Boxing program taking shape

Man, it is so good to have a group of regulars who walk in the door and ask "Are we running or jumping rope?"   They know the warm-up.  They know what will be expected of them, and they show up ready to push themselves.

I do all the preliminary work with them: jog or rope, bodyweight / mobility drills, shadow boxing.

When it is time to work heavy bag,  I do a lot less work and a lot more coaching.

The thing I practice most during coaching is smiling.  Since I'm new to coaching kids, I'm probably saying what others have known for decades or generations, but its new to me. A kids will light up when a coach smiles and says "Great work! Just like that!"

There is one heavy kid, and he works HARD!  At the end of every class he's smiling with pride in himself and fist bumps me and says "Thanks, Coach!" I can't even explain how I feel afterwards. Humbled, maybe? Awestruck? Overjoyed, certainly.

The lesson I'm learning is the more I give, from a "right heart", the more I HAVE in me to give.  The logic makes no sense.  I remember in bad relationships telling someone "I've given you everything in me and got nothing in return.  I'm sorry, but my well has run dry!" I look back on that now and see my selfishness in that statement.  Meeting selfishness in another with the selfishness in yourself will always cause destruction.  Meeting selfishness with selflessness that comes from a right heart creates transformation.

Now that my heart is right I find that the more I give, the more the well opens up to enable me to give more and faster. The time spent with the kids is transforming me faster and more profoundly than I could ever transform them.

God continues to bless me daily, and I try to thank him daily. I'm not 100% consistent by any means.


Boxing class format:

  1. Cardio warm-up: (15 minutes)
    Option 1: 4 rounds jump rope (3min/1min)
    Option 2: 1 mile jog
  2. Mobility / Strength drills (15 minutes)
    Depends on the day, but usually 4 circuits of high rep work for: abs, legs, chest & shoulders
  3. Shadow boxing: (10 minutes)
    Newbies: Affords me time to show how to wrap, stand, and drill basics of footwork
    Regulars: They work 3 rounds on their own focusing on head movement and proper footwork
    Another benefit of shhadow boxing is it loosens up the joints involved in hitting before you get too the bag - great injury prevention.
  4. Heavy bag: (30 - 60 minutes, depending on how long the kids can stay)
    This is where the hardest work happens.  Lots of 1 on 1 coaching to get form down.  For those that are ready, I show combinations, especially coupled with moving in, out, or gaining an angle on your opponent.

    Every now and then, I'll send the kids one at a time to myself or another coach to work mitts during this period. There is no better tool for learning technique than mitts.

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