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HomeMy Public PortalAboutPayette Lakes Boxing Club/ rp 6--tar - /` e°r✓s - Boxing club ready to form BY RANDALL BROOKS The Star -News A group of former amateur fighters hope to enlist the support of the town of McCall and young men aged 10 to 30 to finally bring the sport of boxing to the area. The Payette Lakes Boxing Club now consists of a four -man coaching staff of Charlie Ryan, Larry Craig, Bill Garber and Mike Spagnola, all of McCall. The four will teach techniques and supervise workouts for the club with the hope of building a team to enter a number of statewide competitions during the 1987-88 amateur boxing season. Coaches hope the efforts can bring more recognition to Mc- Call, much like that of the suc- cessful McCall Judo Club. "Hopefully, we could expect to have an amateur fight here in McCall around October or November," Craig said. So far, the volunteer coaches have attracted the attention of about 20 would-be fighters from the area, and the coaches are looking for even more support, especially from sponsors. Ryan said the club is also look- ing for additional members, especially from outlying areas such as Cascade or New Meadows. Those interested in learning the sport of amateur boxing can attend the club's first formal meeting Monday at 7 p.m. at The Club. Cost for the program will be limited to a $15 per year registra- tion fee for each boxer, which in- cludes insurance protection for the participants through the Na- tional Boxing Federation. A birth certificate and two photos is another requirement. Coaching, travel and equipment expenses will be given voluntarily by club members. "We're a new club," said Ryan, who fought both as an amateur and in the armed forces. "Anybody that would donate some gear and help us out, it sure would be appreciated." Ryan said the group already has gathered much of the training gear it will need, and members hope to be able to work out at The Club while searching for a facility of their own. While similar attempts to organize a boxing club have sur- faced in McCall over the past few years, groundwork already laid by the coaching staff shows this time they mean to make it a suc- cess. Paperwork is already in pro- gress to have the Payette Lakes Boxing Club sanctioned by the ABF as a member of the Snake River Boxing Association based in the Treasure Valley. Craig was a former AAU and Golden Gloves boxer as well as coach for the Boise Boxing Club for three years before moving to McCall. Craig said State Boxing Com- missioner Dale Trumbo has assured him the McCall club will have the necessary sanctioning in time to begin workouts this sum- mer in preparation for a com- petitive boxing season that runs between October and May. He explained that Idaho's amateur boxers are carefully divided into classes according to age, weight and experience so that boxers are competing at the right level. "You won't find any ringers in this league," he said. McCall boxers would all be fighting at the novice level until they have at least 10 sanctioned fights under their belts. From there, he said the road leads through the intermediate classes and eventually on to national Golden Gloves competition, with the dream of making the national Olympic boxing team a final goal. Craig mentioned that the ,demanding workouts required of competitive boxers will take a special effort from participants. "This is where kids that fight in the Olympics come from," he said. "This fighting will take some special dedication." Some would-be fighters are already showing they know what it will take to make the club suc- cessful. Ryan said youths in- terested in the club already have held a car wash to fund some of the club's early expenses. /S¢41-- Pvris — ////f/ 7 Boxing match set for McCall The first amateur boxing match in recent memory to be staged in McCall will get under- way Saturday at the McCall - Donnelly High School gym- nasium. Young boxers from six Idaho boxing clubs, including the fledgling Payette Lakes Boxing Club, are expected to attend the match, which starts at 7 p.m. About 15 fights are expected to be staged as young boxers gain experience that may take them to statewide and national competi- tion. Admission is $4 for adults and $2.50 for children. The Payette Lakes Boxing Club is expected to be represented by Clint Meckel, 12, of McCall, who has been training regularly at workouts held at The Club in McCall, club coach Larry Craig said. In addition, boxing clubs from St. Anthony, Jerome, Kuna, Caldwell and Boise are due to send fighters, Craig said. The fights are closely regulated and run under rules set down by the American Boxing Federation, Craig said. The length of each fight will vary according to the age and ex- perience of the boxers. Younger fighters will go two rounds of three minutes each, while ex- perienced boxers will battle for three, three -minute rounds. All boxers must wear headgear, and the referee may stop the fight at any time, Craig said. "This is strictly an amateur boxing event that is well - controlled, with nothing but the safety of the kids in mind," he said. All fighters due to compete on Saturday night have fought 10 fights or less. After they gain ex- perience, they may choose to enter the state Golden Gloves competition or go on to the na- tional Golden Gloves level. Many U.S. Olympic stars have come from the ranks of the Golden Glove championships, Craig said. "This is where they start," he said. On hand to serve as referee will be Idaho State Boxing Commis- sioner Dale Trumbo of Boise, and the timekeeper will be Idaho State Golden Gloves President Dale Thomas.