.

Another Red Eye

Alan and Tony are all smiles in the above photo.  It was taken after Tony had sparred with Connor.  Alan joked with Tony about going into the ring with me.  Tony laughed, "Oh, no!  I don't want to end up bleeding!"

Normally, Loyola Park boxing gym is not packed around this time of year.  But last night, not only was it packed, but there were new people who had just signed up for the program.  A familiar face had also returned: Jason.

Jason was wearing a breathing mask that he said helps with his stamina.  The mask can be set to mimic high altitudes found in mountain areas.

I sparred with Celeste, and managed to catch her with a left uppercut.  "That uppercut was perfect," she told me later.  She got me in my left eye, and bopped me in the nose a couple of times.  I looked in the mirror and chuckled to myself.  David, over at LaFollette, had turned that same eye red when we sparred last week.  Celeste told me she needs all the practice she can get.  She's going out of town soon to compete in a boxing match.

"I'm surprised that Kathy didn't come in," Alan said.  He plans to take people to the Humboldt Park boxing show next week, and Kathy would be one of them. I'm hoping that one or two of the kids at LaFollette will want to fight at that show.  Unfortunately, I'm anticipating a problem with De-Fetrick, who's in the adult boxing class.

The athletic cup I lent him at the Simons Park show still hasn't been returned.  The last time De-Fetrick showed up, I explained that the cup was park district property that had to be brought back.  Then De-Fetrick disappeared for several days.  I tried calling his mom's house, but I couldn't get through.  I was able to reach his grandmother, who told me she would contact his mom about the cup. Alan suggested that I not allow De-Fetrick to work out until the cup is returned.  A few years ago, Alan had to tell one of the program participants not to come back to the gym after it was discovered they had stolen a pair of bag gloves.

When and if De-Fetrick comes to the gym again, I'm going to have to lower the boom if he doesn't have the cup with him.  I anticipate there's going to be an argument when I announce there will be no workout until the cup is returned.  But like Alan told the person who stole the gloves from Loyola Park, I can't have anybody around the gym who's walking off with equipment.  The park district is on a budget, and it is not easy to replace items that have been damaged or stolen.

I brought myself another set of kettlebells over the past weekend, so I'm donating a lone 10 pound kettlebell I have to the gym.  I've always wanted to teach the boxing participants how to use kettlebells.  Some of them may like that over using the free weights.

Diets and Cut Lips

Once again, no other kids showed up for the eight-to-twelve-year-olds' class other than David.  After he did his warm up and a few rounds of shadowboxing, he and I sparred.

Twice I was hit in my left eye.  In-between rounds two and three, I felt something wet on my bottom lip, but I didn't pay much attention to it.  A check in the mirror in the women's washroom afterwards revealed that my left eye was red, and my bottom lip had a cut on it.  All that from a shy nine-year-old.

David is improving.  He still needs to throw his jabs and rights straighter.  There was a bit of windmill action going on with his punches.  David knows how to back someone up into the corners and the ropes.  There were plenty of times when he kept coming forward while pummeling me.  I got in some uppercuts and hooks to the body, some straight punches to his face, and some hooks to David's head.  But my punches didn't have a whole lot of pepper on them.  I'm always afraid of hurting the kids, so I hold back when sparring with them.  But I allow them to get as many punches in on me as possible.

The upper left side of my back had been bothering me since before I left to go to work.  Finally I figured out I must have pulled something when I was throwing the medicine ball around yesterday with David's cousin, Darlene.  We were throwing the ball from our sides to each other.  A fourteen-year-old girl could do that without incident, but not so much a 53-year-old coach.  However, I couldn't back out on sparring with David.  I had promised him the day before that we would spar.

A couple of the kids, Kody and BJ, like to see how they can gross me out by telling me what they've been eating during the day.  Kody usually shows up with a huge bag of junk food: chips, cupcakes, and a large liter of pop to wash it all down.  BJ has called Kody out on his eating habits, but BJ loves eating a lot of chips and sugary snacks, too.

BJ always asks me about what is healthy to eat.  I'm no expert.  Just like the kids, I ate whatever I wanted to back in the day.  Unfortunately, as an adult, I learned too late that ignoring my family's tendencies towards high blood pressure and diabetes was not a good thing.  I don't get on the kids hard about eating certain things.  I preach moderation instead.  Better to have a little bit of something once in awhile, than to make it part of a daily diet routine.

My Toleration Levels Ain't That High

A woman inquired about getting her friend's sixteen-year-old son into the boxing program.  I was interested until she told me that her friend's son has a major behavioral problem.  Her friend appears not to have much control over her son's disrespectful and disruptive behavior.  As usual, it is assumed that boxing will take the place of counseling and just plain old-school discipline.

The last thing I need is another problem kid in the boxing gym.  I used to have a whole crowd of them when I first started working for the park district.  Most of them stopped participating in the program, and the others I weeded out.  I've got a good set of kids who currently come to the gym.  I don't want to see that balance upset right now.

It was nice of the woman to want to help her friend out.  I told her that I need permission directly from the kid's mom to put them in the class.  She thanked me and said she would pass along the class information to her friend.  However, I was already planning what to do in case the kid is signed up.  I already know that what his mama is putting up with, I will not tolerate.

Look Who Decided To Show Up

A mom walked into the gym with her very husky twelve-year-old son.  She wanted him to be in boxing, but the kid wasn't so sure.  I told the both of them that her son would be put into the teen class as opposed to the kids' class because of his size.

The other day, I told a couple that their eight-year-old could sign up, but their seven-year-old would have to wait a year.  If the younger kid's eighth birthday was coming up during the next three months, I would have green lighted his being in the class.  However, his birthday is not until late next summer.

The kids and teens' classes are separated largely because of ages, sizes, and weights. But even among kids in approximately the same age group, there can be wide variations, especially where size is concerned.  I also have to consider safety, especially in terms of sparring purposes.  I don't often like having to tell parents that all of their kids can't be in the same class, but rules have to be followed.

However, I do have some parents who have decided that their young kids are going to be in the teen class even though they aren't old enough and are small in size.  "My kid can't come to the earlier class because they don't get out of school until later," is the most common excuse given to me.  But it presents a problem where sparring is concerned.  I want to avoid mismatches as well as injuries whenever possible.

Near the end of the teen class, De-Fetrick decides to show up.  After the teens left, I asked him, "Where is the athletic cup I lent to you when we were at Simons Park?"  "I think it's at my grandmother's house," he answered.  What  in the eff is it doing over there? was on the tip of my tongue.  What actually came out of my mouth was, "It has to come back here.  That's park district property."

The security guard for the building and a staff member came down to the gym to check on me.  They had heard about De-Fetrick's antics at the boxing show, and pulled me to the side.  "Everything cool?" they asked, giving De-Fetrick suspicious looks.  "Everything's cool.  De-Fetrick can continue to train.  Just can't box in any of the boxing shows anymore," I explained.

De-Fetrick didn't apologize for snapping on me the night of the show. He just did his workout, and as usual, didn't seek out any feedback.  Remember, this is the guy who told me, "I learned how to box from watching TV."  Watching TV didn't get him a win that night.  As much as I have demanded apologies from people, especially from those who still owe me ones from things done years ago, I don't care about receiving an apology in this case.  Tommy is the one to whom De-Fetrick owes a major apology, as Tommy was extremely disrespected that night.  If De-Fetrick ever hopes to fight again in a Chicago Park District boxing show, he's going to have to talk to Tommy.

I'm not going to plead his case to Tommy, either.  According to the state of Illinois, De-Fetrick is legally grown at age nineteen.  Grown folks need to take care of their own business.

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Professor showed up to Loyola Park last night with some good news.  He's has a new job that's paying him a nice piece of change.  Amen!  I believe in praising people who have come into good blessings.  I think a lot of people don't realize that praising others on their good fortune will return blessings to them as well.  It is always good to see someone who has been working for something for a long time finally achieve their goals.

It was mostly ladies' night.  There was a round robin of sparring between Kathy, Gabby, Celeste, Erica, and myself.  Erica got me in my head and jaw several times because of my habit of dropping my hands.  Since I'm not as fast as I used to be, it would pay for me to be a little better on defense.  Erica told me afterwards that I should have used the overhand right more.  Alan had told me that before I got into the ring, but I forgot to utilize it.

David and Professor had a short, but intense sparring session after the women were finished.  Then Professor held pads for Celeste.  Alan observed them and said, "Celeste is really coming along."  I agreed, as she was putting her punches solidly into the punch mitts.  

Meanwhile at LaFollette Park, I saw Eric in the hall a few days ago with his football gear on.  His dad was following him.  "They'll be back in the boxing gym," his dad told me about Eric and his other son, Aaron.  "They're just doing football now."  I nodded, but noted to myself that their dad signed up his sons for boxing knowing they were already involved with another sport.  I can't get mad it anymore because it happens so often with most of the kids.  However, I can't stop being disappointed at the low level of attendance in the gym.

I sparred with nine-year-old David the other day.  I felt it was unfair for him not to be able to spar because the other kids in the class don't show up as faithfully as he does, so I stepped into the ring with him.  David's confidence has gone up.  The kid also hits rather well.  One of his shots got me right in the nose.  

No sign of De-Fetrick, so it's probably safe to assume that he won't be in the gym anymore.  It's too bad.  If De-Fetrick hadn't been such a sore and unreasonable loser at Simons Park, we could have worked on techniques for the next fight.  

One, Then Two, Then One Again

David was the only kid who showed up for the eight to twelve year olds' class. David's mom remembered when David sparred with Johnathan.  "What happened to the other kids?" she asked me.  I shrugged my shoulders.  It would be nice if her son had other kids to work out with while he's there.  "Well, David gets the benefit of having the gym all to himself," I told his mom.

Darlene and a new girl, Aylah, were the only two who showed up for the teens' class.  I was hoping that Kody, who hasn't been around for a couple of days, would not come in to interfere with the girls' workout.  I got my wish.  Unfortunately, BJ didn't come in so the girls could have one more person in the gym to work with.

Alexis was the only one who came in for the adult class.  She was shaking her head when I told her about De-Fetrick's antics at Simons Park the other week.  "How do you get more adults to sign up for the class?" she asked me.  "It was easy to get the kids in.  I just passed out fliers at the schools, and word of mouth took over after that.  But it's hard to reach out to the adults," I answered.  Alexis pointed out that some adults aren't looking online to find out what is offered at the park district.  That's the problem nowadays.  Companies and organizations forget that everyone is not computer literate, everyone does not own a computer, and that everyone is not interested in learning anything about computers.  A lot of information doesn't get out to those who may be interested because people insist on putting everything online.

The three classes were easy to run today, but a lot more energy would be generated if everyone who is signed up would show up more often.

Three Strikes and Out

The photo above shows the ring in the boxing gym at Simons Park, where Marty is the coach.  I was at their boxing show.

I had a feeling that the evening would not go well.  Call it women's intuition, a hunch, or whatever.  I couldn't shake it off.  The first indication that my feeling was justified was when Eric failed to show up.  Just when I thought I had been stood up by my fighters again, De-Fetrick came in to weigh-in.  He was able to get a fight, which I was happy about.

De-Fetrick's fight was the sixth of the evening, and he was in the red corner.  I put the gloves on him in the middle of the fourth bout.  It took longer than necessary because De-Fetrick was playing around on his cell phone.  "Could you tape my fight?" he asked.  "I can't," I answered quickly.  "But all you have to do is to push--," he started.  I cut him off.  "I'm the coach.  I can't tape the fight and work the corner at the same time," I said, wondering why De-Fetrick's common sense hadn't kicked in.  He eventually found someone else to tape it.

Less than thirty seconds into the first round, De-Fetrick's opponent sent him down to the canvas with a straight right.  I winced.  Shifty, the referee, gave De-Fetrick an eight count.  Not long after the action resumed, De-Fetrick took another right to the face.  I knew Shifty was going to stop the fight, because my fighter was wobbling; the punch was a stunner.

De-Fetrick yelled and cursed at Shifty, demanding to know why the fight was stopped.  I demanded that he come back to the corner.  "It's over," I told him, but De-Fetrick didn't want to hear it.  "I don't understand that!  I still can fight!" De-Fetrick yelled.  My explanations about safety in amateur boxing, and the fact that De-Fetrick had been knocked silly had no effect.  "Why the eff did this happen?" he said to me, just as Tommy walked up to defuse the situation.  I took a step back on the apron and gave him a look.  There were so many things I could have snapped back, but I opted to keep quiet at that moment.

Tommy tried to talk sense to him, but that didn't take, either.  De-Fetrick snatched the second-place trophy from Shifty and stalked out of the gym area.  Moments later, he returned, watching the fight on his cell phone.  Ernest, the coach at Fuller, tried to communicate with him, but De-Fetrick waved him off.

A second later, he came to me, asking me to look at the video.  "I don't have to look at it, because I was standing in the corner.  I saw what happened," I snapped.  De-Fetrick then began to raise hell about "dirty fighting", accusing Shifty and the other fighter of not playing fair.  He had the colossal nerve to tell me that I didn't understand what he was trying to say.  "What do you think boxing is?  You can't get angry every time you lose a match!  This is what happens during matches!" I yelled back.

Tommy heard us and came over to intervene.  "I'm not going to argue with you.  I'm done," I told De-Fetrick.  Tommy tried to explain the rules again to him, but all he got for his efforts was an attitude. My fighter told Tommy to "eff off".  De-Fetrick was told to leave the premises.

Now he is not able to fight in any Chicago Park District boxing shows.  I technically can't put him out of my gym, but after tonight's antics, I don't really want De-Fetrick around me again.  The whole situation was embarrassing.

Just Got It, Now It's Gone

The hyperflex (Cobra) bag you see here in this photo is no more.  I was standing over the ruins of it just several hours ago.

BJ and Darlene came in for the teen boxing class, and it looked like Kody wasn't going to make it in.  But Kody always comes in late, usually riding his bike into the gym, which he did.  When Kody began interfering with BJ and Darlene's workouts, I told him to stop and go do his.  Kody got on the hyperflex bag, bending it way further than it normally is supposed to go.  "I just got that bag, Kody.  If it comes up broken, trust me -- it won't be replaced," I warned.

I was helping Darlene on the speed bag, but I could hear Kody hitting the hyperflex bag.  Then I heard something pop and hit the floor.  I noticed Kody quickly moving away from the bag.  A check of the bag revealed that one of the knobs used to adjust the height had been broken.  When I partially dismantled the bag to check for further damage, the pole on the inside was completely broken in half.  There was nothing I could do to repair it.

"Thanks for breaking the bag, Kody," I said sarcastically.  "I didn't break it.  I was only exercising on it," he claimed, not realizing that I saw him leaving the scene of the crime.  "Kody, you were the last one on it.  Now no one can use it anymore," I shot back.  I was pissed, but I kept calm on the outside.  Only one working hyperflex bag is left in the gym now.  I had a feeling that I should not have put both of those bags out on the floor.  Unfortunately, I expected that kids would respect the equipment.  I made a misjudgment.

My boss is not going to be happy that bag is broken, either.  Alexis suggested that we could send the bag back for a replacement, but I doubt that's going to be an option.  To be honest, I didn't want the hyperflex bags; I didn't ask for them.  They were ordered for the gym, and I accepted them when they arrived.  But now I know that a) I need to be in on all decisions about what equipment goes into the gym, and b) I need to make sure the equipment that is ordered is extremely hard for the kids to break.

Wisdom From George

A friend from high school, Donna, donated the stand in the photo above.  The Chicago Park District ordered two more similar stands for the gym.  Steve told me that someone has to come in with tools to assemble them.  I would like to see those stands up before Thanksgiving.  The more equipment up in the gym, the more of a recruiting tool I have to get people to sign up for the program.

On my way to the gym yesterday, I ran into George, who runs the boxing gym at Garfield Park.  He's going to retire soon; the paperwork has already been put in.  I hope the gym over there doesn't disappear after he's gone.  It has a history as being one of the best boxing gyms in the Chicago Park District.  I wouldn't want that space to be used for another purpose like what happened to the boxing gym at Clarendon Park.  "Don't let them kids drive you crazy," George told me before he got off the train.

I'm trying not to let any of the kids and teens do that.  For example, I like Kody, but as soon as he shows up for the teen class, control goes out the window.  BJ and Darlene are the only other ones who show up regularly for that class.  They are usually good about sticking to their workout.  Then Kody, who barely does anything that looks like training in the gym, comes in and starts goofing around with them.

Just recently, Kody told me that if his mom asks how he's doing in the gym, I should say that he's doing well.  But I'm not going to lie to her about her son's behavior.  Kody's never been that serious about the sport. The kid shows up each time with a bag filled with junk food and a liter of soda pop on him.  Even BJ and Darlene have pointed out to Kody that the food he has is not healthy.  If I had more teens in that class who were interested in learning, Kody would have to tone down his antics.  The other kids would not put up with Kody distracting them.

People have been roaming into the gym at LaFollette a lot recently.  That is just a hint of what I'll have to put up with once it really gets cold outside.  Some guy who knew better waltzed into the gym and started fooling around on the flex bags.  I had to tell the guy to get off of them -- twice.  "I want to be a professional boxer," he told me.  I explained that the park district only deals with amateur boxing.  "I've already done that," he said.  "Oh, yeah?  When?" I asked dryly.  I didn't get an answer.  Neither did I get a response when I told the guy he would have to pay to be in the class.  If I had a dollar for everyone who walks into a boxing gym trying to impress someone with alleged experience, I could have retired a long time ago.

A little boy strolled into the gym awhile later and started messing with one of the flex bags (Cobra bags). I didn't get a good look at who the kid was.  Before I could say something, Kody had ran the child out of the gym.  "Why did you do that?" BJ asked him.  "I know that kid, and the kid was acting up," Kody said.  Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

Two women expressed interest in signing up for the adult class.  I hope that means that class is beginning to grow.  If the women sign up that will helpful to Alexis, who is the only adult who shows up on a regular basis.  De-Fetrick keeps disappearing, and I think Dan has given up -- again -- altogether.

Eric had a football game yesterday, so neither he or his brother Aaron came to the gym.  Eric expressed an interest in fighting at Simons Park's boxing show tomorrow, so he needs to appear at the gym today.

The Boss Said "Merry Christmas"

When I arrived at LaFollette Park, Steve the supervisor said, "Merry Christmas!"  I finally received two portable equipment stands that were ordered by the park district weeks ago.  I also received two cobra bags.  The stands will have to wait to be assembled.  I was able to assemble one of the cobra bags.  I'll assemble the second cobra bag tomorrow.

Another teen, Damari, signed up for the class.  He had been talking about coming to the gym since last year.  He's got good punches from what I've seen so far.  I wonder how long he'll keep attending the class, however.  Damari plays basketball, too, and that season is beginning soon at the park.

Simons Park's boxing show is next week.  I know that Eric and Aaron want to fight in it.  They weren't in class, but the other kids I mentioned the show to didn't want to get matches.  BJ keeps telling me he's not ready.  "The last park district show we're going to this year after Simons is at Humboldt Park," I told him.  Most of the kids want to see the show, but not participate in it.  I guess I will close down the gym that day so we all can go.

David was particularly interested in what trophies boxing show winners get.  He might change his mind and take a fight; who knows?  But his mom may have her reservations.  She usually comes to the gym with her son.  When David sparred for the first time, his mom was nervous about it.  She understood what it was about, but like a lot of moms, she still considers her son to be her little baby.

A Blessing of Equipment

The above is a picture of myself and a group of fellow alumni who attended the 40th anniversary of the high school from where I graduated.  One of my buddies, Donna, who attended that event came by with her husband to drop off some boxing equipment.  I received a portable stand that holds a heavy bag and a speed bag, several bag gloves, and a leather jump rope.  I appreciated all of the equipment.  The kids and adults especially loved the speed bag.

I pulled an Alan move and talked Alexis, who is in the adult class, into some sparring.  We went very light.  However, Alexis does have power behind her punches.  If we were going hard, I would have had to seriously watch out.

Alexis just wants to learn boxing for self-defense, so I have to take a different approach to coaching her.  I also have to modify my coaching style for De-Fetrick, who basically comes into the adult class and does his own thing.  He wants to compete, so I'm trying to get him ready for the Simons Park show.

Of course, I'm baffled by how to approach coaching with some.  For example, Desmond was sparring with Eric today.  No matter how many times I kept telling Desmond to punch back, he would not.  Eric cracked Desmond all about his head and in his sides.  Against my better judgement, I let them do a second round.  By the end of that one, Desmond was in the blue corner crying and trying to hide it.  When I took his gloves off, I said, "We have to work on your response."

Sometimes I get the impression that some think being a boxing coach is easy.  It's not, but it's satisfying work.  I also have to think about how to help the fighters get better.

Sparring With Erica

The boxing gym at Loyola Park was full of people.  Bean came in and told Alan and I, "I'm waiting for the crowd to clear out before I sign up again.  It's too small in here for all these people."  He has been looking for Kenny for the longest time, because he liked working on the punch mitts with him.  But Kenny hasn't been around for awhile because he's been busy elsewhere.

I sparred with Erica, and I had to take my shoes off.  My old boxing shoes are up at LaFollette Park, and I haven't gotten around to buying another pair yet.  I was moving better, but Erica is very fast.  She was throwing a lot of double jabs and hooks, and I didn't move out of the way quickly enough.  I managed to catch her with hooks to the body, and even some uppercuts.  I kept grabbing her arms, too, something I normally don't do during sparring.

Erica also sparred with Kathy.  She was finding ways around Kathy's long arms. Alan kept telling Kathy to work her way in with the jab.

Igor showed no shame.  While packing up to leave the gym for the evening, Igor stripped down to his underwear to change into his street clothes.  It was not a pretty sight.  There were several women on the premises, but Igor didn't care.  I don't have an "Igor" in my gym as of now.  I hope I never do.

The Boxing Party

I wish parents would tell me if their kids have some medical issues before they sign up for the boxing gym.  I learned that one of the kids has asthma when they laid an inhaler on the equipment table.  I spent the rest of the time watching the kid like a hawk, hoping they would not have an attack.

This was a reoccurring issue while summer camp was going on.  I never knew who had a medical issue or not.  Of course, some of the kids were lying about having medical conditions to avoid having to do exercise when they were in the gym.  But some of them were not.  I understanding wanting to involve kids in activities.  What I don't understand is not checking to see if an activity is appropriate for a kid who has a medical condition.

Later, I attended an open house party at a private boxing gym in Evanston, IL ran by Fernando.  Barry, his wife and daughter, and Yale were in attendance.  Erick, who has trained with Barry, was there. I also met Joe, a 15-year-old who trains with Barry and Fernando.  Reygie was also there, and he was looking good in a suit.

Fernando had really fixed up the gym -- which used to be a BBQ restaurant -- up.  Heavy bags galore, free weights, a sound system, TVs, a ring, etc.  It is poised to fill the void left by the Evanston Boxing Gym, a place that used to be up the street until it recently closed down.  Fernando's in a good spot near downtown Evanston.  I think it will be a success.

"Coach, I'm Bleeding"

The eight to twelve year old class is full, but only Johnathan, Aaron, and his brother Eric showed up to class.  All of them are eager to fight in the next boxing at Simons Park.  I made a mental note to work with them closely to get them ready.

BJ and Kody were the only ones who came to the gym for the teen class.  Kody kept bugging me to spar, even though today was not a scheduled day for that.  "If BJ wants to spar, then you all can," I told him.  Those two ended up sparring for the rest of the class.  Kody was playing around a lot during and in-between rounds.  I had to stop the action to change Kody's headgear because it was too big for him.

BJ was smiling about getting the best of Kody most of the time.  "I like sparring," he said, and I hoped he would change his mind about not fighting at Simons Park next month.  After the last round ended, BJ said, "Coach, I'm bleeding."  Not seeing anything, I asked, "Where?"  He walked over to me, and that's when I saw a stream coming out of his nose.  I quickly ran to get paper towels to clean him up.

Kody was surprised and concerned at the same time.  "I made someone bleed," he said.  He kept asking BJ if he was alright.  "I'm fine!" BJ answered.  He took it well.  I was amazed that Kody got a punch in like that.

Alexis was the only person who attended the adult class.  "Push me to the limit," she told me.  "I want to get healthy!"  She was tired out, but she soldiered on like a trooper.  I was also tired.  In-between throwing around the medicine ball, showing how to do footwork drills with the cones, showing how to use the slip bag, etc., I felt like I had put in some exercise as well.

Wiping Out Headgear

In this photo, Alan schools some of the new people who signed up for the fall boxing session at Loyola Park.  I recognized one new face as Chris, a guy who owns a computer repair shop in Rogers Park.

I had a lot of energy for some reason last night, but I didn't spar.  Instead, I watched as Alan and Gabe sparred.  Gabe wore no headgear, but Alan put on the hockey mask type headgear that Kevin left behind a few years ago.  He asked me to take it off of him and wipe it out between rounds.  "This gets so hot," he said.  I need new headgear, but having worn that particular headgear before, I would never buy that design.  Headgear is hot enough without also feeling like I'm in a cage.

Kathy and Celeste sparred.  I didn't get a chance to ask Celeste if she'd had some prior experience.  It sure looked like she did.  Celeste had to work harder to fend off Kathy's long arms and the punches at the end of them, but she did fine.  Kathy showed more confidence in the ring.

Gabe wondered if there had been anyone at the recent Loyola Park boxing show that could have matched up with him.  The only adult I remember participating in the show was Kathy.  All the guys who fought were under eighteen years of age. "It's just as well that I didn't make it to the show," Gabe said.  It's not that Gabe wasn't able to be matched up with people at other shows.  But Gabe is very tall and lanky, and that build is often hard to find among other fighters in the Chicago Park District.

In a few days, the private boxing show at Fernando's gym in Evanston will take place.  I'm going to attend regardless if have any fighters from LaFollette Park with me.

Snafus and Absences

Due to a snafu on the part of the insurance company, I had to forfeit a doctor's appointment that I had been waiting to go to for about three months.  The insurance company kept (in my late dad's words) dicking me around over the phone, so I could not resolve the problem right then and there.  Because of that, I was late to LaFollette.  After I arrived, I was wishing that I could immediately go home.

Kody and BJ came in.  They have signed up again for the class, but there's been no change in either.  If I don't stay on BJ, he doesn't train hard or consistently, and Kody just plays around.  It's a long 75 minute session when I have people in the gym who won't do what they are supposed to be doing.

Finally, I asked Kody, "Do you want to win fights?"  His response was, "I want to be able to hurt people on the street who mess with me."  I told Kody that he has to train as hard as someone who participates in regular matches to be able to defend himself elsewhere.  Kody was bugging BJ to spar, but BJ wasn't interested.  Then Kody turns around and says he's not interested in sparring.

BJ backtracked on his promise to take a fight at Simons Park next month, as well.  "I don't think I'm ready for that," BJ said.  "Why are these kids in here?" I thought to myself.  To make matters worse, Kishaun and Derrick Jr. were no shows.  I expected Kishaun to at least come in and explain why he didn't show up at Loyola Park's boxing show yesterday.  I'm trying to get out of the habit of always snapping and yelling at the kids as I don't like channeling either of my late parents' angry tones.  I forced myself to talk in even tones to BJ and Kody despite of all the slacking that was going on.   But it was damn hard for me to do.

There are only two more Chicago Park District boxing shows I'm going to take the kids to, and a private boxing show in Evanston, and that's it for this year.  I expect the self-motivation as well as the attendance to suffer even further after the opportunities to participate in matches dwindles.

None of the adults -- Dan nor De-Fetrick -- showed up for their class, either.  The absences did give me a chance to sign up two new kids, Felicia and Deshawn, for the 12 years old and under class.  That class is padding out a little more, and for that, I'm grateful.

Exhibitions and An Almost Fight

The photo above was taken in the gym after the Loyola Park 2015 "Boxing Explosion" show.  Barry is on the far left.  Gary is standing behind me on the left.  The twin teenage boys to the right of me had an exhibition match, and I worked the corner of one of them.  Alan worked the other corner.

I nearly got a fight.  Yeah, you read that one right.  Kathy, who's birthday was today, was matched up with a much younger girl for a fight.  Alan proposed that I take an exhibition match with Kathy.  I don't live very far from the field house, so I could have ran home and got my mouthpiece.  But Tommy felt more comfortable matching the younger girl up with someone else.  It appeared that Kathy would not be able to fight.  Then three fights into the show, Alan and I heard the announcer calling Kathy to come to the glove table and get suited up.  We thought the announcer had the wrong information, until we found out that Kathy was going to fight after all.

Alan was in Kathy's corner, and I helped in the corner of the other girl.  Kathy hung in there the full three rounds, despite taking a couple of hard hits directly in her face.  Unfortunately, Kathy lost the match.  But she did get a nice birthday present near the end -- she was given an award for Best Fighter Of The Show.

I also helped out another of Barry's fighters, a kid named Max, during a fight.  Max was putting his left jab out there fine, but wasn't throwing the straight right hardly at all.  During the breaks, I told Max to use that hand more, and to cover up his left side.  The other guy, also from Loyola Park, kept catching Max with hooks there.  That was also an exhibition match, so both guys received trophies.

My fighter, Kishaun, was a no show.  I can't understand it.  Kishaun was all hyped up about going to Loyola Park for weeks.  But Kishaun had not been in the gym at LaFollette to train for days, and I had a feeling I wouldn't see him at Loyola.  I was disappointed, but I can't get mad about it anymore.  This is the second time I was "stood up", but it's more about Kishaun missing an opportunity.

The turnout at the Loyola Park show was very low.  There were seven fights instead of the usual ten fights.  The audience watching the fights was small.  There were a lot of reasons:  fighters who didn't show up, it was raining out, and I heard from those who drove in that traffic was bad.  Those things happen sometimes when the boxing shows take place.  But like they say in the entertainment world, the show must go on.

What A Boxing Coach Wants Parents To Know

1.  I can only focus on the kids who are actually signed up for the program.  I'm not there to give free lessons and "try it out" sessions to the siblings, cousins, and buddies who have tagged along with the kids, but who are not signed up for the gym.

2.  I'm not a babysitter nor a playground monitor.  I can't watch the siblings, cousins, buddies of the kids in the program.  If they're not signed up for the gym, please leave them at home, or take them with after dropping off the kids who are signed up for the gym.

3.  Boxing will not automatically solve bullying issues.  In fact, it may escalate matters.  Also consider that most schools have a zero tolerance policy about fighting.  I do agree that people should be able to defend themselves.  However, it would be better to address bullying with your kid's teachers, the school administrators, and the parents of the kid who is doing the bullying than teaching your kid how to fight.

4.  I'm not going to deal with kids who present discipline problems to me in the gym.  I will bring it up to the parents at least once.  If I keep having to deal with it, and especially if I suspect nothing is being done at home to curb the behavior, I will strongly suggest that the kid be placed in another activity.  Please know that I'm not putting up with disrespect.

5.  Don't sign up kids for the gym with the idea of making them tough.  Some kids will, but others don't have the personality for it.  Know your kids.

6.  Don't force the kids into boxing.  Please ask the kid if they really want to take the sport up.  It is a waste of the kids' time to put them in an activity they don't enjoy.  It is also a waste of my time to try to teach them.  I will step in when I see a parent/guardian forcing a kid to spar when I see the kid is not returning punches, being injured, crying, etc.

7.  Make sure the kids are there on time.  When people show up late, people cheat themselves out of valuable training time.  The class times are what they are.  I'm not in a position to change them, nor make accommodations and exceptions.

8.  If the kid is involved in another sport whose practices take place at the same time, make a choice.  People can't train for two or more sports at the same time.

9.  Make sure the kid is showing up at the gym on a regular basis.  No one is going to learn how to box properly by showing up at the gym on and off.  I have other kids in the gym who show up regularly.  I'm not going to call home to find out why your kid is not there, because I'll be doing that every day.  I don't have the time to chase people.  If the kid really wants to be there, they'll show up.

10.  The classes are divided by ages for a reason.  I can't have an eight-year-old sparring with a fourteen-year-old.  I can't allow kids who aren't old enough for the classes to sign up.  Kids aren't allowed in the adult classes under any circumstances.  Kids need to be in the correct boxing class for their age group.

11.  People must be on time to boxing shows and tournaments.  Once the officials close the weigh-in, there is nothing I can do.  I'm not going to argue with them to let one more kid in, because everyone knew in advance when they were supposed to be there.  If a kid shows up without a mouthpiece, they won't be fighting that day.  I won't be carrying extra mouthpieces with me, especially when I know I gave your kid one some time ago.

12.  Respect the fact that there's only one boss in the boxing gym, and that's me.  I don't need parents/guardians standing at ringside calling out instructions over the instructions I'm already giving to their kids during training.  I don't need parents/guardians in the corners during boxing shows and tournaments giving their opinions.  If I know for a fact that the parents/guardians have had some boxing experience, I will gladly welcome their help.  Otherwise, it my job to coach.  Also, to male parents/guardians -- don't assume that I need help or worse yet, that I don't know what I'm doing because I'm a female.

Sniffling and Not Breathing

Kishaun (on the left) does a sparring drill with his cousin Derrick Jr., or has Kishaun puts it, "shadow sparring".  Hopefully, both boys will get fights at Loyola Park's boxing show later this week.

While I was at Loyola Park, I got some pad work with Gabe.  Standing next to him really pointed out how short I really am.  I believe Gabe is six feet four.  I lasted two rounds, and learned some new punch mitt techniques at the same time.  Gabe noticed that I wasn't breathing as I threw my punches.  I was a bit embarrassed because that is a rookie mistake.  As much as I tell the kids at LaFollette Park to "breathe!" I should know better.

I was also sniffling.  Right before I got to Loyola Park, I stopped to play with Alex, a tomcat who lives up the street from me.  No sooner than I started petting Alex, my allergies kicked up.

I was running the gym for Alan because it was Rosh Hashanah.  Outside of Gabe, Kathy, David, and Connor were in attendance.  No sparring took place but it could have.  "When I was a volunteer," I told Gabe, "I couldn't let people spar when Alan was out.  But as a coach, I can."  "That's what's up!" Gabe said.

Over the weekend, I brought a new pair of five pound weights for LaFollette's boxing gym.  I was never crazy about the neoprene covered ones that were available in the storage room.  After the kids broke one of them, I was determined to replace them with some real cast iron weights.  As time goes on, I'll build up a collection of cast iron weights for the boxing participants to use.

The Fall Season of Punching

Most of the new kids - Desmond, Dennis, Jamesa, and her sister Jannetta -- showed up.  TJ didn't come in.  No sign of the other kids either, and that was a big concern where Kishawn was concerned.  There's a boxing show at Loyola Park next week, and Kishawn was all hyped up about going.  Even his cousin Derrick said he might weigh in at that show for his first fight.

However, the other kids made up for any disappointment I had.  All were easy to work with, especially Jamesa and Jannetta, who are 13 and 16 years old, respectively.  Jannetta has some boxing experience via After School Matters, a youth program.  Someone told me the girls are home schooled, and the classes they take via the park district serve as their extra curricular activities.

I've come to realize that I can't expect or force the kids to follow the boxing training schedule I have up in the gym.  It's caused friction in the past with some kids in the gym when I insisted on that.  The kids are now being encouraged to use the list as a guideline and to craft their own workout.

No adults have signed up yet.  It's not the cost, which is low.  I think it has a lot to do with the time the class takes place.  But it can't be done any earlier, nor done any later.  Maybe if the adult class didn't meet on a daily basis, that would make it more attractive to people.  Most of the kids have long split their time between training with me and doing other activities.  Some of the adults have done this as well, but unlike the kids, they have more pressing demands on their time.  Right now, the class time is what it is.  I just hope more adults will find it.

Father and Son Boxing

I sparred with Kathy at Loyola Park, and nearly tripped and fell over my own feet.  My hands are always able to cooperate, but my knees don't agree.  Alan told me to cut off the ring on her, which wasn't easy.  For the most part, I kept planting myself in the middle of the ring to try to keep the action there.

Alan went a few hard rounds with Connor.  Alan's son, Matt, was watching from ringside.  "Is he doing this because I'm here?" Matt grinned.  Alan was popping Connor with vicious hooks, then Alan caught the younger man in the gut.  Connor was bent over.  They were scuffling in the corners, too.  Connor caught Alan with some full-on jabs and rights.

Matt got into the ring with his dad, and as you can see from the photo above, Matt was not wearing headgear.

They rumbled around the ring for a few rounds, then stepped back into the ring later for a second sparring session.  They were all up in the corners and on the ropes.  Alan was bouncing off of the ropes; Matt was blocking a lot of punches. As Matt was stepping out of the ring after their last session, Alan held up his hand in victory.  Matt didn't see the gesture, but I did.  I was laughing.

Matt gave me some good advice about some supplements I can take to help with my arthritis.  I take glucosamine for my knees.  Matt said that would help rebuild cartilage, but not do much about the daily pain that I feel.  I'm willing to try anything that will help me to move better when I walk and run.

Rain Day

No one showed up at the gym.  I guess the rain kept people at home.  Well, no people in attendance gave me time to:

a) eat my lunch
b) check on the attendance numbers for the upcoming fall session
c) read
d) do a little clean up in the gym
e) plan for the upcoming boxing shows and the fall session

As an extra food bonus, I was invited to have some BBQ sausages by LaShawn, a guy who came in to check out the gym.  He took pictures of the fall schedule times so he could promote the program to people he knows.  LaShawn was doing something with the field house's football team; I think they had a scrimmage game today.  The food was mostly for the team.  I also took a picture with the team.

The football coach had me give a brief speech to the team regarding boxing training.  I told them that boxing training can help them with stamina and conditioning.  Again, plans were made to have the football team come into the gym, but it seems the timing is never right.

Kishaun and Rocky did show up yesterday.  The reason they didn't make it to Harrison Park was because they couldn't get a ride.  Public transportation was working, but hey, I don't know everyone's situation.  Oh, well.  No sense in me continuing to grumble about it.  I'll just have to hope for the best when we go to Loyola Park in a few weeks.

That sparring session I planned that didn't take place?  I learned that a lot of the coaches didn't receive the flyer -- which I received late to mail out -- until after the event.  Next time, I'll skip having a flyer made, and I'll just call everyone directly to invite them.

Let Down At Harrison Park

Both Rocky and Kishaun called me at the field house, assuring me that they were going to be at Harrison Park for a boxing show.  "Please get there by 5:30 PM,"  I advised them.  I showed up at 5:00 PM.  Many fighters showed up in hopes of getting a fight.  There a long line for the weigh-in.  But after the last two fighters showed up around 6:25 PM to get weighed in, Tommy shut the scale down so the coaches could get about the business of making matches.  Rocky and Kishaun never showed up.

Of course, I was ticked off.  Kishaun could have had a match because of the wealth of boys who showed up looking for fights.  But then, Kishaun hadn't been in the gym for two days, and he might have re-thought taking a fight because of missed training time.  However, both Rocky and Kishaun have to think about the fact that I closed the whole gym down.  That meant that no one was able to train today, including the adults who have to pay for the boxing class.  I don't have an official park district volunteer for whom the staff will feel comfortable to open up the gym for in the event that I'm away at a boxing show with other fighters.

Also, both Rocky and Kishaun would have got to see some very good fights at the show. The fighters were serious about winning, and some very hard blows were thrown.  Most of the fights went the distance; only a couple of them were stopped.

I saw Joe, a trainer who I hadn't seen for a long time.  I received a warm greeting both from him and Sean, a referee.  "Gentleman" Gerald and Shifty were the other two referees.  Ernest, Rodney, Fermin, Mike, and Jeff rounded out the coaches who attended.

Fortunately, the night wasn't a total loss, because John from Loyola Park was able to get a fight.  I helped Alan in the corner with him.

John didn't win, but he put up a good fight.  I told Alan that I was bringing fighters to his and Barry's boxing show next month.  But whether Kishaun and any of the other kids choose to show up remains to be seen.

40 Years Older

No sign of Kishaun today.  Ashanti called her cousin via cell phone, only to be told that Kishaun was hanging around with another set of cousins somewhere.  I know I told him last week there was a boxing show at Harrison Park going on this week.  "Kishaun shouldn't be missing days at the gym," Ashanti said, and I agreed with her.

For a brief moment, Shanita and Julius made another appearance.  As usual, Shanita did all of the talking, while her brother just looked around.  She's fully into basketball these days, so she (nor her brother, for that matter) are returning to boxing any time soon.  The both of them seemed surprised to see Derrick, his parents, and Ashanti in the gym.

I had Ashanti and Derrick do sparring drills for a few rounds.  Then Derrick asked if I would do some rounds with him.  The drill was made up of just us moving around and throwing punches, but not landing any.  The point was to work on footwork, head movement, getting out of the corners, and defense.  Derrick is very quick, but I managed to get him backed into the corners several times.  Once there, he easily turned out of the corners.

At some point, I realized that I was chasing around a 13-year-old kid.  "I'm forty years older than he is," I thought, as I struggled to keep up.  That's one of the benefits of being a boxing coach.  The coach has to practice their skills in order to keep time with the people he or she has in the gym.  I got a good workout today.  "You've got some skills!" Derrick exclaimed afterwards.  I try to do my best.

Ashanti's mom doesn't want her to spar, I learned.  "Accidents could happen," Ashanti explained.  I guess that means she won't be taking on any boxing matches.  Yet she has a good pair of strong hands.  Sigh. . .it seems that I've lost Ashley, even though she won her one fight.  Now it looks as if I won't have Ashanti facing anyone in the ring.  Girls show up expressing their interest in fighting, but the challenge is getting them to really get into it.

Upcoming Shows

"Ralph is a good fighter," Alan said.  "Too bad he's leaving tomorrow."  It was Ralph's (wearing the blue hoodie in the photo) last day at Loyola Park.  He's flying home to attend college, where he will major in international economics and law.  Alan wished he could have gotten more fights for him.

I learned there will be a show fight somewhere on Ravenswood, but I don't know if there will be any slots for younger fighters.  I'm planning to take some of my fighters to Harrison Park later this week for another Chicago Park District boxing show.  Kishaun is up for it.

His cousin Derrick needs to control his temper, however.  Last week, Kishaun got the better of a sparring session between him and Derrick.  Despite Rocky, Derrick Sr., and myself telling Derrick to keep his emotions out of it, the boy stormed out of the gym afterwards.

The summer session is now officially over as of last week, and I'm looking forward to fall.  I want to take my fighters to the upcoming boxing shows at Loyola Park, Simons Park, and Humboldt Park.  I'm very pleased that summer camp is done, so I don't have to deal with that set of kids vandalizing my gym, at least until next year.

Blood On My Work Shirt

Yesterday was the boxing show at Ogden Park.  Initially, I was concerned about having my fighters come there because it is far from LaFollette Park.  Kenny, the coach at Ogden, wanted a rematch of one of his girls with Ashley.  Yet Ashley hasn't been in to train in weeks.  So that left Kishaun, whom I had been trying to get a fight for the longest time.

First, Kishaun was the eighth fight of the evening.  But there was a switch-up, and Kishaun ended up having the fifth slot instead.  Tommy wasn't there for the weigh-ins, but other staff were, including a guy named Dan.  I'd never seen Dan before, but he seemed to be very concerned about making sure everything was on the up-and-up.  I got there after Kishaun and his family did, so I immediately had Kishaun to weigh in.  I filled out a paper indicating my fighter's age (11 years) and how many fight he'd had (none).  But Dan asked Kishaun those questions again to verify what I had written.

"Gentleman" Gerald was the referee for all the fights.  Gerald is the boxing coach at Ada Park, and he's also a professional boxing referee.

Rocky warmed Kishaun up while I kept an eye on the fights.  The fight before Kishaun's ended quickly, so we had to rush up to the ring.

Kishaun's fight didn't last long, either.  Even though my fighter hesitated too long sometimes to throw punches, Kishaun kept his guy against the ropes and in the corners.  Then suddenly, the other boy was in his corner, holding on to his face after the first round ended.  I made Kishaun sit on the stool in our corner.  Gerald came over, waving his hands.  "It's over," he told us.

I looked down on my shirt and saw specks of blood on it.  Kishaun wasn't bleeding.  The other kid was bleeding, however.  The blood from that kid on Kishaun's gloves got on me when I took Kishaun's gloves off.  Well, that shirt has to go into the laundry.  Luckily, I have extra work shirts to wear.

My fighter clearly won the fight.  However, no winners were declared in any of the fights that took place.  The hands were raised of each fighter, and the announcer would say, "They are both winners!"  That was the first time I had seen that happen for every fight at any boxing show I've seen.  I understand the reasoning behind the "every kid wins a prize for participating" issue, but I'm not in agreement with it.  Kishaun had waited a while to get a match.  I wish his trophy had "winner" imprinted on it.

That's okay.  I'll just make sure I talk up his win the next time I'm in the gym.  Hopefully, that will not only encourage Kishaun to keep going in the sport, but will inspire other kids to try boxing, too.

A Gym Full Of Cousins

Now Kishaun doesn't want to jump rope in addition to not wanting to shadow box.  "I don't like jumping rope," he told Rocky.  Both Rocky and I explained that jumping rope is for stamina, coordination, and footwork.  But Kishaun kept complaining.  Rocky told him, "Just for that, you'll jump rope every day next week."

Slowly, the kids and teen boxing classes are gaining participants for the fall season.  Ashanti, a cousin to Derrick Jr. and Kishaun, signed up.  I joke to myself that the youth classes are being filled up by Rocky's relatives.

Joseph, another of Rocky's relatives, is planning to sign up, but he lives out in the western suburbs, as does Tyrone.  The park district's usual policy is that if someone who lives outside of city limits partakes in a class or activity, they have to pay a higher fee.  That doesn't seem to apply to the youth boxing classes, which are free.  I'm more concerned about the suburban kids being able to come to class on a regular basis.  Most have to depend on someone driving them there. If they can't get a ride for any reason, that's another day of missed training.

Nassir ran in and ran out of the gym, not doing a workout.  Looks like I'm going to have to have a talk with his mother regarding whether boxing is a good fit for her son.

I hope Mel and Ben return for the adult class, even if they continue to split their time between the fitness center and boxing.  I like having them, and Ben's sister, Alex, in the class.

In light of the speed bag I had hung up to be used as a slip bag being torn down last week, I'm now concerned about having other equipment in the gym.  The ring is showing wear and tear from the two months of hell the summer camp kids inflicted on it.  The heavy bags took some damage, too, and the bulletin board closest to the entrance door was targeted for vandalism.  Thank God I could lock up the gloves, headgear, jump ropes, etc., or else those would have been destroyed and/or stolen.  If I can arrange to keep the summer camp kids out of my gym next year, I will.  Summer camp is for a short time, but my program is all year long. The equipment needs to remain in good condition for my fighters.