Coffee? Check. Music? Check. Energy? Check. I think. Do I have any energy left? It’s definitely been a long day. Will I match their energy? What kind of issues will they come in with? Wonder how school was for them today? Hope they listen well.
Alright, I have a moment; I need to pray.
These are all the things that go through my head before I teach my boxing class to kids. I would say that of all the classes that I teach as a boxing coach, classes involving kids are the ones that keep me on my toes the most. They pose the most challenges, from simple issues of a shoe not being tied to major ones of sibling disputes that carry over into classes.
And yet kids also offer the most rewards when it comes to observing their potential during class. Adults are amazing to teach, don’t get me wrong. There is much joy that comes from teaching each of my classes and individual clients in the sport that I love so much. I get so excited when I can get someone to snap a punch on the pads so hard that you could hear it from 100 yards away. But often the joys you see with training kids and youth are very, very different.
This brings to mind a scripture that is often expressed, but not until recently have I had the chance to truly dwell on it and gain new understanding about it, for many reasons. Psalm 127:3 states: “Children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.”
I think this scripture helps us understand one very sound truth, and that is in the work of ministry. I am truly blessed to be involved in the ministry of teaching boxing, while at the same time helping youth see their identity and worth in Christ.
And, every day that I teach kids, I take what Jesus said in Mark 9:42 to heart, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”
As a coach, I can have a lot of expectations for kids when it comes to boxing, and on some days, they couldn’t care less about meeting some or any of them. How I respond to and handle this reality is often the determining factor of how my classes usually go – productive or not so productive.
So back to that checklist that I started with. Sometimes, Monday afternoon kids’ and teens’ sessions for boxing are amazing, but that’s not always the case, because often Mondays are tough. Kids have just come off of a weekend that might have seemed to them like a mini vacation, and then they have get back into school. My kids’ class starts at 3:30 p.m. on Mondays, but a few kids always get there a little early. And let me tell you, I get an earful of how dreadful school is.
On a recent Monday, a crew of about nine kids came in for class and I noticed they were just spent, mentally. So, I reassessed, which is something I don’t usually do on a Monday. I’m pretty set on what we will learn for the week. But kids who are mentally exhausted, yet have high levels of pent-up energy, how do I deal with that?
I decided to get them doing circuit stations, meaning workouts with ropes, doing box jumps, climbing a ladder, working abs, and more. Lots of different activities to help them get out their energy and be productive in movement and exercise. After about 25 minutes of intense workout, I see that we have about 15 minutes of boxing class time left – and that is when the magic happened.
As I sat on a box, to come down to their level – since I’m a tall man – I realized that they were all suddenly eager to test their knowledge of what we call the “combo.”
“Aaron” stepped up to me and asked, “Coach, do you think you can do the combo with your eyes closed?” Challenge accepted. But before we start, he looks at me and says, “I’ll close mine as well.”
Talk about the blind leading the blind. Here is a sport that relies completely on vision in most cases, but what I learned from “Aaron” this particular day was so much more. I told him to let me line off the first punch. And just like that, with my eyes closed and his as well, we got all the students and his mom to verify they stay closed. We demolished that combo like a 12-piece nugget meal, with a large fry and lemonade. It was an awesome and incredible moment of rejoicing for me as a coach, but resulted in more empowerment and leadership for him. I think this is truly what coaching is all about.
I thank God for the blessing of seeing the joy of achievement from each of my students, not simply for what they can do today but what they will accomplish in the future for Christ. Our Christian walk takes endurance and truth. Endurance to live out the gospel and the life that Christ calls us to live. This is built over time, from trying and failing and getting up, to moving forward and embracing new opportunities to grow in our faith.
Psalm 51:6 perfectly relates to kids: “Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.” It’s heart posture that God wants for us, His children, so why would I not want that for my students?
I think the true blessing that comes with teaching kids, especially as a man of faith who aspires to follow Christ daily, is that in teaching I am shown the Father’s love. What I should strive to be is as good a father figure to them as possible. I want to teach them in the same way I plan to teach my own child one day. (My wife, Emily, is expecting).
Lastly, I want to say to fathers: no matter how you got there, biological or adoptive children, step fully into that role. Trust that God will reveal your steps daily to lead your little ones. The same applies to teachers. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6