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. 

Chances Going Down Or Gone

Sahia, Richey, Noel, and Mikaela are fine.  They just took an extended vacation.  They should be back in the gym this week.  But I can't guarantee that of everyone else who has been missing for past month.  

Looks like I'm going to keep the gym open during the break between the winter and spring session since the City-Wide Boxing Tournament will take place during that time.  But I'm not going to allow everyone to register for it.  Malik is dangerously close to being denied a chance to compete.  He'll have to show up every day from this point on in order to get a spot.  Iz and Abrahant's chances are already gone because of their constant absences which they had been warned about many times.  Based on Kaylib's lack of urgency to do what he had to do to enter the Chicago Golden Gloves, I'm going to demand that he sit out the City-Wide as well.  That's if Kaylib ever shows up to the gym again.

James won't be a factor, either.  I talked to his parents about his statement to me about not liking any sport.  His parents are dismayed, but they have known that about their son for some time.  They also aren't happy about James only wanting to play video games constantly.  His father told me that they are keeping James out of the gym for awhile until his attitude changes.  His parents aren't the first ones to complain about their kids' obsession with video games as opposed to participating in more physical play and activity.  What I'm not understanding is why don't they just take the games away from their kids?  Different parenting styles than from what I grew up under, I'm guessing.  My parents may not have brought the video games from the jump.  Since playing the games uses electricity, my mother, in particular, would not have allowed my younger siblings and me to play them often.  If we kept playing them obsessively, the games and consoles would either have been locked up, sold back to the game store, or thrown out.  

Confession

James confessed to me that he doesn't care for sports.  I had long suspected that James' interest in boxing wasn't high.  Now I know the lack of interest extends to all sports.  James is not that athletically inclined.  Most of his cousins are athletic, and his half-sister plays sports.  James' dad played sports when he was young so the expectation is that James must play sports, too.  I wondering if I should tell James' dad about his son's feelings and how to tell him if I do.  I'd rather not see any youth being forced to participate in an activity they don't enjoy.

Unfortunately, society operates on gender stereotypes that lead to situations like this one.  I assured James that his non-interest in sports is fine.  However, there are people who criticize and make fun of males who don't play sports nor are rabid fans.  I would not be surprised if James has already been bullied because of that type of thinking.  Some will question a boy or a man's maleness because of that which is totally wrong.  Please. . .I know of straight men who think sports are a waste of time and gay men who have season tickets to major sports games.  

Thomas sent out the schedule for the Chicago City-Wide Boxing tournament and The Battle of the Badges tournament.  Youth amateur boxing matches do take place at The Battle of the Badges before the regular bouts between the cops and the firefighters.  Youths can only sign up for that the day that tournament takes place as I understand it.  But Thomas has scheduled several days for the City-Wide registration.  

Noel and Mikaela told me they wanted to participate in the City-Wide.  I haven't seen them for days, and it continues to worry me.  Malik hasn't been training regularly for weeks.  I've grown tired of Malik popping into the gym to tell me why he can't come to the gym and/or why he wasn't in the gym that day.  I'm only going to participate in the City-Wide registration for one day.  I can't afford to close down the gym for several days in a row to accommodate every one's personal schedules.  If people can't make it on the one day I can go up to Margate Park for the registration, then they won't be in that tournament.

Missing and Run Down

The registration for the Chicago Golden Gloves is this weekend and on Monday, but I won't be there -- again.  Kaylib was the only person in the teen boxing class who was eager to enter that competition.  However, Kaylib disappeared from the gym and didn't bother to tell me about a hand injury.  I had to call his house to learn about that.  At this point, it's probably safe to assume that Kaylib won't return to class, either.

James keeps pointing out that several of the kids in the 12-years-old-and-under boxing class keep being absent.  Maybe James should worry more about his weight.  I keep finding candy and pastry wrappers in the boys' washroom.  James has a habit of going into the last stall in there and staying for a long period of time.  Initially, I thought James was playing video games on his phone.  As a courtesy to ReRe, the attendant who normally cleans the washrooms down in the gym, I started checking them before I locked up at the end of the day.  One of the last times James hid in the washroom for an inappropriate amount of time, I yelled, "You're not eating in there, are you?"  "No," James replied in a guilty manner.  The very next time I checked the room, I found a candy wrapper stuck in the hand towel dispenser.  A hand dryer has replaced the towel dispenser, but maintenance never removed the dispenser.  I guess James thought, "I'm gonna be slick this time."  Not quite slick enough.

Iz and Abrahant have been gone for over two weeks.  I'm beginning to believe they have dropped out of the class.  They have never put in a full workout since they've been in the class.  They're always late, even during the summer months.  Twenty minutes is about all they usually get done.  Maybe they came to the realization that a short training time wasn't enough.  I am also aware there was some disappointment when I cut down sparring from two days a week to once a week.

I have to give Damaris credit for showing up the two days of the week that she's able to do.  But just like they did three years ago, DeShawn and his cousin Felicia, who can only show up one day a week, have basically stopped doing that (along with their cousin Armani).  Jayda has continued her pattern of not showing up to class just like she did two years ago after only attending a few times.  Angelo, who was my best scrapper in the program this season, has vanished, too.  I called his home to find out what happened, got the voice mail, and never heard back.  

Attendance in the teen class is down, too.  Malik keeps running in every other day to either tell me he can't come to class or why he wasn't in class.  As I predicted, Janaja has become a no-show once again like she was the last two times she registered for the class.  Ceasar comes in on and off, but his brother Richard keeps missing days.  Ceasar's friends Melissa and Ximena have a lot of absences, too.  

The adult class has been very quiet as none of them have been in class for some time. But then, a lot of people have been out ill due to the flu that has been coming down heavily this season.  I've been feeling run down lately, but I haven't caught what everyone else has caught yet.  I hope I don't.  

Boxing and Bureaucracy Don't Mix

Donesha didn't make it to the meeting, but Sahia met with me, Thomas, and Steve about the fundraiser.  There isn't going to be a fundraiser this month as planned.  Apparently, there are many steps (read: hoops) that have to be gone through in order to have one approved.  Frankly, I'm not much in the mood for navigating bureaucratic mazes.

If I had discretionary income to play with, I'd buy what I wanted to place in the gym and just turn in the receipts afterward.  But the fundraiser wasn't only about equipment.  Not all parents and guardians are just dumping kids and teens off in my class because they don't want to be bothered with them for an hour.  Some parents and guardians are appreciative that boxing is free because they want their youths involved in something that is positive that won't strain their budgets.  However, there isn't money in their houses to pay for extras the youths may want like boxing tops and trunks, extra mouthpieces, and boxing shoes.  There have been youths who haven't been able to attend boxing shows and tournaments because of transportation issues.  Some have dropped out of the class because of that.  Those are some of the reasons why the program hasn't grown much over the nearly four years I've been running it.  Steve keeps telling me that having more kids in the class would be justification for me getting extra resources.  But it is what the park district does NOT provide and apparently can't provide which adds to the frustrations and challenges I have to face in the gym.

Teens have come to me asking about entering the Chicago Golden Gloves.  When I tell them they have to pay for a license, plus pay a registration fee on top of that, I notice the shift in their enthusiasm.  If I could afford to come out of my own pocket to make sure they were able to compete, I'd pay for it.  But on my part-time salary, I can't, so I just have to watch potential champions slip away.  The sport can show youths there is a world of other opportunities outside of the 12-to-14 block neighborhoods they live in, but if extra assistance is not available to help them, that's an issue.  

For every enthusiastic kid I encounter, I have to contend with several who don't have clear reasons why they want to be in my gym.  Yesterday, three teenage girls plopped themselves down on the equipment table during the 12-years-old and younger class.  The girls took too long to answer when I asked them why they were in the gym, so I said in a clipped manner, "This is not a hangout spot."  Finally, the ringleader told me that someone sitting up at the front desk sent them downstairs for me to sign them up for the class.  I suspect that some recreation leaders and instructors play fast and loose with the registration process.  I don't.  I told the girls their parents had to give permission for them to be in the class or they were not going to be in it.  Sahia, who appears to have more patience with youths than I ever will, asked the ringleader why she wanted to take up boxing.  The girl shrugged her shoulders and said, "I just want to be in it."  That wasn't a good enough answer for me.  The other two didn't state their reasons at all.  Then the ringleader indicated she and her crew didn't want to spar or compete.  I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes as I explained I'm not going to teach self-defense.  

That's What I Get For Trying To Be Helpful

Looks like the fundraiser that Sahia and Doneisha had graciously stepped up to plan for the boxing program may be dead in the water.  It appears that management is not supportive of the event, nor wants it to take place.  I can understand some of their reasoning why a fundraiser shouldn't take place.  There is a budget for boxing equipment, and there is a warehouse of sports equipment somewhere.  However, I was already told that this year's budget is small, and I may not get everything I want.  I also know that from the past, items I have asked for from the warehouse haven't always been available.

Sigh. . .I don't mind admitting that I'm "feeling some type of way" about this latest development.  It's not just about the equipment.  I've had kids drop out of the program because they could no longer afford the bus fare to get to the field house.  Some can't make it to the boxing shows because of the same reason.  Other kids have wanted items that the park district does not provide for, like boxing shoes, for example.  It would be nice to present awards for most improved boxer, boxer who won the most fights that year, etc., but that's a separate charge as well.

The major sports teams in town support the park district's football, basketball, and baseball programs.  The aquatics program gets good support.  But the boxing program has no powerhouse organization that regularly lends support.  Individuals and businesses have to be approached to possibly donate or the coach -- if they can afford it -- comes out of their pocket to fill needs.

I have to explain management's concerns to Sahia and Doneisha, which I know is not going to go over well with them.  At the moment, I have to throw my hands up in the air because I don't have an alternative plan to deal with this situation.  It's a common theme in my work life going back to the late 1970's:  I initiate something that I intend to be helpful only to have it blocked.

The Good Group

Sahia noted during the teen class that it was a good group.  They all work when they are in the gym, and Noel and Makaela have been great at helping the others out with techniques and exercises.  Kalib is talking about signing up for the Chicago Golden Gloves.  Caesar, his brother Richard, and Melissa have been doing well.  

If only the kids' class was running that smoothly.  The class is now full, but a few of the kids who signed up have yet to set foot in the gym.  Jayda, who was in the class over two years ago, re-registered for it, but she has already missed days of class.  She told me that her friend Rosemary planned to sign up again, and I inwardly groaned.  Neither girl did much in the gym the last time they were in the class.  Iz and Abrahant were not in class again day with no explanation.  

However, a nice addition to the kids class is Angelo, a cute half Black, half Puerto Rican kid.  He's been hitting the ground running since he joined the class.  Angelo has very good form, too.  He told me that an uncle of his has a home gym.  I'm thinking that Angelo may have received some boxing training from the uncle, based on the way he moves.

The fundraiser is shaping up nicely.  I was able to print out fliers and hand them out to the kids to pass around.  I sent a note to Marty at Simons Park to ask him if he could bring some boxers from his gym to spar with mine on the day of the fundraiser.  It would be nice if Marlon at Portage Park can bring some boxers over to spar, too.  It'll be in late February.  

No Messages and No-Shows

Sahia, Rachey, Mikaela, and Noel returned to boxing class yesterday, and I was glad to see them.  They arrived as the teen class began, and that class was hopping.  A new guy who is 6 foot 2, Kalib, joined the class.  He's had a little training in the past, but I still had to go over most of the basics with him.  Mikaela, Noel, Ceasar, Richard, and Melissa went through their workout fine.  I noticed that Jahnaja strolled in late, but I didn't comment on it.

Iz and Abrahant did their usual habit of consistently showing up a half-hour late to the kids' class, too.  I had to get on Iz about him and his brother disappearing for two days last week with no notice.  This week is only the second week of the winter session and already I have had to deal with unexplained absences and no-shows.  "I was feeling a little sick last week," Iz said, an explanation that covered the first day he was out, but not the second day.  I should have received a phone call on the second day.  And why is it every time one of the brothers is sick, the other one decides they're not going to attend class?  It was the second time I had told them about the new attendance policy.  That was the last time I'm going to warn Iz and Abrahant about the consequences.

There are also a few in the kids' class who haven't made it in yet.  I gave a courtesy call last week to the home of one kid named Abshoun.  "I forgot that class has started," his mother told me.  Well, her memory was really faulty because her kid wasn't there all that week.  Looks like her kid ain't gonna be in this week, either.  Another girl, Jayda, signed up, but I haven't seen hide nor hair of her.  That two more "kicked out of class due to lack of attendance" letters I'll probably have to write.  

Unfortunately, Malik is getting dangerously close to missing out on competing in the Chicago City-Wide Tournament.  He's still not registered for the teen class.  I called his grandfather twice after Thanksgiving last year to give a reminder about the sign-up dates.  I didn't get a response.  I also told Malik several times during the holiday season to remind his grandfather to take care of that.  "I can't remember the park district's website," Malik told me as he stood before me on his cell phone yesterday.  What, kids don't know how to Google?  I'm in my late fifties, and it seems I know how to navigate technology better than most young people.  

The website wouldn't load probably due to connection issues because we were technically in the basement of the building.  Sahia pointed out that people may no longer be able to sign up for boxing online which made sense.  Only so many online slots are open before the in-person registration begins.  "Your grandfather has to come in here and sign you up," I repeated to Malik for the umpteenth time.  There's not a lot of openings left in the teen class.  If his grandfather keeps hesitating, I'm not going to be able to make room in a full class for Malik.  If Malik is not able to re-join the class until the spring session, that will seriously cut down on his training time for the Chicago City-Wide Tournament.

Sahia couldn't stay for the adult class because she had an appointment elsewhere.  However, I was glad that she was able to connect with Donesha, Tony's mom before she left.  Alexis didn't show up again for the adult class, so Donesha was by herself.  But she got a good solid hour of work in.  She also does exercises outside of the gym, and that is very helpful.

Someone called the field house looking for me.  One of the teen girls was sent downstairs by Tina, the gymnastics and dance instructor (and summer camp coordinator) to tell me I had a phone call.  The staff knows that I don't leave the gym during the kids' and teen classes to come upstairs for any reason.   I've ceased making it my problem that they keep forgetting that. "Tell her to take a message," I told the girl.  The girl did not return with the phone message.  Neither did I find a message when I came up to the front desk at the end of my shift.  I have to assume that either the caller didn't want to leave a message or the person who answered the phone didn't bother to take one. Unfortunately, the latter scenario is the probable one.  It's happened before.   

I Don't Know Folks Like That

I had an "I don't know folks like that" moment today.  When I arrived at the field house, there was a woman waiting to see me about registering for the adult boxing class.  Everything was cool until it was revealed that she had no money to pay the fee.  "I was wondering if I could sign up now and pay later," she told me.  "The registration system doesn't allow that.  Everyone has to pay up front and in full," I informed her.  "The guy at the front desk told me that you could take care of me," she said.

The guy in question was the seasonal sports coach.  He did tell her that I could take care of her but only in terms of giving out information about the class.  The man didn't tell her anything along the lines of "Coach Hillari can give you a hookup", but that's what she heard and expected.  She gave me a line about wanting to learn self-defense, but she admitted she saw the writing on the flier that stated boxing is not a self-defense class.  "Fists are not going to stop bullets or a knife and boxing is not designed to fight off multiple attackers," I let her know.  Another twenty minutes went by with her expecting me to make some way for her to take the class without paying for it first.  I was late starting the kids' class because it took too long for her to figure out that the park district doesn't do installment payments.  

I've seen this movie before in other gyms, and it never ends well.  The coach has a heart for someone who can't afford the fee for whatever reason and lets them into the gym.  Several weeks or even the whole session goes by and no payment is made.  Sometimes the supervisor checks the attendance records and puts the person out of the gym.  Most times, the coach has to keep needling the person about payment until they leave or the coach blows up and runs them out of the place.  Now I might give a break like that to someone who had been in the gym previously because I know they'll make good on paying up.  But I'm not about to take a chance on someone who just walked in off of the street.   

Surprised On The First Day

Jahnaja showed up to class on the first day of the winter session.  "Surprise, surprise, surprise!" as Gomer Pyle used to say.  So she's back in the teen class for the time being.

Another surprise took place when Ceasar and Richard walked in.  They hadn't been in the gym for about three years.  They've become bigger, especially Richard.  He used to be shorter than both Ceasar and I.  Now we both have to look up to him.  Ceasar had been signed up before class began, but Richard wasn't.  When I sent Richard and his dad upstairs to register, someone at the front desk sent them back to me.  "They said you have to come upstairs and do the registration," Richard said.  "And they know I can't come upstairs when I have a class going on," I answered.  I've been there nearly four years and some staff members still don't understand that.  I told Richard's dad that I would take care of the registration later so he wouldn't have to make a second trip up to the field house.

Melissa is a newcomer to the teen class, and she did very well on the footwork exercises.  She, Ceasar, and Jahnaja all can enter the Golden Gloves.  However, I told them it was an option.  They could wait and enter the City-Wide Tournament in April.

James returned to the youth class, as did Iz and his brother Abrahant.  No adults came in, but I expect Sahia and Chay to return later in the week.  It was a pretty chill day, and it looks as if all three classes may shape up well this session.

Already Kicked Out Of Class

Most everything I needed to get done in the boxing gym at LaFollette Park is done.  This week will be quiet until the winter session begins next week. 

I've already written the withdrawal letter to send to Jahnaja's mother.  I spoke to her mother in mid-December.  "She's busy with stuff because she'll be graduating from high school next year," her mother told me.  I was also told that Jahnaja would call me to confirm whether or not she'll be attending the boxing class.  This is the third time she's signed up for it and not completed it.  She didn't even bother to show up at all the last time she registered.  The new attendance policy states that people can't miss two weeks of class without an explanation.  But based on Jahnaja's track record, I don't have the patience to wait and see what she's going to do.  As far as I'm concerned, she's already kicked out of the teen class.  If she doesn't show up the first day, the letter will be dropped in the mail.  I'm done dealing with no-shows to the class.

My patience has also been low with parents and guardians who won't get it in gear to sign their kids up.  I've told Malik a few times that he needs to send his grandfather in to re-register him for the teen class.  I've left voice messages for his grandfather.  Malik's name has not shown up on the attendance roster yet.  Chasing people to re-sign up for the class is something I seldom did in the past.  This is the year that I stop doing that completely.  I'm also done with frustrating myself about other people's lack of motivation and being proactive.  I'm not interested in excuses as to why people don't do what they need to do at this moment.  

When I last checked the class registrations, numbers of the youth and teen classes were low.  No one has signed up for the adult class at all.  So much for a rush of people signing up as part of New Year's resolutions.  

Looks like I can forget about having anyone in the Chicago Golden Gloves this year.  Mikaela and Noel want to get more park district fights.  Other than the City-Wide Tournament which doesn't take place until early spring, there won't be any other park district fights until late June.  I'm not going to encourage any of the new teens who have signed up for the winter class to compete in the Golden Gloves because they won't have enough time to train for it.  Anyone planning to participate in that should have been training at least three months in advance of the registration dates which are in mid-February.  I've heard people grumbling that the park district bouts are little more than glorified sparring sessions.  But that is not the case at the Golden Gloves where people fight as if their lives depended on it.  

I don't know if I mentioned that two staff members are gone.  Both Leonard and Pam were transferred to other field houses late in December.  I miss them.  Their departures did little to cut down on the constant gossip and backbiting, unfortunately, something both Leonard and I were always irritated about.   At least I can hide down in the gym and have some peace from the whispers as most of the staff seldom come downstairs.  

Birthday Boxing

Yesterday was my birthday.  Sahia, Noel, Mikaela, and Shay held a nice party for me in the gym.  I was extremely appreciative.  I knew they were going to get me a gift (actually, I received several from them), but I was truly surprised by the gathering.  

That was only the second birthday party I've had in my entire life.  No joke.  The first one happened on my 27th birthday.  I won a free party at Coconuts, a dance club that no longer exists.  Twenty-nine years is a long time between parties, but that's okay.  Some of the leftover food came home with me, while the rest I left at the gym.  Coach James told others in the field house there was food available, so several of the kids he coaches came in to get some.

I snapped this photo today of James.  James is not sure if his dad will sign him up for the winter boxing session.  Tony plans to return, and so does Sahia and her children.  Malik told me his grandfather was going to register him for the class again.  I'm assuming that Iz and Abraham will sign up again, too.  I need to get a flier out for the next session and an upcoming fundraiser as well, but the staff computer at LaFollette has been down for days.  Both of the computers in the supervisor's office are working, but Steve's been on vacation. Unless Tina is on the premises -- she appears to be the only staff person who has a key to Steve's office -- and I come in a little early, I'm not able to use those computers.  Having worked for years as an office support staff person, I find it frustrating now not to be able to have my own computer at work so I can get my work done.   Today is the last day the gym is going to be open for the year.  I need to spend a lot of the break time doing administrative tasks but that requires being able to use a computer.  I wish the park district would invest in having more computers available at all of the field houses.  

The Writing Coach

I wrote a piece about boxing and posted it on a website called Vocal.  This is the link:

But I Might Break A Nail

In the process of writing and re-writing rules for LaFollette's boxing gym, I got the idea to write some opinions about my experiences in coaching.  I have some more ideas for boxing articles to post at Vocal, and I hope to do more.

James' Surprise Punch

For the first time in a while, there was blood on the canvas during a sparring match on Wednesday.  James took some rough face shots from both Iz and Abrahant during sparring.  But James caught Abrahant a few times and bloodied up his nose.  I was surprised because James' punches often don't land where they should.  I'm always reminding him to stay in his stance and focus on where he wants the punches to go.

Today, I announced to those in the gym that next Friday a group picture will be taken.  Sahia (Mikaela, Noel, and Shay's mom) and I are planning a fundraiser in order to buy some needed extra equipment for the gym.  The group picture will be featured on a flier in order to help create interest in the fundraiser.  I also need to make new fliers for the class in general.  It's too late this year to have the event because the fall session is ending, and most have already stopped showing up to class.  But it needs to take place as early as possible in January to set the tone for next year.  Coach James was also very helpful in giving Sahia and myself ideas for the fundraiser.

Ariel stopped in the gym, and she looked very well.  I wish she could come back to the class.  But she's busy with high school (an A student, by the way), and she has a part-time job.  

Another major focus for next year is getting more adults interested in the class. The park district's emphasis has always been on kids, but the adults should get some attention, too.  

Hustle At Humboldt Park

Malik was a no-show at Humboldt Park's boxing show, as was Gael.  Mikaela and Noel weren't able to attend.  James had decided that he wasn't going to participate.  So that left Iz and his brother Abrahant.  There was absolutely no one for Abrahant to have a match with among the other fighters who showed up.  Iz had a chance -- twice -- to be paired off with someone.  Unfortunately, it was determined that Iz was too tall and had too much of an arm reach, despite the fact that in comparison to the other boys, Iz had no fight experience.

Iz, Abrahant, and their parents decided to go home.  Tony and his mom were there, but Tony did not opt to fight.  They wanted to watch the show to get an idea of what goes on.  Tony's mom pointed out that Iz, Abrahant, and their parents should have stayed to watch as well.  I agreed, but I had gone through the same thing too many times with other parents.  If their kid has never had a fight, it would be a good idea to check out the fights so they know what to expect if and when they do get their chance in the ring.  Instead, people become discouraged, disappointed, annoyed, etc., and they leave.

I ended up judging again, and Alan acted as a judge, too.  There were eight fights in total.  Tony's mom was surprised that one fight was allowed to go to the end, despite the fact that one boy was bleeding from his nose.  Another fight showcased a boy who had good head movement and footwork.  The boy won, but I wished he had thrown more punches instead of constantly dancing around the ring.  

Harry, a heavyweight, won his fight against another heavyweight named Dominic.  Harry wants to come up to LaFollette and get a workout in.  I told him he could come in on Friday, but I informed him that the field house was closing early due to Veteran's Day.  The gym was open early, but the only class that was going to take place was the one for those twelve-years-old and younger.  Harry didn't make it in, but I hope he comes in soon.

Iz and Abrahant showed up to class a half-hour late as usual.  When they learned the field house was closing a half-hour after their class ended, they wanted to stay for the extra time.  Considering that I had to have time to put away the equipment, grab my things, and lock the gym, the answer was an automatic no. Time management is something the two brothers haven't gotten a handle on yet, and I wonder sometimes if they ever will.

December Shut Down

James told me, "Miss Hillari, I've changed my mind about Humboldt Park."  I wasn't very surprised when he told me he wasn't going to the boxing show later this week.  James seemed more interested in going just to see friends and relatives who live near that field house.  Neither was I surprised when Gael didn't show up to class.  Gael and his sister haven't been showing up on the days they said they could come to class.  I was surprised when Iz and Abraham said they planned to compete in the show seeing how it didn't appear they had much interest earlier.

I've decided to shut down the gym for the rest of the year on the day after my birthday next month.  For some odd reason, the park district schedules the fall teen and adult boxing classes to end the week before Thanksgiving, and the kids class to end the first week of December.  In order not to confuse anyone and to make things easier for me, I decided to have all of the classes end on the same day.

The idea of fundraising came up again.  But I learned that as an employee, I can't go out with cap in hand to solicit funds.  It works better if it comes from a parent.  Mikaela, Noel, and Shay's mom told me she would like to help with that.  I appreciate that very much.  I don't need much in the gym, but I need what I need.  We're going to talk about it more and see what we can come up with.

Absenteeism and Tardiness Don't Make For A Strong Program

I was surprised when Ben walked into the gym last night.  I thought he and his family had moved out of the area, but they still live near the field house.  Ben plays football, a sport he took up while he was still registered for boxing.  I'm still trying to figure out why Ben wasn't okay with taking punches yet is okay with being tackled on a field.  It was good to see him, however.

Tony's mom pointed out that Gael and Jennifer were standing around instead of working out.  "The girl doesn't seem to be very interested in doing this," she said.  Gael is more interested in boxing than his sister.  At the end of the class, Gael told me he might show up on Thursday.  I'm not betting on that.  Gael and Jennifer are supposed to attend the gym three days a week.  However, they only have been showing up one day a week for the past few weeks.

Iz and Abraham didn't show up again.  No call from them.  I may or may not get an explanation for their absence when they decide to return.  James was talking about everything except boxing, as usual, and I had to keep reminding him to do the next item on the workout list.    A couple of years ago, the adult boxing class was the weakest link in the chain.  Now it's the 8-to-12 year olds' class.

There needs to be a stronger attendance policy.  When the parents of the few kids who regularly attend class start commenting about the chronic absenteeism and tardiness of the other kids in class, it's time for a change.  The numbers in the classes have to be considered, so I can't kick everyone out who consistently slack off about showing up (although I would love to do that).  But unfortunately, I also have to deal with kids who were on the wait list, begged me to get in, and who are not going to class, either. The program suffers constantly because of those factors.