The Fraternity of Coaches' Meeting

Only Earl, Jaylin, and TJ showed up for the kids' class today.  Earl kept whining because he didn't want to spar with TJ.  Jaylin had already said he didn't want to spar, and I wasn't going to spar with anyone.  Finally I told Earl that he wasn't going to be able to pick and choose opponents in the event that he has a regular match.  Earl and TJ went around for two rounds without either of them suffering any major damage.

The teen and adult classes were canceled out because I had to go to a boxing coaches' meeting.  When I think that I'm the only one having to deal with certain issues at the gym, it's nice to know that the other coaches have encountered those issues at well.  We help each other with suggestions as to how to handle those issues as they come up.

The parents as volunteers issue has always concerned me.  I appreciate the help, but they aren't official park district volunteers.  I let it go when the parents were helping their own kids, but that can't happen anymore.  Sometimes that turns into the parents helping other people's kids. . . .other parents might have an issue with someone around their kid other than the coach.  So I have to figure out a way to diplomatically request that parents stand aside and let the coach run the gym.  If the parents don't want to follow the rule, the only option they have is to leave the gym -- and perhaps take their children with them.

Actual park district volunteers can no longer run the gym when the coach is out.  Tommy, the head of the park district's boxing program, told us, "When you're not there, the gym is closed."  I used to open up Loyola Park gym when Steve was absent, and later on, for Alan.  In some ways that is good.  If something went wrong while the volunteer was in charge, the coach would also get blamed regardless of the fact they weren't there.  But on the other side, if the coach has to be off for whatever reason, the participants miss out on training because the volunteer can't run the gym in the coach's place.

Tommy gave all of the coaches boxes of T-shirts to give out to the boxing participants.  Thankfully, Alan kept my box in his car for me so I could pick it up from him next week.  Otherwise, I would have had to drag it home on the train.  I still have T-shirts from last year.  Not every participant received one; too few people showing up at the gym on a regular basis, and fewer than that actually competing.  This year, I might be able to give more of the T-shirts out.

Wild, Wild West Side Sparring

Jaydon (in the red shirt) faces Earl during a sparring session, and it was not pretty.  Earl pleaded with me to not put him in with TJ (whom I mistakenly kept referring to as Tyrone) because he didn't want to take another shot to the nose.  I figured he would have an easier time with Jaydon, but it was a little too easy.  Jaydon kept dropping his hands, turning his head, and generally not defending himself.  Earl took advantage and kept socking Jaydon.  After Jaydon took a shot to the face, it was over.  Jaydon started crying, and I stopped the sparring.  I had to move on to the next sparring session quickly, so I didn't get a chance to talk to Jaydon about what happened and how we could fix it.

Terry didn't fare much better with TJ.  Terry was doing the same thing as Jaydon was, including throwing both of his fists out at once.  "One punch at a time!  Use the other hand to protect your face!" I admonished.  Terry kept turning his back on TJ.  "Stop, stop doing that!  Stop that habit!" I snapped.  Finally, after taking too many shots, Terry got a little angry.  I could see it in his face when he caught TJ in the ribs with a left hook.  "Good!  Keep doing that!" I said.

I put Deja in with Michael, but that didn't last long.  Michael started off the first round crouching down too low.  "She's taller than you, Michael.  Don't do that," I told him.  Deja was focused, measuring out the distances, and getting a lot of hits on Michael.  Michael kept covering up and backing into corners.  Michael was throwing wild punches, none of which reached Deja because she was always out of range.  Michael tried to run out of the ring but got caught up in the ropes.

Michael's mom wasn't having it.  "Boy, get up and fight!" she said.  The second round barely started before Deja got the best of him again.  Michael rolled out of the ring under the ropes.  "Get back in!" his mom said, but Michael shook his head.  That time, Michael's grandfather voiced his opinion.  "The next time he spars, put him in with that girl.  I ain't going for that boy playin'.  Let that girl beat Michael if he doesn't fight back.  That boy ain't gonna be embarrassing me.  I'm serious!" he told me.

Derrick Jr. returned to the gym, but didn't stay for the teen class that he's in.  But he was a great help to me in getting the equipment ready and helping the younger kids with their hand wraps.  As a favor to me, Derrick (on the right in the photo above) agreed to spar with Jaylin.  Jaylin is in sixth grade and a little too tall for most of the other kids in the class.

Jaylin always seems to do well when his dad is helping out with his training.  But Derrick Jr. proved to be too slick and fast for him.  Jaylin was hardly throwing punches at all, continually backing away and running from Derrick Jr.  Jaylin's dad was none too happy with his son's performance, and he kept urging his son to get into the mix.  Derrick Jr.'s punches made a mess out of Jaylin's face.  "Take it easy, Derrick!" I said, but Jaylin's dad didn't want to hear it.  "No, let them go.  It's good for Jaylin!" he said.  I wasn't about to let Jaylin get knocked out, however, no matter how much his father wanted him to keep pushing.

Several of the kids, Michael, in particular, kept going on about how Jaylin was bleeding.  "We see it!" I snapped, as I tried to keep focused on the action in the ring in order to keep further damage from happening.  They did a total of three rounds.

Then Michael's mother started talking about how her son needs to learn how to fight.  She told me about a couple of bullying incidents where some kids at school hit her son, but her son did not retaliate.  I could agree with her to an extent.  But sometimes I wonder if it's a good idea to always expect kids to fight back with exploring other alternatives with them.  My mother always told my younger siblings and I to "hit hard enough so they don't do whatever it was they did again".  But Ma often failed to tell us that sometimes, people have to pick their battles, and putting hands on every and anyone is not always the answer.

Deja and I had the last sparring session of the day, since her and Michael's time was cut short.  I told her to go in on me a little bit, and she did.  She's getting more comfortable in the ring.  Now I have to work on Michael, Jaylin, and Terry becoming more comfortable in there.

My Ann Wolfe Moment

Now I have eight people in the adult boxing class.  Steve, the park supervisor, said, "We might have to add the adult class back onto the spring schedule."  I hope so, just as much as I hope those who are in it now continue on.

Benny, Darryl, and Dominick are three new guys in the class.  All three told me they wanted to get in shape and have something to occupy their time.  All are in their twenties.  As I faced them as I was holding the punch mitts for them, I had an Ann Wolfe moment.  She is a former professional boxer who is now a trainer, and she was training James Kirkland.  When those guys, three young bulls, were attacking the mitts, I felt like I was at the beginning of training some guys who will do well.

The adult class was busy when Kier, one of the kids who plays football and basketball, sauntered into the gym.  Kier has an annoying habit of touching everything in any room that he's in.  He was fiddling around with the equipment on the table, while going on about the basketball game, and anything else that popped into his mind.  I was giving him "uh-huh" and "hmm", hoping that the kid would take the hint and leave.  He didn't notice my lack of responsiveness.  I was keeping my eye on the adults and stepping in whenever I saw they needed help.  I told him it was the adults' time in the gym.  Yet he still asked me, "Are they all adults?"  I refrained from rolling my eyes.

"Kier, you can't be in here because this is the adult class.  They paid to workout in here," I told him.  Thankfully, the kid left without any further conversation or whining.

The time that the teen class takes place looks like it's going to be an extended break time for me in-between the kids' and the adults' class.  No sign of Merinda, Jaquan, Kody, or Derrick Jr.  It bothers me when some of the teens' parents ask me, "How is my kid doing in here?" and I can't give them an answer because I haven't seen them.  Even more of a concern is the probability that the teens may be telling their parents, "Yeah, I'm going to the gym," but they are actually elsewhere, and the parents don't know that.

What Ice Cube Said In That Song

I fixed the snafu involving one of the kids who did not appear on my attendance sheet.  Another staff member, I don't know who, filled out a paper form when the parent came in and did not transfer the information to the computer system.  I had already told the parent that their child was welcome to continue in the class regardless, but luckily, we both found out that they were actually registered.

It was another busy day with eight of the thirteen kids who are in the eight-to-twelve year olds' class.  Another new kid, Jaydon, came in.  "I want to spar with Terry on Friday.  We go to the same school, and we're both in third grade,"  he told me.  Terry is a little skinny guy.  Jaydon is heavy-set.  I will have to monitor that sparring session very, very carefully.

Michael was playing around a little too much, consistently teasing Deja.  Deja asked me, "Can I spar with Michael on Friday?"  "Yes!" I answered enthusiastically.

I had all of the kids working on footwork.  I put the cones on the floor, and one of the boys commented, "This is the same thing we do when we play football!" The kids really seemed to like skipping and jumping over the cones, so I'll find time for them to do that in each class.

None of the teens came in, so I had some time to do some paperwork.  Jesse signed up for the adult class today and came back in with his dad.  Jesse's dad used to box, so he was also giving tips to his son.  A young woman, Yami, came in, and at first I thought she just wanted to ask questions about the class. Actually, she also had signed up.  That brings the grand total of the adults in the class to seven, the largest amount of adults I've had since that class was added.   Both Jesse and Yami are eighteen years old.  Jesse's nine year old brother, Rafael, came in to watch.

Today was a good day, because a lot was accomplished.  I'd like to keep that momentum going.

Attention and Attendance

Ah, Michael. . . . such a likable kid, but it seems he wants attention all the time.  I wondered if Michael was an only child, but I remember him telling me that he does have at least one sibling who is younger than he.  We went through the usual back and forth about his hand wraps, which the boy still can't seem to to learn how to use.  Every time the wraps came loose, Michael was next to me, pestering me to fix them.  He was also asking me a thousand and one questions while I was trying to concentrate on the kids who were sparring.  Michael scooted out of the gym as soon as he learned the game room was open.  

A check of the attendance lists shows that I have thirteen kids in the eight-to-twelve year olds' class.  That's too many, in light of the fact that the park district has said that none of the classes may have more participants than is stated.  I suspect that other staff at the field house signed up those extra kids and just overrode the class limit on the computer system.  I also believe that one of the kids is not actually signed up as their parent told me.  I re-printed the attendance list for that class a second time to better reflect who is in the class.  That kid's name didn't show up.  That is now a sticky situation for me. I don't want to create conflict with the parent.  I may have to let that kid in to ease the situation.

Dan Jr.'s father showed up to ask if there was any way I could fit his son in the class.  One of the staff gave me the impression that he had shown up a few days ago to attempt to register.  I asked the staff member to let the dad know the class was full.  I had extensive conversations with Dan Sr. before about registration times and the importance of signing up Dan Jr. as soon as possible.  People are busy -- I get that.  But I don't understand what parents don't understand about deadlines.

I also don't understand what some parents don't get about making sure their kids are in class on time.  Tardiness throws off the schedule, especially on the days when sparring takes place.  There has to be enough time to warm up and shadowbox beforehand.  Both Earl and Tyrone were late, so all they had time to do was a quick warm up.

Tyrone proved to be a scrapper when he was sparring with Earl.  I would have let them go three rounds, but Earl would not come out the corner when the bell rang. His parents and I kept asking him what was wrong.  Earl kept shaking his head.  Finally, he spoke up and let us know that his nose was hurting.  Tyrone had caught him in the face.  There was no bleeding, fortunately, but Earl was down about having taken the shot.  Earl was done for that day.  He put his coat on and sat in a chair until class was over.

Now I have five adults in the adult boxing class, but only one, Bridgette, showed up to train.  She had been missing most of last week; work was to blame. Marisha hasn't been coming because of work, either.  I see where Dan (another Dan) signed up again, but it's doubtful that he's going to participate this session, either.  A pair of brothers signed up, too, but they didn't make it in.  Another person, Benny, told me he was going to sign up.

Then there's Kody.  His mom knows the eight-to-twelve class is full, so there's no room for her son.  Kody, like Michael, is another likable kid who just won't do what they are supposed to do when they are in the gym.  I had communicated that to Kody's dad some time ago.  However, it looks like both parents still want him in the class.  Kody will not be thirteen until the summer.  His mom explained again that Kody doesn't get out of school until later, so he would not be able to be on time to the earlier class anyway.  I proposed that she enroll him in the teen class.  If there is a problem, I can override the system to put him in.

However, I continue to have concerns about Kody playing around and interfering with the other teens who actually do train when they are there.  Kody has not indicated that he wants to compete.  Fine, but I don't want the other teens being distracted from their goals of winning fights.

Found out yesterday that my flyer for the boxing class is finally done.  I put in the request back in the middle of November, and the winter class has already started.  Steve has to make copies, however, because whoever made the flyer didn't do so.  They just emailed him the finished product.  Sigh. . .it doesn't take much for me to become irritated.

I'm A Six-Day Gal

I was surprised to see snow coming down when I left my apartment for the gym. All day long, I stayed inside, throwing out old clothes and books.  Neither the radio nor the television was on, so I didn't hear the weather reports.  The snow did not keep most people away from Loyola Park, however.

Leon sparred with Robert.  "Leon could head hunt all day with no problem," I thought as I watched them.  Leon is taller and bigger than anyone else.  Alan warned Leon to keep his punches above the belt when a few of the punches came in too low.  Robert stayed in for the three rounds, but he was struggling.  "That is tiring!" Robert said afterwards.

David sparred with another new guy in the gym, and moved around well.  Alan commented, "For someone who hasn't boxed in about seven years, he has good hands."

I sparred with both Kathy and Kira.  The two women presented two different challenges to me -- getting around Kathy's long arms, and avoiding Kira's heavy hands.  Kathy was moving fast around the ring, so I had hustle my bones to keep up with her.  Kira is heavier (not fat, however) than both Kathy and I.  Alan initially didn't want to put me in with her because of my movement limitations.  Like Kathy, he advised me not to trade punches with her.  So I took my time, and came in under her straight punches to attack her middle.

I also spent time involved me helping people use the equipment.  I work five days at LaFollette, but I also help out at Loyola Park when I'm there, so in reality, I coach six days a week.  But I enjoy it so much.  I could be in a gym seven days a week, but everybody needs a Sabbath day of rest.

In other news, I was very pleased last night to see Sylvester Stallone win a Golden Globe for his acting in the movie Creed.  He received a standing ovation when he got up to get the award.  "My imaginary friend, Rocky Balboa, is the best friend I've ever had," Stallone said.  A lot of real life boxers view the Rocky character as a boxing icon, and give Stallone respect as if he was a real boxing champ.  Stallone was good in that movie.  He deserved the honor.

Laying Out The Rules

In the photo above, Tyrone and Earl work with weights at LaFollette Park.

I have begun to re-enforce the rule that no one can spar if they don't have their mouth pieces with them.  Unfortunately, Deja and her brother Terry forgot theirs, so they couldn't spar.  Michael kept bugging me about wanting to spar with Jaylin, who is way too tall and big for him.  I ended up sparring with Michael, who kept head-hunting and relying too much on his right hook.  Michael was giggling a lot and turning his back on me as well.  We have to work on changing those habits.

I sparred with Jaylin at the suggestion of his dad.  I had to watch out.  Jaylin is about 12 years old, but he's taller than me, and his punches are heavy.  I got caught in the ribs many times.  I appreciate that his dad works with him while his son is in the gym.

Dan Jr. missed out on signing up for the kids' class, which is now full.  I told that boy to make sure to tell his dad to get to the field house ASAP to sign him up.  Either Dan Jr. didn't tell his dad in enough time, or dad drug his feet, thinking he had a lot of time.  Deshaun's mom forgot to sign her nephew up as well.  The kids' class has consistently been the most popular of the three classes I coach.  I keep telling the parents and guardians in so many words, if they snooze, they lose.

I've also changed how I coach the kids to an extent.  Now, all the new kids who come in get taught a couple of punches each day.  I had a habit of showing them all the punches in one day.  Many of the kids would begin showing up sporadically to class from day one.  I figured if I didn't at least teach all of the punches at one time, the kids would have problems catching up later on.  But I can't rush through techniques just because some kids don't show up regularly to the gym.

A few kids kept asking me where this kid or that kid was.  "I don't know why they aren't here.  I'm not going to call any one's house to find out where they are. I figure if they signed up, they really wanted to be here," I replied.  I said that last bit especially for the parents who were in the room.  Some of them are responsible for bringing their kids in because the kids can't get there on their own (or the parents don't want them going there on their own).  I want to make it clear if their kid doesn't train on a regular basis, I'm not about to put them in a real match with someone else who takes training seriously.

Boxing Resolutions

I know this is a little late, because I haven't put much interest into making New Year's resolutions for several years now.  However, I've had some things on my mind.

1.  I used to allow extra kids into the youth boxing classes, especially during the summer, even if the classes were already full.   Praise God that the Chicago Park District sent the word out that instructors and recreation leaders can no longer do that.  No matter how much parents beg to put their kid in, I will not bend to pressure.  If that doesn't force most parents to keep up with when registration begins, I can't help them.

2.  I'm going to continue to measure out whom I'm giving my attention to in the gym.  I will bend over backwards to help those who really and truly want to be there.  But those who keep playing around, whose attendance is scattered for no good reason, who aren't self-motivated, etc., I'm not going to put all my energy into trying to keep them focused.  Either they want to be there, or they don't.

3.  I'm not going to make myself crazy by believing that every one who talks about signing up for the gym actually will do that.  Some of the kids have annoyed me with that because they never tell their parents -- whom I must have permission from -- that they want to be in the class.  But they keep whining to me about putting them in.  Many adults talk themselves out of the class with the same breath they've told me that they want in.  "I don't know if I can make that time," is one of the many excuses I keep hearing.  When they actually sign up, then I will take them seriously.

4.  I will continue to put the hammer down on those who aren't in the class, but want to goof around with the equipment.  It took awhile, but fortunately, I have managed to train some not to do that.  Coach James, whose equipment storage area is also located in the boxing gym, has helped me with that as well.  But there's always someone who didn't get the memo, and I will have to check them.

5.  I'm not dealing with those who have problems with a woman being a boxing coach.  The other twenty boxing gyms in the Chicago Park District system are run by men.  The majority of the private boxing gyms are run by men.  People are free to go to another gym if a) they believe I'm not qualified, and b) people have issues about taking orders from a woman.

6.  I'm going to keep training myself, because I need to keep improving my skills in order to teach them to others.  I also need to get my health in order.

7.  I'm going to read more about boxing, attend more live matches, watch more matches on TV, as well as watch the numerous videos of fights and techniques online so I may keep myself educated.

The Worrisome Kid

There was an episode of "Good Times" where JJ was really getting on the nerves of his dad, James.  James told his son, "Boy, you are some worrisome!"  I was thinking that while dealing with Michael in the gym today.

Michael came in, hopped up to me, and announced, "I'm late!"  He proceeded to spend most of the class fooling around with his hand wraps.  Several times, Michael kept whining, "I can't. . . .I don't know how to do this!"  "Michael, I've already showed you how to do that many times.  I am not going to wrap your hands every time you come in here.  You have to learn how to do that yourself!" I said as evenly as I could.  Yelling and snapping doesn't work with a lot of kids, something I've had to learn the hard way.  I also had to remember how I didn't appreciate either of my parents doing that to me.

However, even after both Devian and David attempted to show him how to wrap his hands, Michael didn't wasn't getting the concept.  Michael kept wrapping his arms instead of wrapping his wrists, wrapping his thumb too many times, etc.  "This is your wrist, Michael," I said in exasperation, as I pointed to it.  "Don't they teach parts of the body in school anymore?"  "No! That's why I don't know," he answered.  I shook my head to myself, took a deep breath, and patiently showed him again.  Michael still didn't get it right.

I had forgotten that David takes swimming class once a week, which is why he wasn't in the gym yesterday.  I was glad to see him.  I was glad to see Dan Jr., too, but unfortunately, his dad neglected to sign him up for the winter session.  I told Dan Jr. to make sure his dad signs him up as soon as possible.  Then Kody strolled into the teen class later.  "Miss Hillari, I have a question.  Can I still sign up for class?" he asked.  "I need your parents' permission.  Ask them to call me or have one of them come here to sign you up," I told him.  Maybe that won't happen, especially after his dad learned how Kody plays in the gym instead of training.

Only Meranda showed up for the teen class.  No sign of her cousin Jaquan nor Derrick Jr.  Her mom asked if she could work out with her daughter due to her own scheduling issues.  Park district won't allow that, so her mom has to figure out what days she can attend the adult boxing class.

No one showed up for the adult class.  But just as I figured, now that the class is not on the schedule for the spring, I'm receiving a lot of inquiries about signing up for the winter class.  I've been telling everyone, "Sign up now, because if it looks like no one is interested, the park district will discontinue the class."  I really want to save that class, but if the adults keep promising to sign up, but not following up on those promises, there's not much I'm going to be able to do.

Winter's New Challenges

Don't get me wrong.  I like Michael, one of the new kids in the gym.  He signed up early, and I allowed him to start training during the break period between the fall and winter sessions.  But does that boy love to run his mouth.  Plus, Michael doesn't listen.  When it comes to putting on the hand wraps, Michael seems to think I'm going to put them on him every time he shows up.  My patience was being tried when he kept saying, "I don't know how to do this," even though I gave very clear instructions about how to use the wraps.  Michael also jetted out of the gym early to go hang out in the game room, which is down the hall.

Outside of Michael, Devian and two new kids, Deja and Terry, showed up for the eight-to-twelve year olds' class.  I was disappointed when David didn't show up. I'm hoping he comes in soon.  That class only has one slot left open before it is full.

I'm already worried about Jaquan, who along with his cousin Meranda, signed up for the teen boxing class.  His aunt Marisha said something about him also playing football as well.  Coach James had suggested that he also participate in another sport in addition to boxing.  If that happens, that'll yet be another kid who won't be showing up consistently in order to learn boxing skills.  As I held pads for them, I noticed that Meranda had more pepper on her punches than Jaquan did.  We'll see how long the interest lasts for the both of them.

There's only three teens in that class so far; Derrick Jr. didn't come in yesterday. I'm hoping he can convince his cousin Kishaun to return as well.

Surprisingly, the adult class showed some signs of life.  There's only two signed up -- Jaquan's aunt and Bridgette.  Bridgette was the only person who showed for that class, and she really liked it.  I was impressed when she told me she had lost 80 pounds doing other exercise program.  "I still have more to go, and I need someone who's going to show me what to do," she told me.

The adult class is still on hiatus for the upcoming spring session due to lack of a high number of participants.  Maybe if I can re-position it as an aerobic boxing class, more people might register.  That may not go over so well with some adults who may be considering competing.  It would attract other adults who don't want to spar and just want to get in shape.

I've been slacking off on exercise these past two weeks, so I plan to work out with the adult class to get back on track.  Whatever I'm telling them to do, I need to do myself.  That also may encourage others to stay in the class as well as encourage their friends and relatives to sign up.

Busy Start To 2016

In the above photo, Alan stands in the middle of the ring at Loyola Park with the new people who signed up for boxing.  This week begins the winter session at the Chicago Park District.

Alan, David, and Connor were already in the gym when I arrived.  A couple of new people showed up, and I thought, "Wow, that's all?"  "Alan, what do you need me to do to help?" I asked.  "It depends on how many people come in," he answered.  Then a whole lot of people started streaming in.  Of the people who came in, there were two who hadn't been in the gym for awhile:  Deb and St. Louis.  In fact, I had seen St. Louis at Colonel's funeral, and initially didn't recognize him there.

I got in some licks on the heavy bag before Alan turned the newbies loose on the equipment.  After that, I alternated between answering questions from the new people and helping the guys who sparred get suited up.  One of the new guys decided he wanted to spar his first day there.  Alan allowed him to get into the ring with Connor.  Another new guy, a second guy in the place named David, also sparred.  I learned that David was Alan's third cousin.

Rochelle, another new person, wanted to see some women's boxing matches.  "Where can I go to see them?" she asked.  "It's hard to find them, because women fighters are not often featured in boxing shows, not even on the under cards," I explained.  But I did tell her about the Chicago Park District boxing shows, and the private boxing shows.  I also directed her to places on the Internet to get notices about upcoming fights in the area.  Next time I see her, I'll remember to tell her about the matches she can see on YouTube.

St. Louis wanted me to throw punches at him while he practiced defense.  We were in the ring for two rounds.  I had to push myself to keep up with him because he was really moving around.

Tomorrow, I will face my own set of newbies at LaFollette.  I hope them and the returning kids all show up so we can get things started off right.

The Last Of The Year

Yesterday, it looked as if only Alan and I were going to be using the gym at Loyola Park.  But then Ben came in and later, Professor (shown in the photo above).  "Leon is outside trying to park his truck," Professor told us.  Leon never came in, however, so we assumed that he gave up trying to find a spot.  I wanted to tell him that Emmanuel may stop in the gym, now that he knows that Leon has taken up training again.

Kenny had told Alan and I that he will stop in the gym.  Alan told him that he should.  I'm thinking it may be too soon.  The man just buried his dad over the weekend. He needs some time.

Alan was going to have me spar with Ben (shown in the photo), but I had made up my mind earlier in the day not to spar.  It wasn't that I was feeling physically out of it.  The past several days had been an emotional drain with feeling sad about Colonel and watching my stepmother contend with her health issues.  My mind just wasn't into it.

I am looking forward to the beginning of January because I want to see who is going to show up for the first day of boxing class at both Loyola Park and LaFollette Park.  Alan told me he's probably going to need my help because usually, the first day is mobbed with adults.  My 12 years and under class is nearly full.  I know a few of the kids on the list, but the rest are surprises.

Mary gave me some good advice regarding parents who put their kids into boxing in order to prevent them from being bullied.  "It's not a self-defense class. We teach Olympic-style boxing, that's it.  We're not preparing kids to go out and use the skills to just beat up on others," she said.  I will remember that for when the next parent comes to me with that "I want my kid to be tough" line.

Colonel's Day

I attended Colonel's funeral today.  It was a sad affair, as most funerals are.  But one of speakers said he didn't think that Colonel would have wanted anyone to be sad.  I believe that, too.  However, there were many, many tears shed.

As Colonel had been a pilot with the fire department, they were well represented at the funeral.  They took turns standing guard on either side of the casket.  Next to the casket there was a display of pictures.  I saw my name on a piece of paper.  Upon closer inspection, I recognized it as an email I had sent Colonel.  He had asked me to send him copies of some photos I had taken of him at Loyola Park boxing gym.  On the email was a picture of him hitting the heavy bag that I had taken.

Colonel was very good looking as a young man.  There were plenty of photos showing him as a soldier in Vietnam.  A particularly nice picture showed Colonel sitting on a couch with his wife; they made for a very attractive couple.

The person who oversaw the funeral at the funeral home told us near the end that although we'll miss him, we have to let Colonel go.  It was true, but it is still hard for me to come to terms with the fact that someone who was so lively is gone.

Alan drove me home and he said, "Everything starts up again tomorrow."  It will be a short work week.  People will be gearing up to show out for New Year's Eve.  Life goes on.  But a void created when a much loved person makes their transition doesn't close up so easily.

Small Crowd Boxing

A small crowd was at Loyola Park's boxing gym:  myself, Alan, Connor, David, and Jason.  It's often nice to be in a gym when it is not crowded.  I try to convince the kids at LaFollette Park of that when they express concern about there not being enough people there so they can spar.  I figure they'll appreciate having all of the room sometimes when they become older.

Connor and David started off the sparring action.

Alan sounded like boxing analyst Teddy Atlas when he kept telling the men, "Stop posing and move around!"  David actually offered his chin to Connor a few times. Afterwards, Connor stated why he wisely didn't take the bait.  "I figured that I would get caught by something," he grinned at David.

It looks like Connor and I are posing in this photo.  He was moving around just fine.  I kept trying to figure out how to get around his arms.  He would pop me with a straight right followed up with an uppercut to the body.  It was a good combination that kept me off of him.  "I kept thinking, 'I have to keep Hillari on the outside' -- that was my strategy," Connor said afterwards.

Alan doesn't use Facebook very much.  However, I "tag" him in the photos I take, and most of them show up on his page.  "Could you take some photos of me?  I want to do a Facebook thing," he said.

I later posted the pictures on his Facebook page.  "I like the comments I get there on the boxing pictures," he told me.

A Tough Guy and A Good Guy

I received notice that Colonel (real name, Ken) passed away yesterday.  It is always hard to receive news like that around the holidays.  The last time I saw him in person was at the LaFollette boxing show back in July.  I had heard from a few times via text messages (I have a raggedy cell phone that's not completely reliable).  The last message asked me to call him soon.  I made promises to myself to do so, but I never got around to it.  Now I regret that.

Colonel was a Vietnam war veteran.  He did not go into deep details about his time in the service.  But he said enough to let us know that it was no picnic.  After the service, Colonel joined the Chicago Fire Department where he remained until he retired.  He knew both boxing and martial arts, and he coached both.  Many of us at Loyola Park benefited from his knowledge.

He kept us laughing down at the gym.  The man had plenty of stories to go around.  There were a lot of off-color jokes he said that I wanted to put in this blog, but I couldn't.  But trust me, the jokes were funny.  There were also the stories about how he had to handle his business on people in the street who mistakenly thought Colonel was an easy mark.  He also had good advice, too.  I was helped greatly by his insights after I was unjustly fired from the church I used to work and attend.

What I will remember most is his attitude about his health condition.  It was kept quiet for awhile, but eventually it was revealed that Colonel was dealing with cancer.  Despite of everything, Colonel never let it get him down.  He was still doing his workouts, and just living his life.  Colonel was moving and getting around better than most guys twenty and thirty years younger than he.

I will miss him greatly.

My First Time at Fifty-Four

My first time sparring at age 54 was with Kathy, who is in the photo above.  She continues to improve greatly.  It was not my night, however,  She stepped in, got her punches in and stepped back out.  I was plodding along, spending more time avoiding being hit, than getting punches in.  Alan advised her to keep circling around me, and she did.  I tried backing her into corners, but she was already several steps ahead.

Professor caught David up against the ropes in this photo.  The two men claimed they were going easy, but it looked as if they had gone to war.  They got some good sparring time in.  David continues to improve on his skills.  Later, I heard Professor giving him some more advice.

Leon (on the left in the photo) sparred with Ralphie.  But Ralphie had enough after about a couple of rounds.  Then Leon took on Professor.  Professor held his own against Leon.  Leon threw a hook that missed, because Professor timed it right and avoided it.  "If that had landed, it would have sent him home," Alan commented.  Then Leon hit Professor in the ribs with a hard right hook.  Both Alan and I winched.   "That hurt me," Alan said.  He kept telling Leon to go easy, but Professor wasn't bothered by Leon's swings.

Finally got a new pair of glasses.  I'm showing them off in the photo above.  Since the last pair had been battered many times while I held the punch mitts for the kids at LaFollette Park, I'm going to be extra careful with the new pair.  They will go inside the eye glass case from now on before I put the punch mitts on.

David vs. Devian

I was waiting at the bus stop yesterday when Kody called to me from the back seat of a car he was riding in.  Turns out his dad was at the wheel.  I got a ride down to the field house.  His dad wanted an honest answer about how Kody was doing in the gym.  "He has a lot of potential, but Kody doesn't work out as much as he should," I explained.  "I know Kody is in there playing with the other kids and goofing around.  You don't have to tell me," his dad said.  Kody was silent. I had the feeling his dad had heard the same report before from Kody's school teacher.  His dad told me he would talk with Kody's mom to see if they will agree to sign him up for the winter.

Later, David got his wish when Devian, a new kid, showed up at the gym.  I was happy that Devian showed up too, because that meant I did not have to spar with David.  Besides, I wanted to see how well David could do against a kid closer to his size.  I also wanted to see more of what Devian already knew, since he told me he regularly boxed with his cousins.

Devian had his chin up in the air too much, and David took advantage of that.  Devian was also taking too long to take action.  "Be first!" I told him, as his mom, David's mom and sister, and Derrick, who showed up early for the teen class, looked on.  David loves to head hunt.  I'm trying to get him to remember to also throw punches to the body.  Both boys had their hands down too often at the wrong times, and they did not use all of the room they had in the ring.

However, Devian threw enough punches to cause David's nose to bleed twice.  I have to give David credit.  He's had his nose bloodied up before, but he never cries, doesn't scream or yell.  He takes it and keeps going.  His mother jumped to attention to clean him up.

Today was one of those slow days when no one comes in to train.  I had a few inquiries about the program, and I washed the hand wraps.  Other than that, it was extremely quiet in the gym.  Once again, I made mental plans as to where I want the two combination speed bag/heavy bags stands that the park district ordered for the gym to be placed.  I smiled to myself when I noted that I might not have to worry about those stands or any other equipment being tampered with during next year's summer day camp.  I learned that the refrigerator in the kitchen on the other side of the gym has to be moved.  There's inadequate ventilation in that room.

That means no kids trampling over the gym area to get their breakfast, lunch and snacks during summer day camp.  That will certainly ease my mind, as well as save my vocal cords from screaming at the kids all day.

Birthday Boxing

Today was my birthday, and I received warm hugs from David, his cousin Darlene, and David's mom.  Darlene showed up earlier than usual, so she and David sparred.  My Spanish is not that good, but I could pick out that David's mom was telling both him and Darlene to be serious while they were in the ring. The kids were giggling throughout the three rounds they sparred.

Kody came in, but as usual, not much of a workout was done.  "I've been in boxing two years, right?" he asked me.  "No, it's been less than a year," I answered.  Then Kody pointed out that he had been signed up a few sessions before along with his brother Kyle and his cousin Deshaun.  It still hasn't been two years, just a little over a year.

A new kid who is signed up for the the winter session came in, and he has some skills.  He explained that he had been boxing from time to time with one of his cousins who boxes.  It did not take him long to get the concept of the punches.  Now all I have to do is help fine tune the skills he has.

I met the person who is the head of the area where the field house sits in.  "So you are the only female boxing coach with the park district?" she said.  She wants to come by sometime and observe the class.  I hope there are enough participants during whatever time she stops in so she can get a good idea of what goes on.

Admonished and Popped

Kathy shadowboxes shortly after her and I sparred.  She has shown vast improvement.  I was moving my head, and I managed to duck under some of her punches.  But I couldn't avoid all of the punches, however.  Kathy popped me straight in my nose and left me stunned.  If there had been just a fraction more of power behind that punch, comedian Chris Tucker would have been standing over me yelling, "Hillari, you just got knocked the 'eff out!"

Professor got a blast in on David in this photo.  But David is improving.

David was whopping on Ralphie as this photo was being shot.

Over the weekend, I met up with my oldest friend, Clintonia, whom I've known since Kindergarten.  Once again, she admonished me when I told her I had been sparring with the kids at my gym.  "Hillari, no!  Just no!  You don't need to end up with brain damage!  You could get a better job than being a boxing coach," she said.  I keep trying to explain the world of boxing to her, but she's not convinced that any of it is good.  She keeps trying to convince me to go back to substitute teaching.  I like working with kids in the boxing gym.  I gave up being a sub because I didn't like working with kids in regular classrooms.  Too much stress, frustration and unnecessary drama.  I respect teachers, but I don't ever want to do their job again.

"But you're not making money there," she said.  I admit that if I was working full-time at the hourly rate I get at the field house, I would be a little better off financially.  But it's not always about money.  Sometimes it's about enjoying doing what you like and being satisfied with that.

Creed and Coaching

Creed is part of the long running Rocky movie franchise, but it is different from the rest.  First of all, the main character is not Rocky Balboa, but Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) who is the son of Rocky's late friend and rival, Apollo Creed.  Adonis has been raised by his stepmom Mary (Phylicia Rashad).  Adonis was bouncing back and forth between foster care and juvenile hall after his mom passed, and Mary took him in.  Adonis walks away from a successful nine-to-five career to box full time.  He approaches Rocky to train him.

The fight scenes and training scenes were well-filmed.  As usual, people from the real boxing world -- Michael Buffer, Tony Bellew, Andre Ward, Max Kellerman, Jim Lampley -- were placed in the movie to give it authenticity.  This movie also proved why boxing movies continue to be made -- boxing is a metaphor for life.  Every character in the movie is fighting for and against something.

I watch boxing training videos on YouTube as much as I can.  I'm always made aware of how I need to constantly improve my coaching methods as well what the students in my classes need to learn.  When I see movies like Creed, I'm inspired even more to be the best coach I can be.