Now that we’re past the holiday season, I’m finally afforded a moment to sit back and reflect on the year that has passed and ask what’s next. There has been an immeasurable amount of change that happened in the past year. One thing I can say about 2015 is that this is the first time in a long while where the amount of hope and positive energy I feel about the team and our mission outweighs the amount of anxiety I have for the work ahead of us. That said, I want to make a point to rededicate myself to becoming a student of the art and to approach my own education with the eyes of a new student; to approach the art with the same wonder and hunger for knowledge that a first-time boxer feels.
This year, I’d like to challenge my current athletes to push themselves beyond their comfort zones. While not all of you may have the desire to compete, I still challenge you to step into the ring and spar. I am in no way saying that you should be looking to spar everyday or even every week. What I am saying is that you should challenge yourself to step the ring at least once to really see if your body can perform what your mind has learned.
We have a great opportunity in the current space to work alongside a great team and another great trainer in Coach Tricia Arcaro. To be able to see athletes and styles of boxing that are different from our own is valuable. We should take every second that we have in this environment to analyze, question, and learn from the people who surround us.
The past few months and weeks have really brought to my attention how many untapped resources I have in my circle and community at large. “No man is an island unto himself,” and this quote has really come into realization with the recent changes that the gym has undergone. The outpouring of support for our team has been great and is really showing me the impact that it has made in the lives of those around me. This effect needs to radiate beyond the walls of the gym and out to the community; to make this team more than just the athletes that comprise it. There is a community of family, supporters, and potential enthusiasts around us. I am dedicating myself to find a way to connect.
I am a prime example of how boxing can save lives because it’s been my saving grace on more than one occasion. I’m not the first to express that sentiment and I know I won’t be the last. What I do know is that if I did not have the right people around me -- such as Sifu James Gilmore, Manong Peter Bacho, Manong Ted Divina, Mike Yoshitomi, and Alex Tonel, just to name a few -- I would never have found my way to this art that has come to make me the man and coach that I am today.
So what’s next you may ask? I’m next. This team is next. This family is next. So get wrapped up and strapped up and let’s get to work.