At the Austin Boxing Club on Chicago’s West Side, the sport known as “the sweet science” is being used to put young men on a path to success.
“It changed me mentally, because I became more like, disciplined. I learned how to control my emotions and anger.” Gabriel Ford told NBC 5.
Ford is fighting in Chicago’s Golden Gloves tournament next month along with Andre Rodriguez.
“I was a bad kid, real bad kid, and boxing really humbled me,” Rodriguez said.
Teacher Anthony Clark has helped these young men avoid the violence on Chicago’s streets by using boxing to help them remain focused on their goals.
“I've been teaching for 13 years. I've lost 17 students to gun violence,” Clark told NBC 5.
That heartbreaking loss caused Clark to add boxing to his already established non-profit, the Suburban Unity Alliance, which supports struggling communities.
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“These two young men, they're competing in the Golden Gloves Tournament. Not only are they become a better athletes under the tutelage of these coaches, but their grades are showing that as well," Clark said.
Those coaches, who are also former boxing champions themselves, say the sport kept them from following the wrong path.
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“I was once the same kid, I never dreamed that I could go the Olympics,” Olympic Bronze medal boxer Nate Jones said.
Former World Heavyweight champion and FOBA Foundation founder Fres Oquendo told NBC 5, “I was [on the] cusp of being into gangs, being into the drug trade and stuff like that, and boxing gave me hope.”
Teacher Anthony Clark said this challenging athletic outlet is offered free-of-charge, and could always use financial support from the community.
"This is living, breathing proof that boxing makes a difference, that positive opportunities make a difference,” Clark said.
