Blizzard & Boxing

 

High noon view of the front field Friday when the temperature was - 3 degrees and the wind was blowing about 20 mph with gusts 10 to 20 mph higher. The horizontal band of white along the center of the photo is not snow on the ground, but rather, snow swirling around due to the gusting winds. We received a phone call from the county about an hour later telling us they were pulling all the plows off the roads at 2:00 pm, so keep your ass home. 

We, meaning me, were prepared for this. When you grow up in the country back in the days before all of the technology, you realize the importance of self-sufficiency. If you want to see how dangerous these conditions can be, read The Children's Blizzard. We had a quick drop of temperature Thursday, but nothing like Cheyenne, Wyoming. It dropped 42 degrees in one hour. Remember the Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared.

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From an e-mail to the membership of USA Boxing:

“The future of boxing as an Olympic sport is in doubt, and the IOC has made it clear that unless significant changes are made, it will not be included in the program for the Paris 2024 Olympics and beyond. This represents a critical threat to the future of the sport, both at the elite level and grassroots. We have a responsibility and a duty to everyone connected with the sport to explore all possibilities and do everything we can to ensure boxing’s continued inclusion in the Olympic games, thereby providing opportunities and inspiration for boxers across the world and for all future generations.” 

I just renewed my coaching license with USA Boxing for another year, so this affects me as a member and as a fan of amateur boxing at the international level. As a coach at a small gym in a rural area, I'm pretty far removed from the politics of this, but I was aware of some of what was going on. It would be a shame to lose boxing as an Olympic sport - been an Olympic sport since 1904, I believe. 

The young man we took to Tulsa last year for the National Golden Gloves is dreaming of competing in the Olympics and actually has a realistic chance. He mentioned the other night about an event in March that might get him close if he were to win his weight division. I don't know much about the event, but it does warrant some investigation. We've been working on some things to improve his skills - in-fighting, jabs to the body, lateral movement, all the things necessary to be a more complete boxer. He needs to get more quality sparring but that's always an issue with a small club.