For the love of the sweet science
New boxing club founded in Fort Smith
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, May 12, 2014
THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
Fort Smith's community services co-ordinator has launched a club with the aim of bringing a sport back to town - boxing.
"I decided to start a club because I simply love boxing," Cynthia White stated in an e-mail interview with News/North.
"It is a demanding sport that one can do on a number of levels, from non-competitive fitness training all the way to professional.
"The physical and mental demands of boxing are very unique. As well, I see it as a sport which draws a wide breadth of athletes, especially those who are not necessarily interested in mainstream sports."
The club - for males and females 15 years of age or older - will initially run on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from May 26 to June 26.
"Workouts at the club will include fitness training and fundamental boxing skills - so how to throw punches and counter punches, and general ring sense," said White, who will coach the participants. "We will also develop heavy and speed bag skills."
She added there will only be training in the beginning, and no competitive matches.
The club will be run as a program of the Fort Smith recreation department.
White plans to gauge the interest, and may then get the club registered and insured.
"Our big limiting factor to the growth and development of the club is financial," she explained. "There is currently no territorial sport organization for boxing, and we do not meet the criteria to form one at this time, so that limits our funding options. My hope is that we will be able to start sparring and competing in Alberta within six to 12 months, but we need funding for equipment.
"Everything we have now has been purchased through grants, but it is a limited amount of equipment, not nearly everything we need to make this a competitive club."
White is currently running an under-15 after-school boxing group on Tuesdays and Thursdays. About 15 boys and girls are registered, and about 10 show up for practices.
"I would run it as all one group, but we just don't have the space or the coaches," she said. "So breaking it up by age allows for me to give one-on-one time to each athlete."
Jessica Cox, chair of the Fort Smith Recreation Advisory Board, she said she thinks a boxing club is a great idea and a positive thing for the community.
"The more programming that's available, the more likely it is you're going to engage a variety of people," she said.
The response to the after-school program has been very positive, Cox added.
"Parents I've talked to whose children are in it are very enthusiastic about it."
Both White and Cox noted there have been boxing clubs in Fort Smith in the past.
Cox said the last boxing club was organized by an RCMP officer and ran for a few years until about 10 years ago.
White noted the new group is being called the Phoenix Boxing Club partly because of the town's recurring history with the sport.
"There have been other boxing clubs in the community over the years - we have had golden gloves champions even - and it just continues to regenerate in the community," she said.
As well, the room in the Rec Centre where the club will be situated was previously used by the Phoenix School, an alternate program of Paul William Kaeser High School, and there is an "awesome" painting of a phoenix on the wall.
White, who once boxed competitively as an amateur in her home province of Ontario, described it as a physically-demanding sport.
"This is a workout that will help you meet your fitness goals, for sure," she said. "But besides that, boxing is about discipline and respect. You cannot get into a ring angry. You must be clear-headed and respect your opponent, or you will lose."
While she will coach the club, White said she would welcome the assistance from anyone with experience to help make it a success.
"I am currently completing the requirements for my apprentice coach certification, which is the first NCCP level for boxing," she noted, referring to the National Coaching Certification Program. "I am hoping to do my club coach level this year."
White is encouraging residents of Fort Smith to try boxing, noting, "It is a great workout and a ton of fun."
