Summer Ain't Shaping Up Too Well

For the first time in a while, the gym was completely empty this past Saturday.  I wasn't happy.  A few days before, I made courtesy calls to remind people that the summer session this week.  The majority of those registered for summer were in the spring session.  However, a lot of them did not complete the spring session.  Of those I called, I only got a hold of a couple of the parents.  At this point, I'm doubting that most will show up for the first day of class.  I do know I'm not going to keep making courtesy calls.

Humboldt Park's boxing show is coming up this week.  Kayla and Anayah are ready for it.  Sahia thinks Damaris has shown improvement.  But Damaris' continual lack of focus and motivation as well as the girl's disrespectful attitude irritates me.  Unfortunately, youths who operate on that level often learn the hard way -- during a match -- that more work should have done in the gym.  Damaris may learn that lesson if she gets a fight at Humboldt Park.

It is still officially late spring, but the weather has been fickle.  Humboldt Park has the option of presenting their boxing show on the inside.  LaFollette does not, and my show was rained out last year.  If that happens again this year, it'll be another setback for a boxing program that already contends with low support and visibility.

Saturday Is Better

When I initially floated the idea to some of the parents about moving sparring from Friday to Saturday, I was met with approval.  The parents wanted to watch their kids spar, but admitted that it was not easy to arrange their schedules to be in the boxing gym on a weekday.  Based on that information, when I change the sparring day around, that will be a permanent schedule change instead of just making that for summer only.

Sparring used to be on Saturdays when I first started working for the park district.  The intent was to have it on a day when school and perhaps other activities were not a factor.  But then most youths, and the adult participants as well, were not showing up on Saturdays.  I switched sparring back to weekdays thinking it was easier to draw people into the gym, especially youths coming out of school for the day.

Now I realize that I've been accommodating and compromising with people for way too long.  The boxing gym hours are what they are.  I should have never been doing constant adjustments in a futile attempt to work with every one's personal schedules.  Either youths and adults deal with the days, times, and training schedule of the boxing program or they don't.

In addition to Saturday being an easier day for busy parents to come in and see their kids' progress, it works better with the park district's boxing show schedule.  The City-Wide Boxing Tournament, as well as the weekly boxing shows that take place between June and February take place on weekdays. If someone had a hard fight on a Thursday, the day weekly boxing shows currently take place, it wouldn't do to have them sparring back at the gym on a Friday.  This is especially true if fighters were injured.  I could let them skip the gym on Friday to rest and give them the option of sparring on Saturday, if they felt up to it.  They could also skip Saturday, depending on what happened at a Thursday fight and start again the following week.

Everyone would have four solid days of training, instead of having that broken up by sparring on Friday, and then returning on Saturday for a regular training day.  I could further keep track of who is just showing up to spar, cutting down on some participants' willingness to fight but not train.

No matter what I do in terms of scheduling, however, there is always going to be some who aren't going to attend the class regularly, and those who will show up but won't train.  I don't doubt that there will be people -- the youths, mostly -- who will complain about the change of sparring day.  But running that program efficiently is more important to me.

Again With The Youths' Mouths

The past couple of Fridays, no sparring took place.  As time marches towards the end of the spring session, participants have begun to show up less and less.  Only Damaris, Kayla, and Anayah showed up the last time for the kids' class.  Kayla and Anayah match each other a little better for sparring purposes.  However, Damaris is taller and bigger than the both of them.  Three fighters on sparring day would mean that one of them would have to do double duty.  Although in the past I've allowed sparring to go on with that number of people, it's really unfair to tire one person out against two.

Damaris took exception to my decision not to let anyone spar that day.  Sahia wasn't having it.  Just as I was beginning to explain why sparring was not going to happen, Sahia told me, "You're the adult.  You don't have to explain your reasons to a child."  She admonished Damaris for her attitude.  Only then did it occur to Damaris to politely ask me about my reasons.  Later, Sahia apologized to me because she felt she had cut me off.   But there was no need for an apology, because Sahia was right.  Damaris -- who is seldom focused and motivated when it comes to training -- should have been checked about her behavior.

One of the least favorite parts of my job is dealing with mouthy kids and teens.  I'm not going to argue with a kid.  But I will exercise my right as an adult to tell a kid to shut up while I'm talking. They don't pay a dime for the class and the door to the gym opens both ways.   Damaris is not the only kid I've had in the gym who I knew was mouthing off to their parents and guardians (many times in front of me while in the gym) and thinking they could also do it to any other adult they came across.  She was lucky that Sahia stepped in and firmly but gently admonished her.  I would have hurt Damaris' feelings to get my point across about respecting others.

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.

Complaints and Walkouts

I have mentioned before how much I appreciate that Sahia is volunteering in the boxing gym.  She has more patience with most of the youths than I do.  She is very encouraging towards them, and Sahia is firm but fair.  Her teenage children, Noel and Mikaela, are well-raised, thoughtful, and considerate.  Although they were not official park district volunteers, they helped out with the younger kids as well as the teens.  Unfortunately, once the spring session ends next month, they will no longer go to LaFollette Park.

It started during a sparring day several weeks ago.  Not every youth is able to be evenly matched during sparring sessions.  Several of the youths told Sahia and I they wanted to spar, but they were nervous about who they might face in the ring.  Noel and Mikaela agreed to do light sparring with those kids to ease their fears.  Neither of the teens was going to go full force with any of the younger kids.  Noel and Mikaela kept their word under the watchful eye of their mother and myself.

One of the kids who sparred with Noel was told by Sahia to keep their mouth closed in order to keep their mouthpiece in place.  I told the kid the same thing after Sahia pointed it out.  The sparring session went well.  However, the kid left the gym early without a word to Sahia or me.  Woman's intuition kicked in; I knew something was wrong, but I couldn't figure out what it was.

I found out soon enough.  The parent of that kid showed up the next time the gym was open to complain.  They felt Sahia -- who was not in the gym when the parent came in -- was being hard on their kid.  I explained about the rule involving the use of mouthpieces.  The parent then complained about Noel and Mikaela being allowed to spar with the younger kids.  Technically, the parent was not out of line with being concerned.  The boxing classes are divided into age groups for good reason.  But I explained why I made the decision to allow that and how everything was carefully monitored.  I thought the conversation went well and everything was fine.

The next time I arrived at work, the field house supervisor informed me that the parent had called him that morning to complain.  Once again, I had to explain what happened. I've had jobs where I've had to deal with parents before, so I don't necessarily get flustered when parents raise sand.  However, my supervisor doesn't want to deal with incidents that arise out of parents complaining about anything.  Noel and Mikaela would have to fill out volunteer applications.  Fine, that could be done.  Until the applications were approved, the teen siblings could not be allowed to volunteer.

It finally appeared the matter was solved.  But people don't often account for others' feelings in matters.  Noel and Mikaela had reached out to the kid in question long before that sparring day and had been very supportive and nice to them.  I didn't know they had done that on their own.  That is why it hurt me when they said they were not going to return to LaFollette's boxing program after this session is over.  Two of my best fighters are walking because they didn't appreciate how things were handled by the parent in question.  They felt like they had been stabbed in the back as well as been subject to slander.  Things might have been better if the parent had included Sahia, Noel, and Mikaela in the conversation, not just me.  Why that didn't happen, I don't know.   In a gym where the program, frankly, keeps floundering due to various issues, losing supportive people is a knockout blow.

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.

Dexter's Non-Existent (C)Rap Career

Dexter had the nerve to stroll into the boxing gym after the teen class had ended.  I informed him that he wasn't in the class anymore.  I had dropped Dexter after not showing up for the class for two weeks.  I couldn't call his house to let his parents/guardians know because of false information that Dexter had put on the paper registration form I gave him.  That was the second reason why I withdrew Dexter from class.

Once again, I was subjected to a series of sob stories, including the claim that he had been locked up for a couple of weeks.  Allegedly, the cops pulled Dexter over, but as far as I know, he doesn't have a car or knows how to drive.  I didn't get an explanation about exactly why a lock down took place.  "Someone at home should have called here and left a message for me as to why you couldn't be here," I pointed out.  Dexter tried to make like I was crazy and misinformed when I told him the phone numbers he gave me were not valid.

I can't go for that, especially out of some kid.  I would have been knocked on my behind by my late parents for lying to them like Dexter lied to me.  "I'm not giving out any more paper registration forms, Dexter.  If you want to sign up for the summer class, I need to talk to your parent or guardian face-to-face," I curtly said.  I went on to explain how Dexter's actions could have got me in trouble with my supervisor and caused further trouble for the program in general.  I wasted my breath.  Dexter showed zero respect for me, the program, and the park district.

In what he thought was a parting shot before walking out, Dexter told me, "My rap career is going to take off in a couple of weeks anyway, so I don't think I'll have time to box."  I would have laughed in the kid's face if I wasn't so steamed.  If I had a dollar for every kid who's come through that gym announcing they were going to be a rapper, I could have retired a few years ago.  

The summer boxing class for those 12-years-old and under is full as of today.  Kayla was the last one to make it in.  Unfortunately, that doesn't bode well for some of the other kids currently in the spring session.  Tyvell and Terrance were allowed to return to class by their parent/guardian, but they aren't registered for the summer class.  Neither is Diego, Yamira, or Fabian.  If they want to be in the class, they'll have to go onto the wait list and hope that someone drops out of class (or, when I put someone out of class for non-attendance).  Now if only the teen and adult classes would fill up as fast.

Registration Concerns

Aavar (I hope I spelled the name right) began class yesterday.  Normally, I'm against signing up people this late in the session.  However, his father was very polite, which was a welcome change from some other parents who whine and attempt to push their kids into the program.  Also, Aavar had some training over at Sheridan Park.  Aavar is also signed up for the summer session.  

Both the kids and teen classes have been populated more than usual this time around.  The lack of equipment in the gym is glaring, as both Doneisha and Sahia have noted.  Supposedly, the park district "has more equipment than there are kids", but that has yet to be proven to me.  Requests I put in for what is needed goes unanswered or I'm told there's not enough in the budget to purchase anything.  That concerns me as the kids' class appears it will be full again for the summer session.

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Iz nor his brother Abrahant are on the summer attendance sheet despite Iz telling me several days ago that they were interested in signing up again.  This has happened several times with them. Their parents wait until way after the registration period has started to inquire about signing up.  I tell them to sign their sons up ASAP, then they wait for whatever reason.  One of the last times they registered, Iz and Abrahant barely made it in before the class filled up.  I also haven't forgotten that both boys dropped out of the past winter session without a word to me.  I'm curious as to why they're suddenly interested in returning to the gym.  

Very few of the people who are in all of the boxing classes have re-registered for spring.  Damaris, despite not being able to train all five days, signed up again.  Anayah was the first of the kids to re-register.  Idris' name is on the list too; however, Idris hasn't been in the current class for several days.  I'll probably have a summer class full of new people whom I can't and won't put into the boxing shows until later in the season.  

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.

My Right To Replace

Recently, I was told, "Hillari, you can't prevent people from signing up for the boxing class."  Excuse me?

I don't deny people the opportunity to sign up for the class.  Have I come across youths and adults who I knew from the jump weren't going to be a good fit for the class?  Many times.  But I allowed them to register knowing that they probably would not finish the session nor sign up for the class again.  Most mess themselves out of it when they don't keep up with registration dates nor the days and times the class meets and wait too long to get online or show up in person.  That is especially true of those who were in the class during a previous session.  Once the class reaches capacity, I'm not going to make room, regardless of the fact that I have Sahia (and soon, hopefully, Mikaela and Noel) as an official volunteer.  Every youth and adult signed up for the class is entitled to equal attention.  That can't be done if the class is overcrowded.

Miss Hillari does have the right, however, to eject people from the class.  The rules of the gym are posted all over the walls.  People can't break one or more of the rules and claim, "I didn't know," because I've already told them from day one that I'm holding everyone responsible for knowing the rules.  The main things that will gain people a one-way ticket out of my gym are:

1.  Behavior/discipline problems.  There was a saying when I was a kid.  Adults would say of kids who displayed no manners anywhere, "Those kids have no home training."  I've had more than a few who fell under that category.  Yeah, there may be situations going on at home or at school.  But I keep pointing out that I'm not a social worker, a psychologist, nor a psychiatrist.  I may have some concern about what is going on in people's lives outside of the gym.  But it is not my place nor in my area of expertise to get that deep into any one's personal situations.  I can't have one or more youths or adults' issues disrupting me running the gym nor upsetting the other participants.

2.  Non-attendance.  This does not affect the adults.  If they don't show up to class, the penalty is the money they paid is lost.  It does bother me when I come across youths who would really like to take the class, but my attendance list is filled with names of those who haven't been in the gym for days and weeks.  If youths don't show up for ten days -- two weeks -- and I don't receive a valid reason why that's happening, they're gone.  Ninety-five percent of my time needs to spent coaching, not calling homes every day asking, "Where are y'all at?"  It is usually easy for me to replace people with those who don't show up, and I do.

3.  A clear case of non-interest in the sport.  This sometimes is tied in with the behavior/discipline and attendance issues.  It's just as much of a chore for me to try to teach people who could care less about the sweet science as it is for people with that attitude to be a part of the class.  If a youth is involved, I will strongly suggest to the parents/guardians that they register them for another activity.  If an adult participant is involved, well. . .they won't be able to get a refund.  But I will suggest they investigate thoroughly whether or not an activity suits them before they lay out money the next time.

A Dwindling Situation

Tyvell and Terrence are gone.  Their mom had warned them that not doing their homework, talking back to their teacher, and having bad attitudes at school as well as at home would cost them something.  The boys were also in swimming; she took them out of the class as well.  They join Fabian, who is also no longer in class due to the same issues.  I put up a new sign that I should have created a long time ago which says I will totally back up any parents/guardians who take their kids out of the class for those reasons.  

Iz, who appeared to have grown a foot since I last saw him, showed up to inquire about re-registering for the class.  I told him to tell his parents to sign him up for the summer class since registration for that is happening now.  The last person I let sign up for the current session was Idris, but Idris is out sick for a while.  I don't want to deal with having to train another kid who didn't sign up until the middle of the session.  The fifth week of this session begins next week.

This session has also seen a few kids get kicked out due to attendance issues.  The class is dwindling like it usually does during the mid-point of the session.  But I've had a few kids quickly come along to replace the ones who were ejected. 

Kierra, a new teen girl, had her information put in the system today for both this session and the summer session.  Unfortunately, I have a feeling she may not show up for either time.  Her mom and step dad were more enthusiastic about her joining the class but Kierra appeared to have a different opinion.  Also, I've already been informed that she can't do the full five days.

The adult class is...well, it seems to be all over the place.  Some are often out because of work, some because of other obligations, and others have been missing from class for who knows what reason.  I did appreciate the other day when Ariel brought his sixty-something-year-old dad in with him.  Ariel's dad used to box back in the day, and I could tell by the way he moved that he knew what he was talking about.  

Don't Play The Coach

First, Malik tried to run a game on me.  It's obvious that he attempted to sign himself up for the teen boxing class, but he put his mother's name in the spot where his name should have been.  Today I  discovered that Deantre, or Dexter, as he is known as, gave me a paper registration form with totally false information.  It had been allegedly filled out by his mother.  Her number was disconnected.  The emergency number was for someone who didn't know who Dexter was.  Nor did they have children.

I know people can lie when they sign up online just like Malik did.  But at least Malik had the sense to use his relative's real phone number.  Dexter's little stunt could have had more serious consequences.  For example, if Dexter had been seriously hurt, there would have been no way to reach his parent.  His parent would have been surprised to find their son in a boxing class and they may not have been pleased.  I would have been in trouble, the program would have been in trouble, and the park district would have been in trouble.  I immediately scratched Dexter out of the class.  He'll find out if he ever shows up to the gym again, which I doubt.

Another teen girl who never showed up to class at all this session was kicked out, too.  I had made a courtesy call some time ago and came up with another parent's phone number that was disconnected.  I called the second number and got voice mail.  I'm not sending letters anymore just like I'm not giving out paper registration forms ever again.

A new teen girl, Kierra, will begin class tomorrow, but she may not complete the session.  Her mother explained that she wanted her daughter to participate in some sports because she's never been involved in any sports at all.  If Kierra likes the class, she'll stick with it.  If not, she'll withdraw.  Well, at least I know up front.

Saturday's Children

Sahia, Rachey, Noel, and Mikaela didn't come in, so it was just me and the kids today.  That was the only class that took place; the teen and adult classes were empty.



I couldn't help but notice that the kids were basically following along with everything that Sahia, Noel, and Mikaela had shown them.  Of course, they were also following the training list I have up on the bulletin board.  But it was an easy day for the most part because the kids were eager to do what they needed to do without me having to do much prompting.  All except Damaris, unfortunately.

Sahia and I can't figure out why she can't pick up on learning how to jump rope.  Even the boys who've signed up this time around who did not know how to do that have improved.  Sahia has more patience with Damaris (and indeed with most of the kids) than I do.  Damaris keeps telling her parents and I that she wants to box and likes attending class.  But her constant habit of giving up too easily and lack of focus and motivation tell another story.  I find myself channeling my late mother more often while dealing with her and Yamira, as well (Yamira wasn't in the gym today).  Honestly, I don't like being short with those two.  But between Damaris not wanting to push herself and Yamira doing the same plus always whining for help instead of being proactive, I get driven up a wall.



As usual, I had to a check a few of the kids who are in Coach James' programs.  I walked into the gym to find some of his equipment in the middle of the floor.  "This stuff doesn't belong in my space," I told a kid when as I shoved the items back into Coach James' storage area.  "Coach James put it there," the kid said.  "And Coach James knows I have class in here during this time," I shot back.  Moments later, when my class began, I kept hearing loud yelling and screaming from a few kids who were sitting over in that storage area.  I marched over and before I pulled the crash door shut, I checked them about the noise.  They all started blaming each other as kids tend to do.  "I don't care!  I'm running a class in here and y'all need to respect that," I snapped.  I had no more problems out of them after that.

The Problem With Some Parents and Guardians

Normally, I don't make more than one courtesy call to boxing program participants to remind them that class has started and they need to come in.  I had a hunch that I should make a second call to one of the kids whom I haven't seen yet in the gym.  Good thing I wasn't using Skype while talking to the parent.  They would have caught all of my sarcastic facial expressions.

I had initially called and left a message two weeks ago when their kid didn't show up for the first week of class.  "I got your voicemail, but I didn't have the phone number to the field house," was the excuse I received.  That information would not have been hard to find either by dialing information or looking it up on the Internet.  Then the parent told me they were not paying attention to the information regarding when the class meets.  "We need something that starts at a different time," they told me.  I had to explain what should have been common sense to that parent -- kids' activities can't start too early nor too late in the day due to school schedules.  They had the impression that the park district can just change class/activity times to suit everybody who can't fit things into their personal schedules.  The parent had decided a couple of weeks ago to take the kid out of the class.  Obviously, informing me of that decision was not a high priority.

Anyone who whose job involves dealing with kids and teens has to also deal with parents and guardians who are not on point.  It makes our jobs difficult.  The negative behaviors and attitudes we encounter with kids and teens are usually because their parents are modeling those traits at home.  We can give out positive messages to youths all day long, but if nothing we say is being reinforced at home, all of the talking is wasted effort.

I'm not a coddler.  I'm not a hand-holder.  I don't like having to repeat myself.  My patience is razor-thin in situations when it's obvious that rules, regulations, and boundaries I've set are being ignored and trampled on.  I don't appreciate when people think they can just disrespect and use me at will.  My usual response to parents who appear to not care about matters concerning their kids is if they don't care, I don't either.  I didn't carry any of those kids for nine months.  I'm not a psychologist, psychiatrist, or social worker.  Nor am I a babysitter.

What I am responsible for is running a gym and coaching to the best of my ability.  I will go the extra mile to assist youths who show me motivation, responsibility, and respect for me and others in the gym.  I have had several kids in the gym who were great.  But even some of the kids who were great to work with had parents and guardians who weren't present and aware.  I welcome working with parents and guardians to help their youths be the best they can be in boxing.  But if the parents and guardians don't want to communicate with me, I can't -- no, I'm not going to chase them.

The other day, a parent came around looking for their kid who has yet to register for the class.  Oh, the kid keeps showing up on-and-off inquiring about what is going on.  But no action has been taken. The family situation is the kid is not living with the parent, but with a guardian who was supposed to register them a couple of weeks ago.  That was the first time I've ever seen the parent at the field house. I explained the situation to the parent.  They had the authority to sign the kid up that day.  But the parent made no effort to do so.  The indifference coming from some parents and guardians is widespread as well as sad.

Unfortunately, the parents and guardians' non-actions force me to crack down harder on the rules the park district has set for the boxing program as well as my own rules for the gym.  I have to come with an attitude of "Don't like what I said?  Well, the door opens both ways," to keep order.  I'm not the only boxing coach in the park district who keeps having to deal with these issues.  Some of the coaches are very direct with parents and guardians about what they won't tolerate.  I try to operate as professionally as possible.  However, my toleration for things keeps inching towards zero as well.

Friday The 13th Sparring

Every kid in the youth class sparred today.  I had to give all of them credit for getting in there.  However, I also saw there is a lot of work that has to be done.

Tony hadn't sparred in a couple of months.  I believe James, who is no longer in the class, was the last person he sparred with.  However, Tony did well against Fabian.  Fabian kept leaping at Tony and losing his balance.  Tony carefully timed Tony and got in some good punches.

Yamira sparred with Anayah.  Both girls were throwing windmill punches most of the time.  Yamira kept turning her head just as Anayah aimed her punches.  I started yelling at Yamira at the top of my voice.  "Yamira, you're going to end up with a concussion if you keep doing that," I told her later while she stood in the corner between rounds.  Even her dad agreed that she needed to be more focused.  The problem with Yamira is when the other kids are listening to me or Sahia, Mikaela, and Noel, she is off in another part of the gym doing her own thing.



I think Diego was sparring with Anayah, too (I wrote down on a sparring sheet who was doing what).  He quit after the first round.  His mom said that Diego was nervous.  I told him it was okay.

Jamarion, who is the quietest child in the class, did well against Mikaela.  Mikaela and Noel had agreed to spar with a few of the younger kids, and they took it easy on them.  Jamarion looked very confident, even when Mikaela was backing him into corners.

During the teen class, Mareli sparred with Mikaela and did quite well.  She's getting better at her stance and putting her punches out there.  While they were sparring, Mareli's baby sister Ximena kept raising her voice.  "She's saying, 'Don't beat my sister up!'" joked Sahia.

No sparring for the adults, however.  Ariel and Trish were out due to work.  Who knows where Jada was.  Darrien asked if he and Ariel could spar on another day than Friday.  I told him he could.  I also gave him the option of sparring with Trish, but I don't think Trish, who is his girlfriend, would want to do that.  Darrien punches continue to look very good.

I saw in a park district newsletter that the boxing shows would start on July 10th.  In addition to being surprised that the newsletter had anything about boxing, I was skeptical of the date.  I believe that's on a Tuesday.  The boxing shows are usually on Thursdays.  Hopefully, Thomas will send out a schedule soon with the right dates.

Tommy Lee Jones' Famous Line

The class for those 12-years-old and under was busy again today.  I'm curious to see how long the pace will keep up.  It's the second week of class.  After this week, people in all of the classes usually start to disappear.  But maybe with the kids that won't happen.  Sahia, Mikaela, and Noel have been working very good with the kids.  The kids appear to like and respect them.

Dexter, who is signed up for the teen class, was a no-show yesterday.  Today, he came strolling in an hour late, brushing his hair like there was no hurry.  His friend, who I think is named Jamil, was with him.  When I pointed out Dexter's tardiness, he came back with, "But I was in a fight!"  I felt like Tommy Lee Jones' character in the movie The Fugitive when he cornered Harrison Ford's character who declared he was innocent of a crime.  "I don't care!' I thought.  I didn't even ask about the fight if indeed one had taken place.  I told Dexter when the teen class begins and that he could not train during the adult class.  Jamil, who claimed he wanted to register for boxing, just stood there and said nothing. I suspected that neither Dexter or his friend was serious about boxing, and it appears that I was right.

I finally went into the system and withdrew Malik's mother's name out of the teen class.  No word from him yet as to whether or not his grandfather will register him for the class again.  That class is slowly filling up.  Perhaps by the time Malik gets it together the class will be full and he'll have to wait until the summer session to join the class again.

Only Darrin and Jada were in the adult class.  Trish had to work, and Ariel may have had a change in his work schedule as well.  Sahia and Rachey couldn't stay for the class because of a previous engagement.  Darrin's punches were looking very solid, and his form was nice.  Jada, like so many of the girls and women who are and have been in the class, has to work on being a little more aggressive when it comes to punching.

I haven't received any more mouthpieces -- or any other equipment, for that matter.  I may not have enough mouthpieces to go around on Friday.  Some kids may have to purchase theirs which means they won't be able to spar that day.  Despite the fact that I've informed people that the number of free mouthpieces may be limited at times, to hardly have any makes me and the program look bad.

My Suspicion Continues

I just happened to be up at the front desk counter when Malik popped in.  "Just the person I wanted to see.  What is your mother's name?" I asked.  He told me, and then I said, "Why is her name listed as being registered for the teen boxing class?  She wasn't happy when she learned that."  "Uh, my grandfather probably entered her name in by mistake," Malik said.

I ain't buying it.  Last session, Malik's grandfather's name was listed as a registrant in the teen class.  Figuring that it was an honest mistake, I allowed Malik into the class.  I have doubts that his grandfather would have a second mistake in that manner.  Malik told me, "I'll be in the class this time."  "You're not in the class.  Your mother is registered in the class.  Until your name appears on the attendance sheets, Malik, you are not in the class.  Your grandfather has to come in and re-do the registration," I responded.  Malik mumbled, "Okay" and scurried away.  Something about that situation still smells.

Acting on a suggestion from Sahia I presented a contest to the kids 12-years-old and under.  The boy and girl who has the highest attendance for the session will get prizes.  The boy will get a jump rope and the girl will get hand wraps.  I heard mumblings from the kids who don't show up every day.  There were a few who should have shown up today, but they were absent with no explanation.  So far, Jamarion is the leader when it comes to attendance.

Noel saved me from a little frustration when I asked him to show Yamira and Damaris how to jump rope.  It is rare that I come across girls who don't know how to do that.  Yamira was jumping too high in the air.  Damaris was circling her arms to turn the rope instead of her wrist, and she wasn't turning the rope fast enough.  "It's not rocket science," I finally grumbled before asking Noel to help out.  The girls still weren't listening much to Noel nor watching him as he showed them the proper technique.  Yamira kept complaining about everything and being happy when the rounds were over.  Damaris kept whining about what she couldn't do.  I kept grumbling at them, ending with, "Now I'm sounding like my mother talking to you two."

Davonte (using Dexter as his nickname) showed up for the teen class a little too early, but it was cool. He seems eager to learn.  Noel and Mikaela helped him learn the punches.

It had been a good week, with the kids and teen classes having the most action.  I would like to see that pace continue for the entire 10 weeks.  

Signs and Possible Forgery

I made courtesy calls to a few teens who still haven't shown up for the spring session.  However, one of the people I called was not a teen.  "You're asking to speak to my parents?  Really?  Are you serious?" they told me.  Turns out it was the 30-year-old mom of Malik.  She had a major attitude, and I was trying to figure out what the heck was going on.  It appears that Malik may have attempted to sign himself up for the boxing class.  But he put his mother's name in the spot where his name should have been.

If attempted forgery was the case here -- and I hope for Malik's sake it was not -- then he and I are going to an even more unpleasant conversation than the one I had with his mother.  I'm always telling youths that they can't put their John Hancock on nothing unless they are 18 years old.  Their parents and/or guardians have to give permission for them to do any activity at the park district.  Technically, Malik is still not registered for the class.

Having been long tired of the summer camp kids trashing my gym as well as Tina and the seasonal summer camp staff not doing anything to prevent it, I made some new signs.  The signs clearly state what the summer camp kids and seasonal summer camp staff are NOT to do in the gym.  The signs have gone up now so people can read and act accordingly before summer gets here.  Touching the equipment, climbing into the boxing ring, eating and drinking on the boxing ring, tampering with bulletin boards and signs, not cleaning up after themselves -- all are forbidden to do.  I ended the sign with "Have a problem with these rules?  See me."  I don't allow my fighters to disrespect and disrupt the spaces and classes/activities in the building that staff members run.  However, the same respect is not given to me. 

Where The Boys Are...Not

Noel is the only guy signed up in the teens' class (the kid from the North Lawndale Boxing League that Thomas signed up only so they could compete in the City-Wide Tournament doesn't count to me).  It has been pointed out to me several times that Noel needs to spar with more guys.  But it is very difficult to get teen boys to sign up for boxing.  Many teen boys at the field house are always asking me about signing up, but seldom is there any follow through.

I appreciate Noel because he works hard when he is in the gym.  Noel is extremely helpful towards the other participants in the program as well.  I don't have patience for most of the other teen boys who just want to be poseurs who just want to put gloves on and jump around, not train properly nor regularly, and ignore my instructions.  Walz, who helps with the basketball program and who runs the teen fitness program, keeps sending those types of boys to me to inquire about the program.  Walz's intent is to help me out; however, I don't think he recognizes when the teen boys are peddling BS.  I can see it from miles away.  I shut it down by clearly stating my expectations of people in the program.

Some of the parents/guardians are going to keep being disappointed, and perhaps, irritated, because they don't keep up with what goes on at the field house.  One of them who already has a kid in the 12-years-and-younger class attempted to sign up a second child of theirs yesterday.  "The class is full," I informed them.  They noticed that only four of the kids showed up to that class which was behind them asking how many can the class take (12 participants are allowed in each of the three classes).  I've had parents/guardians thinking I should add their kid to the attendance roster based on how many kids they saw in class on a particular day.  It doesn't work like that.

I continue to scratch my head about why parents/guardians don't sign all of their eligible kids up at one time.  Maybe they're waiting to see if the first kid actually likes the class.  A lot of parents/guardians operate on a "we'll wait and see" approach and don't seem to understand that a class that's free for youths, like boxing, will probably fill up fast.  The same ones don't get that I can't and won't make room in a class that is already filled to capacity.  Regardless of the fact that I have Sahia as a volunteer, the both of us need to make sure that we're giving all of the participants equal time as much as possible.  That can't be done in an overcrowded class.

First Day Ups and Downs

I pulled out the Sugar Ray Leonard and Laila Ali boxing workout DVD I have.  I hadn't used it in awhile, and I forgot that it is a tough workout but a good one.  I've been exercising several days a week at home since the beginning of the year.  I could work out at the gym, but circumstances don't always allow for that.

For example, the first day of the spring session yesterday was busy.  But it was not well populated as I predicted.  It was raining while I was driving to work; it was a given that most would not show up due to weather conditions.  Four of the twelve kids registered for the 12 and under class showed up, including little Diego, whose sister Mareli is in the teen class.  I really like Diego.  He's a cute kid and is very respectful.  More parents than usual came to that class.  Mareli and Diego's parents, Yamina's mom, Jameiron's parents, and Tony's mom.  I was on my feet for most of the time as I gave the parents chairs to sit and observe.

Sahia and Noel were extremely helpful when it came to the kids.  I was so appreciative that they were there (Rachey had another engagement, and Mikela was recovering from a dental procedure).  Sahia thought she saw Malik in the building.  "He was here a moment ago asking about when the City-Wide Tournament was going to take place," I responded.  As usual, Malik was a day late and a dollar short.  I fail to understand why he was asking about it when I had made it clear Malik was not going to be in the tournament -- which was last week -- due to not training for it.  Once again, Malik gave no indication whether his grandfather was going to sign him up again for the teen class.

I was also asked about where were the other kids.  When I gave a response along the lines of, "I have no idea", Sahia asked, "Did you call them?"  "I do one courtesy call at the beginning of the session, but that's it," I answered.  "Well, something could be going on at home," she said.  Yes, something could and sometimes, it is.  I also know that I can't spend 20 to 30 minutes every day on the phone asking where people are.  The youths tend to make quick decisions about whether or not they want to continue with the class.  I'm not going to chase people who appear to be uninterested.  I announced to the class that there is an attendance policy, and they need to adhere to it.

An adult, Jada, showed up in the middle of the class wanting to register.  I was irritated as once again, staff upstairs failed to recognize that I was in the middle of a class, and on the first day of the session at that.  Luckily, I remembered that Sahia is now a volunteer, so I took Jada back upstairs.  However, she only had cash, and Steve had left for the day so I couldn't put it in the safe.  She said she would create an account with the park district to register and use her debit card, which she had left at home.  If that didn't work, I told her to come to the field house earlier so I could properly deal with the cash, if necessary.  Later, I told Coach James and Walz, "For the umpteenth time, please don't send people to me when I'm in the middle of a class."  James said something about staff not being able to register people for boxing without my approval (letting me know that perhaps he was the one who sent Jada downstairs).  "You can put them in the system, and enter them in the class later," he said.  I've already had at least one adult some time ago who expected me to put her in the system so she could show up for class and maybe pay later.  I don't think so.  Besides, people register online all the time for that class, despite it being advertised that they should talk to me first.  Some staff has also registered people for boxing whether or not I was on the premises to give permission.  I was ticked, but I didn't feel like continuing to argue.  Nor did I bother to say that I have a volunteer in the gym now so I can come upstairs to register people if needed.  But I'd rather not disrupt coaching classes to do that even with a volunteer present.

Darren, who is an accountant, was the only one who showed up for the adult class.  Sahia had to leave early, and Doneisha said she would sign up later.  I told Darren, "Math was the subject that always brought my report cards down in school.  I wish I had a skill for numbers; I still struggle with them." He chuckled at that.  Darren didn't stay the full time, but he did get a good workout in.  

Expectations Of The Usual

Today is the first day of the spring session at the boxing gym.  Unfortunately, my expectations are low.  First of all, I don't feel like dealing with a crowd of kids today.  I've mentioned before that I'm part of the childfree community, so my feelings about kids ebbs and flows.  According to the attendance roster, the class for those who are 12 and under is currently full.  How many actually show up today remains to be seen.

I already know that two in that group -- Damaris and Diego -- can't do the five days a week.  Probably someone else in that age range is going to tell me after the fact that they can't train every day, either.  I'll inform them that I will not put anyone in a fight who is not training regularly, and both the kids and the parents will have an issue with that.  Let two weeks or less go by, and most kids will start skipping days with no word to me as to why.  That is one of the reasons why I will never again run a class for kids that is 90 minutes long.  The attention span is just not there.

To my knowledge, the teen class has never been full on the first day of any session.  There are currently five teens registered, and one of them is a member of the North Lawndale Boxing League who "represented" LaFollette in the recent City-Wide Boxing Tournament.  I don't expect that teen to ever show up.  The first chance I get, I'm withdrawing them out of the class.  If the class does fill up, that usually doesn't happen until the fifth or sixth week.  Even then, most who act like they are so interested to be there will stop showing up not long after they register.  I've already given out --against my better judgment -- paper registration forms to two teen boys who seem to more interested in posing as boxers than actually being boxers.  I haven't received the forms back.

Only one person, the first male I've had in there for awhile, is registered so far for the adult class.  Sahia is now a park district volunteer, so the fee is waived for her.  However, her daughter Rachey is not officially registered yet.  Doneisha's son Tony is in the kids' class, but she hasn't re-registered herself for the adult class.  I don't expect to see Misty again; she showed up very late in the winter session, and only one time.  She lives closer to Taylor Park, which is on the south side.  LaFollette Park is a long way to travel for a class.  I'll be surprised if that class becomes even half-full.  Despite advertisements and marketing on my part, most adults still aren't aware there is a boxing class for them.  Some do but expect to train for free, and get an attitude when they find out that isn't allowed.  
The only thing I can do at the point is to keep clamping down on rules and adding new ones as situations present themselves.  Marty, the coach at Simons Park, told me that the boxing program goes up and down.  "Some seasons you get a good group of people, and other seasons the coach is lucky to get one or two who are serious," he said.

Unsurprised At Curie

I sat at the second ring to judge fights when I arrived at the second and last day of the Chicago City-Wide Boxing Tournament.  During one of the matches, I overheard one of the officials stating that the fighters from LaFollette Park didn't show up.  The fighters from the North Lawndale Boxing League who were "representing" LaFollette were nowhere to be found.  I just shook my head, but I wasn't very surprised.  Based on what I observed of Derek's fighters last spring, I didn't get a sense there was much motivation to stick to things and finish them.  I deal with enough of that with the youths who actually are, for lack of a better word, eligible to sign up at the field house.  

Maybe there was some resentment over the poor showing of Derek's fighters on Tuesday.  I haven't forgotten the reports of those fighters throwing fits because they didn't get to take home winners' trophies last spring.  The people they were supposed to fight last night got walkovers, which means they automatically received belts because their opponents didn't show up.  Most fighters would rather win by participating in actual matches, not by default.  I haven't heard any fallout from the coaches of those fighters as of this writing.  If I do, I'm going to direct them to take up their complaints to Thomas.  After all, Derek's fighters are not officially mine.

The bouts went faster than they did on Tuesday.  Several of them were stopped by both Thomas and Gerald, who took turns being the referee of the fights in the ring where I was sitting near.  I recognized a kid, Jordan, who fights out of Portage Park.  I was impressed by his actions after he lost his match; no bad attitude whatsoever.  He immediately shook the hand of the other youth and complimented him.  Too many of the other kids who didn't do well were rolling their eyes and frowning up.  One guy threw his hand up in a gesture that said, "Really?  How did the other guy win?"  Another kid walked off in a huff after his hand wasn't raised, and Gerald had to call him back to pick up the second place trophy.

Another tournament is over.  I keep hearing that Derek's fighters will eventually have a gym opened up for them at one of the field houses.  I hope so.

47 Fights

I judged 23 fights at the Chicago City-Wide Boxing Tournament last night.  There were 47 fights in total.  Two rings were set up at Curie Park to handle all of the action.

Derek, who runs the North Lawndale Boxing League, had two of his fighters "representing" LaFollette in the tournament.  "Did Thomas talk to you about this?" Derek asked.  "No, he did not," I said as I made a face.  I kept wondering why I hadn't been told -- for the second year in a row -- that Derek's fighters were registered to fight out of my gym.  It was curious to me that Derek was allowed to check his fighters in when protocol states that I should have been responsible for that since it's my gym, not his.  Allegedly, Derek will have a gym within the park district soon.  But he doesn't have one yet.

I was in the mood for sarcasm and an argument.  But sometimes, it doesn't pay to say anything.  Another coach commented that the situation sounded "shady", and I agreed since it was apparent I was kept in the dark about Derek's fighters' participation until the last minute.  But things have a way of working themselves out.  Derek admitted that his fighters had no sparring experience before the tournament.  He grinned at how he made them run a lot instead.  "This ain't gonna go well for them," I thought to myself.

There were a lot of tough fights.  Just like at the Chicago Golden Gloves, few competitors show up with the intention of playing around.  That's why I didn't allow any of my fighters to register for the tournament.  People can't half-step when it comes to training regularly then expect to do well in a tournament.  If someone gets seriously hurt, I'm going to be asked why did I allow them to compete when it was apparent the fighter didn't train well or enough for it.  Some coaches will put someone in the ring knowing that the fighter is too green.   I'm not going to put someone in a match just because their name is on my attendance sheet.

An announcement was made from the ring across from the one where I was sitting that one of Derek's fighters lost their match.  I ended up judging the match that his other fighter was in.  All I saw was wild haymaker punches, poor footwork, and a lack of technique from his fighter.  The other two judges agreed with me, and the win went to the other youth.  

A Little Attention Would Be Nice

I understand that registration numbers are low for the Chicago City-Wide Boxing Tournament which is scheduled for next week.  That's too bad, but there are several reasons why that has happened.  I entered all of my attendance numbers for the winter boxing session and the results were worse than I initially thought.  That session probably had the lowest attendance numbers of any of the sessions since I've been at LaFollette.

During a conversation with another park district coach, there were echoes of problems that I also experience at my gym.  "The parents just don't care, and neither do most of the kids," the coach said.  Most of the coaches have the same complaint.  Boxing is one of the best sports in the world, but it ranks at the top as being the most thankless sport in terms of participation and support. Some parents and guardians are cool with the coaches until we tell them they can't have or do something in the gym.  Very few parents and guardians are willing to volunteer in the gym, help get youths to shows and tournaments, donate or help buy equipment, etc., but yet their hands are always out expecting something from the coaches.  Some only view the program as a free babysitting service.

One or two youths may appear in the gym during each session who show a healthy interest in the sport and are willing to put the work in.  I love when that happens.  Unfortunately, it doesn't happen enough.  Too often, I'm stuck with kids displaying behavioral and discipline problems, along with the ones who have no interest in being in the gym.  I have to accept everyone because it's a public-run gym.  Luckily, I do have the option of kicking the more difficult cases out of my gym.  Usually, they do me a favor and drop out on their own.  But then that often leaves me with no one to train nor to place in the competitions.  

The most popular sports in the park district -- football, basketball, baseball, and swimming -- have built-in marketing strategies that eclipse boxing at each and every turn.  They most certainly get more press in the advertisements, flyers, signs, and in the park district's newsletter.  When I have to attend physical instructors' training like I did yesterday, information about track and field, soccer, and field hockey is always being given out. Nothing is mentioned about boxing unless I and/or another boxing coach who happens to be at the meeting speak up. 

It appears that boxing doesn't get much attention.  It should be no surprise, then, about the difficulties in recruiting participants to register for a tournament, let alone sign up for boxing classes.

End Of The Free Ride

I forgot to mention in the last post that I called Jahnaja -- on my dime -- to let her know that this is the last week of the winter session.  Not long ago, I received an odd phone call from someone who claimed they were associated with the high school she attends.  They apologized for her not being at the gym lately because of projects she's been working on at school.  Jahnaja had told me she would be late to the gym during a weekday and not there at all on another day due to school.  But there's been no explanation as to why she has now missed weeks out of the gym.  "I hope you'll accept her back into the gym," the caller said on the voice mail.

Yeah, I'll accept her back even though she only showed up a few times during the first session she was in the gym three years ago, and never bothered to show up at all the second time she signed up for class.  But it will be at a cost.  She turned 18 years of age last month, so Jahnaja can no longer attend boxing for free.  When Jahnaja totally skipped out on the class the second time she was registered for it, I sent a letter home informing her that she had been dropped from the class.  She had missed too many days, and I had people on the wait list who wanted to sign up.  

At the beginning of this winter session, I told her mother that her daughter should take advantage of the class while she still didn't have to pay for it.  Her mother hadn't been aware that Jahnaja was signed up for this winter session.  No one who is under 18 years of age can sign themselves up for any park district activities; a parent or guardian has to give permission.  I was suspicious, so when I left a voicemail for Jahnaja yesterday, I made a point of letting her know that I know how old she is.  

Normally, I would have sent another letter home since once again, Jahnaja didn't attend class regularly.  But knowing that she would be an adult soon, I let things play out.  I don't kick adults out of the class unless they do something really egregious (like that time when De-Fetrick cursed me, Thomas, and Shifty out during a boxing show and stole an athletic cup from the gym).  Their penalty is losing the money they paid for the class.  Once class begins, there is no refund if adults decide to drop out.

Jahnaja is allegedly so busy (which makes me wonder why she signed for the class again) that I don't expect her to come back to the gym.  Hopefully, she'll learn that now that she's of age, there are no free rides at the gym -- or in life anymore, for that matter.  

The Number One Rule

Malik showed up a few minutes after the teen class had ended.  Mareli was the only teen who showed up for that class.  None of the younger kids or the adults came in either for their classes.  "Has anyone been coming in?" Malik asked like he did the last time he dropped in.

Why in the hell is Malik concerned about everyone else's attendance when he's only been here five days out of a 10-week session?  I thought to myself.  James always got on my nerves with asking about everyone else's whereabouts, too.  I wanted to tell Malik to worry about himself and what he needs to do and should have been doing as far as boxing is concerned.  Instead, I explained as evenly as I could -- again -- that Noel and Mikaela had to go out of town.  "Everyone else just dropped out of class, which is why no one in here is in the City-Wide Boxing Tournament this year," I said.  Malik quickly said goodbye and left the gym.  No explanation was given to me for being absent -- again -- nor when he was going to return.

I had the suspicion that Malik may have hoped I was going to change my mind and allow him to sign up for that tournament.  I don't deal with people's lack of accountability and lack of responsibility too well.  The number one rule of the gym is if people don't train, they don't get to fight.  Malik had no real excuse as to why he missed 45 days of training.  I will not send youths into boxing matches who I know haven't prepared and aren't prepared for them.  

Hanging At The Old Gym

I went to Loyola Park's boxing gym yesterday, and I realized how much I miss the place.  I kept thinking how I wish the adult boxing class at LaFollette ran like the adult class at Loyola.  But there are so many issues with the class (and the boxing program at LaFollette in general), the main one being attendance.  The adult class at LaFollette has also been predominately female.  Don't get me wrong; I believe in promoting the sport to women.  But I would like to have an equal number of males in the classes, too.  I'm very tired of teenage and adult males at LaFollette acting interested about joining the boxing classes, but not following through.

There were a lot of familiar faces at Loyola last night like Ben, Matt, Rojah, Michael, Kevin, Erica, and William, and a few new faces I didn't recognize.  A good amount of sparring went on.  Ben and Alan sparred at the end of the evening with Matt giving instructions to Alan.  Erica was calling out instructions to Rojah when he sparred with William.  I told Erica that she would make a good coach.  She told me that she does coach boxing during the summer at a nearby community center.

I didn't do a workout.  My lower back continues to bother me, and it seems that I'm walking slower and slower each day.  My left shoulder was bothering me, too.  I've been exercising several times a week, utilizing gentle (read: senior) workouts at home that I've found on YouTube.  What I need is a chiropractor, but there are no funds to pay for one at the moment.  This morning, I woke up with a headache and neck pain, so the workout I planned to do will have to wait until later.

Alan only has two guys -- Professor and Rojah -- in the Golden Gloves this year.  Everyone else begged off from competing for various reasons.  I plan to attend the Gloves, but I'll probably wait until the finals.

This is the last week of the winter session.  I'm hoping that it goes by fast.  I need a break.

No Contenders

There will be no one at LaFollette who will compete in the Chicago City-Wide Tournament this month.  Now I'm two-for-two since I had no fighters in the Chicago Golden Gloves (which began this week) either.  The Battle of the Badges is not looking good for participants as well since that follows right behind the City-Wide Tournament.  Everyone is going to have to wait until June when the regular Chicago Park District boxing shows begin.

Only a couple of the youths had a good reason as to why they couldn't train enough in advance of the City-Wide -- there was a death in their family.  No one else had good reasons for their numerous absences.  I have to attend the City-Wide because it's a big tournament and much help will be needed for it to run smoothly.  But I'll be going alone.

The last time Malik was in the gym, I told him he wasn't going to be in the City-Wide because of being absent for most of February.  Malik wasn't around much in January either.  The few times Malik dropped in, he kept telling me about having to go to the dentist.  Malik is wearing braces now.  However, that's a one-day procedure; it didn't take all of February to have those put on Malik's teeth.  I haven't seen him since I and suspect that's because of some disappointment/resentment.  But what these youths ain't gonna do is give me an attitude because of lack of accountability and responsibility on their part.  I keep repeating that I'm not going to chase people about showing up to the gym and doing the work.  Like my late mother used to say, "People seem to think I'm playing with them when I tell them something."  

James bought himself a ticket out of the program, perhaps permanently, when he revealed that he doesn't care for sports.  I like James, but I don't need kids in the program who aren't interested.  Honestly, I don't want the other youths who couldn't only show up but once or twice a week back in the class, either.  Those youths waste their time as well as mine because they can't devote enough time to the sport, and I can't allow them to do anything regarding sparring nor competing.