More Than Throwing Punches
Boxing Teaches Lifelong Skills, DISCIPLINE, CHARCATER, & MORE
By VIVIAN LaMOORE, EDITOR
On a cold, raining, and windy Wednesday night in November, the M’ Ali Meshakwad Community Center was alive and the intense energy was palpable. In the north corner upper-level, the Davis Boxing Gym was equally active where several kids were focused on finishing warmups of 30 sit-ups, 20 push-ups, and four laps around the track. One young boy was having a hard go with push-ups. Giving up wasn’t an option. Harry Davis led the boy to the chest press machine. This machine gives a similar motion to push-ups helping to build the chest muscles along with biceps and triceps, and is helpful for beginners and seasoned athletes alike. The rest of the kids gathered around and helped the boy count and encouraged him as he finished his push-ups, and all walked away with smiles.
The kids all wanted to finish the warm-up session so they could get to work practicing their jabs, hooks, uppercuts, and learn new combinations. They were there to learn to box. The reality is they are learning so much more.
Harry Davis, District III Representative, was 10 years old when his dad taught him how to box. Just as his father taught him, he is teaching his son and countless other kids how to become fighters. Not just in the boxing ring, but fighters in life. Whether they end up as champions in the boxing ring or not, they will walk away with lifelong skills and lessons.
Davis started the youth boxing club program in Aazhomog in the front yard of his home, with the assistance of the District III Representative Buzz Churchill. Later Bernida Churchill, Chief Executive Marge Anderson and a donation from Goff and Howard. In the last 30 years, he has coached countless kids in Howard. In the last 30 years, he has coached countless kids in the boxing ring, including some like Tim Taggart, who went on to become pro, and Wallace St. John Jr., who made it to the National Silver Gloves Tournament. “I coached Tim when he was about 8 years old, and he went to the National Silver Gloves tournament when he was 11, and coached Wallace when he was about 14,” Davis recalled.
“Back in the beginning we used my own front yard,” Davis said. “Now we have this nice gym and equipment, we are registered with USA Boxing and all of the coaches are registered, too. Our present coaches are Fred Davis, Kate Davis, and Cayman Audie (Pro Boxer).”
Looking around at the various pieces of equipment, including a full-sized boxing ring, it is easy to see the program has continued to receive support from the various District III Representatives in the past three decades. In 1998, Davis was elected to his first term as District III Representative. Soon, the boxing club hosted the National Indian tournament with teams from all over United States. "We’ve have three gold medal champions: Weylin Davis, Tim Taggart Jr, Jimmy LaFave, and four past silver medals, and two bronze," Davis said. With cooperation from Grand Casino Hinckley, the boxing club has gone on to host the National Silver Gloves Tournament (ages 10-15) twice and the Upper Midwest Golden Gloves Tournament semi-finals (amateur athletes ages 16 and up).
“My first pair of gloves were 16 ounces,” he said with a grin and chuckle as he reminisced of his childhood. Those are very heavy gloves with a lot of thickness on and around the fist. They offer more padding for both the boxer and the opponent, but also require more power to deliver a good solid punch. Originally, they were made for heavyweight fighters who had powerful punches and big hands. Today, a 10-year-old child would more than likely start out with 6- to 8-ounce gloves.
“My mom didn’t want me to get hurt. She thought I was too small,” Davis laughed. “But I love the sport. They call it ‘The loneliest sport’ because when you are in the zone you are so focused on just your techniques and the fight right in front of you.”
That is one of the disciplines Davis instills in the athletes as he supervises and coaches the kids in the youth boxing program at Meshakwad. Davis has been passionate about the program for 30 years providing an opportunity and environment for young athletes to develop lifetime skills that not only build physical strength, but also assist in the development of personal character, work ethic, discipline, sportsmanship, self-respect, and pride.
This session runs November 2022 through December 2023. There are about nine kids ages 8 to 11 and two registered coaches other than Davis. “The kids have to do more than just sign up. They have to show me they are actually committed. They have to be on time and they have to put in the work,” Davis said. On this Wednesday evening, there were five kids who attended: Mike Christianson Jr., Arthur “Arbie” Mustache, Hayven Dimmick, Aaron Davis Benjamin, and Adrian Bengston. Youth not present were: Brandon Snyder, Kianta Christenson, Damion Taylor, and Sonny Benjamin.
Boxing practice was three sets of one-minute-thirty-second rounds with 60 seconds rest in between and then rotating to various punching bags, speedballs, and other practice devices each designed to improve various techniques, enhance reaction time, and improve strength and punching accuracy.
“I want to go to the Silver Gloves tournament. I want to be a fighter,” Arron said. “I want to win so I know I have to train every day to be better.”
Setting goals and working towards achievement are part of the lessons Davis brings to the club. “I know the kids,” Davis said. “We work on boxing skills, but it also teaches them to work harder in everything. These kids are focused and they tend to do better in school, too.”
Boxing teaches the youth how to tackle obstacles and overcome adversity. With perseverance and persistence, learning new techniques and skills, the kids become more focused inching towards perfection.
“The harder you work, the more successful you become,” Davis said. “Hard work is a key ingredient to success, not only here in the ring, but out there in life, too. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don’t put the work in, you will never be successful. It takes hard work to go from good to great.”
Davis said while working hard toward their goals, they are building self-confidence and learn to believe in themselves. Knowing and understanding their own capabilities while learning to trust themselves is also part of the learning curve. And understanding that a little humility goes a long way is also helpful. “Boxing also teaches you to be humble,” Davis said with a sideways grin. “The kids learn to learn from their mistakes.”
Hayven was the only girl at practice that night. You can see the look in her eyes as she packs determination, power, and willingness to fight that comes from deep within her 8-year-old pint-sized body. “I want to be a fighter. It is fun,” she said. “I can do it.”
“Sometimes they start out being here because they are told to. This was someplace for Hayven to be while her mom is working out. But it turns out, the kid loves it and she is good. I might have to recruit her,” Davis said with pride.
Davis is also proud of all of the kids. Aaron, his son, set his first goal to make it to the Silver Gloves tournament. Davis and Aaron put on punch mitts and stepped into the ring working on combinations for a few rounds before the session was over. Both were focused on the fight ahead of them. And neither of them appeared to be lonely at all.
