Expert: Melanie Ley - 6/21/2007

Question
hi,
ive been training for about a year now, as a girl im finding it hard to stay focused and to keep my chin up...
i dont want this to sound like a sob story.

i am VERY dedicated, i make up every training session ive ever missed, i do my road work, my diet is good and i give 100%.

im the only girl training with male fighters, i do all the stuff they can do. i even beat them in drills sometimes.

my coach has said to me "if all my fighters trained as hard as you theyd all be champs". ive told him i want to fight and he has said that i will... im just getting so impatient.

after an incident where i got hurt sparring a guy, he hasnt put me back in the ring... how can i be a fighter if i cant spar??

im starting to think that my coach doesnt beleive in me...my style has improved exponentially since coming to his gym.
i had hope in a ladies only fight night in august, but it has since been cancelled.

when i started boxing i had people advise me against boxing, "a womans body isnt meant to be belted". ive used proving those people wrong as my motivation but i need more...

there just doesnt seem to be any carrot dangling in front of me for me to keep going.i love boxing, it has become a way of life to me. i dont want to go to another gym, i want a fight.

what does a coach look for when deciding that a fighter is "ready"

Answer
Are you talking about competing as an amateur or as a pro?  Most coaches won't put a boxer in competition until they have had at least 8 months of training so your trainer sounds like one who is doing the right thing.  Can you tell me what kind of "incident" happened when you were sparring?  Maybe the incident was something that caused your coach to want to wait before allowing you to spar and/or compete.  Mostly coaches look for good basic offensive skills and good defense.  However, because you have been training for a year, I would definitely ask your coach to be honest and tell you why he hasn't let you spar and when he thinks you'll be ready for a match.  You might not like his answer, but he IS your coach and the best judge of your capabilities.