Boxing Club seeks recruits to start training March 18

Two fighters win at Golden Gloves event.

By Alberto Ramirez

sac-ranger@alamo.edu

The Boxing Club is recruiting members to begin training March 18 for an Olympic-style boxing event April 27.

Each bout will have three one-minute rounds.

Boxing training is 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday in Room 260 on the second floor of the Loftin Student Center.

Training is open to any student at this college.

Coach Hector Ramos will choose students who have through training to compete in the event, Carrie Hernandez, senior student success specialist, said.

To qualify, students must be enrolled in six credit hours, maintain a 2.0 GPA, and have trained consistently with the club.

According to an event flyer, students must also provide two black-and-white passport photos and their birth certificate to compete.

“Normally there are six to eight bouts,” Hernandez said.

The club will be looking to recruit and train at least 12 to 16 qualified students.

Although gloves and headgear are provided by the club, Hernandez recommended students purchase their own gloves and headgear along with other items students are expected to purchase for themselves, such as hand wraps and mouthguards.

The equipment the club has on hand is well-used she said.

Hernandez estimated the cost of personal equipment to be $35-$40.

The club is registered with USA boxing as an official boxing gym, but has no ring, bags or mirrors for use in training.

“We’re probably one of the only boxing gyms in the country that’s registered without a ring, or bags, or mirrors,” Ramos said.

Training usually focuses on partner drills and conditioning, Ramos said.

The lack of equipment is not an impediment to learning the sport, Ramos said.

The crux of the sport lies in proper stance, punching technique and developing enough conditioning to be able to fight at full speed for all the rounds in the bout, Ramos said.

“The main thing is showing them the basics, and once they go through the basics, then they start working a little bit of cardio, because once your cardio goes out your basics go out,” Ramos said.

“You can teach a person for three months straight how to throw a perfect jab or perfect cross, but once they get tired, they forget,” he said.

On February 15, 16, and 17 nine members of the club competed in the San Antonio Golden Gloves.

Two members of the club, kinesiology sophomore Richard Tyler Morris and liberal arts sophomore Seth Gaitan, won their weight divisions.

Students fought three two-minute rounds at the Golden Gloves.

Ramos has fought professionally with a record of three wins and zero losses and is associated with Ramos Boxing Team on the South Side.

The gym, owned and operated by his father and brother, has been in business since 1999.

“March 18 we get all the new students and start from ground zero. The first workouts are learning how to stand basically for two hours,” Ramos said.

He emphasized that all skill levels are welcome and have a chance at competing in April.

“It’s a good way to meet people. It’s a good way to release stress, if you’re studying too much. You get a good two-hour break of working out. It’s free for students,” Ramos said.

“I think it’s a win-win for the students. They learn to defend themselves and get in shape.”

For more information, contact Carrie J. Hernandez at 486-0125 or email chernandez@alamo.edu.