In Springfield, Illinois, a beacon of hope has emerged at the corner of Peoria and Black with the grand opening of the Springfield Boxing Club’s new gym on May 11th. The initiative, spearheaded by Tony Harris, aims to provide a haven for children to learn the art of boxing, free of charge.
The genesis of this noble endeavor traces back approximately five years, when Harris felt compelled to give back to his community. “About five years ago I thought I really need to put that back in what was paid to me, so I started building this building and here we are,” expressed Harris, reflecting on the journey to the grand opening with a sense of profound gratification. “It’s the grand opening and it’s just magical.”
For Jack Cunningham Jr., one of the driving forces behind the project, the motivation lies in providing constructive activities for youth. “Like I said, we are doing it for the kids,” Cunningham remarked. “It gives me something to do at night, I love working with the kids. If we get a champion, bonus. If not, I’m just glad we’ve got someplace for the kids to go.”
Drawing from their own transformative experiences in boxing, volunteer coaches at the gym are determined to pay it forward by affording young individuals similar life-altering opportunities. “With me, I wasn’t sure what to do my dad brought me out to the Springfield Boxing Club and it actually changed my life,” shared Harris. “It gave me the confidence to find me inside of me.”
Joe Lipsey, another dedicated coach, reminisced about his introduction to the sport as a pivotal moment in his life. “That’s where my fondest memories are, starting going out to the fairgrounds to the training centers they had and you’d hear these big guys hitting these bags and I’m just a little kid, carried away like this is kinda strange but at the same time I like it,” Lipsey recalled. “And I was hooked ever since.”
However, teaching boxing to youngsters isn’t merely about physical training; it’s about imparting invaluable life lessons. “You’ve got to use all types of analogies, illustrations, no matter how goofy it might sound, and then next thing you know the kid gets it,” Lipsey explained. Cunningham Jr. emphasized the importance of discipline and self-drive instilled through the training regimen. “Well life lessons is what we are shooting for,” he stated. “The kids, when they come in here and they train they’ve got to have discipline, they’ve got to have the drive and that’s something we try to instill in these kids. Make sure that they know that they have someplace to go, something they can do and when they leave, they are proud of what they’ve done.”
The Springfield Boxing Club’s noble mission exemplifies the power of community-driven initiatives in nurturing the potential of young individuals, shaping them into confident and disciplined members of society.