up front FIGHTING CHANCE A little-known boxing club in the City works bodies and minds
As St. Martin Boxing Club’s practice nears its end, the rhythmic thud of boxing gloves popping against sparring mitts fades. So does the scraping of sneakers against the pavement behind School No. 7, where the club trains Monday through Thursday evenings until it secures a permanent home. Standing on the sidewalk, St. Martin’s coordinator, Don Simkin, collects gloves and headgear from the boxers, who range in age from 6 to 25. Simkin stuffs the equipment into a Swisscheese-like plastic garbage bag, but it sneaks out the other side. “I guess it’s time for a new bag,” Simkin, 73, says jokingly. A tight budget isn’t anything new for Simkin, who helped establish the club in 1969 to serve as a positive influence on Rochester’s youth, particularly those from challenging social and economic backgrounds. “It’s a struggle,” Simkin says. He estimates he and his wife contribute about half of St. Martin’s $20,000 annual operational cost. “I try to do everything cheap. We get what we get.” The day’s practice may be over, but the job of Simkin, a retired probation officer, and his coaching staff isn’t done until all of his boxers get home safely. That often means they return home the way they got to practice: the van Simkin drives. “That’s one of our major expenses,” he says, explaining transportation to and from practice costs about $15 to $20 a day. All of the coaches sacrifice time and money to help the boxers, says Jose Collazo, a coach for St. Martin since 1995, who became its primary boxing coach a year ago. The rest of the funds for the club come from small donations and from revenue generated by ticket sales for its boxing shows. Simkin says, most of the time the shows barely break even. St. Martin could turn to grants for help, but Simkin has neither applied for nor received a government grant. “It’s tough for people to spend $20,000 to run a program for high-risk kids,” he says. “... Most grants don’t have any interest in recreation. People underestimate the value of a medium, such as recreational activities, to teach basic values.” Simkin, a Quaker, says his faith has led him to a life of service. “My goal is to serve God and mankind. The worst kind of idolatry is selfworship,” he says. St. Martin tries to work with parents, agencies, and schools to be a positive influence in the community. “It’s really difficult with single parents trying to raise a kid,” Simkin says. “We’re not special. We just want to pitch in and help.” Although St. Martin, which is open to boys and girls, has produced some of the area’s best boxers—18 different national Silver Gloves champions since 1983 and professionals Robert “Pushup” Frazier and Charles “The Natural” Mike Martinez Issue 9 <strong>January</strong> / <strong>February</strong> <strong>2015</strong> | <strong>POST</strong> 41
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