Next Level Boxing Team

           Have you ever wondered what it would be like to own your own gym? It all seems so overwhelming, running a business and managing the time and money. Men and women around the world wish to own a business, or own a gym at that matter. Working out is an activity many love to do to stay in shape. My father, George Goodman owns a gym in Allentown called Results Training Facility, and it has been open since June of 2008. The gym offers personal training and boxing lessons. If someone wishes to compete in tournaments and travel, he/she may join the boxing team. The team goes by the name of Next Level Boxing Team, and it is registered to the USA Amateur Boxing Association. Right now, there are nineteen members who are all in novice or open class according to the number of fights they have had. Members of the team range from ages thirteen to twenty-four. There are usually one to two tournaments a month in which the fighters compete. My father loves running both aspects of the gym, but he has so much passion for the boxing program. 



George is to the far right with the yellow shirt, and the rest are competitive fighters from the gym.

        George is thirty-five years old, a little under six foot, muscular build, and a fade buzz cut, like a marine. My father pushed to be the best competitive  wrestler throughout his younger life. After eleven years of wrestling at the national level, George got into boxing for about three years. Unfortunately, my father had to stop fighting because he needed two back surgeries, so that is why he got into coaching. Anyone can easily tell George is proud of his fighters, as the gym wall is lined with shelves that hold trophies and metals from all of the tournaments. The boxing room of the facility is a rather large room, with the walls painted tan and blue. On the left wall are flags of different countries which represent the nationalities of the various fighters such as USA, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Africa, and the Dominican Republic. The flags add various color to the room, showing off each fighter’s pride. Right above the doorway is a sign that says “GUNS DOWN, GLOVES UP.” There are numerous grey lockers in the back, and in the center of the room is a boxing ring where all of the fighters spar each other. The ring was a gift from coach Luis, a fellow boxing coach and long time friend of George. Luis gave the ring to My Dad when he retired and closed his gym. Since the ring had so much use over the years, there are blood stains on the matt and on the ropes, some of the ropes are becoming loose, and there is a little rip on the back left corner matt. The boxers say they love it because it has history, and they all grew up training in it. The kids all grew up having close to nothing, so the gym acted as a sanctuary for them; many still describe the gym as a "home away from home." Coach George strongly remarks, “living in Allentown, these kids all have to deal with drugs, guns, gangs, and money problems. I hate seeing them have no goals in life, so they all somehow get involved with illegal activities. My gym gives them a place to get their energy out, and keep them off the streets. At the end of the day, that is the most rewarding feeling as an owner, and as a coach.”

              My Dad loves what he does for a living and he is proud of each fighter individually, and the team as a whole. Next Level Boxing Team continues to make progress in the boxing scene, as one member just won the national title for the 132 pound weight class, at only fifteen years old. The national champion's name is Elijah Pintabone and he has been a member of the team for three years. Eli is half African American and half Italian with a stocky type build. He always wears a gold uniform when he competes, because it was his mom’s favorite color, and she had passed away five years prior. Elijah became a fighter when his mom lost her battle with cancer. He said he wanted to be a fighter because his mom always knew he loved boxing and she knew he had a gift for fighting. Naturally, he wanted to make his Mom proud and live out both of their dreams. Eli and Coach George had a long talk the night after he won his national fight; it was a conversation that proved the bond between a fighter and coach is unbreakable.

           “I did my best out there; you prepared me more than I could ask for… this is a blessing, and tonight’s win was for you. Everything you have ever done for me is just way more than I could ask for coach.”
           “Eli, I taught you what you needed to know, but you put all the work in. I didn't do those five A.M. runs or sparring sessions, you did. You came to workout two times a day, all I had to do was wake up and tell you what to do.  It was all you out there tonight, no lie. You earned that win son, you don’t have anyone to thank but yourself. I’m proud of you, take tomorrow off, but I better see you back in here on Monday though.”
           “Of course, you know I aint ever miss no days coach. I will be here before you get here, just watch.”
           “Yeah I know, just remember, stay on weight for next Friday’s match. Weigh-ins are in Philly at 11:30 in the morning.”

Elijah Pintabone, National Champion for his weight class at 132 lbs.

  The close knit relationship between a coach and his fighter is amazing to see and all of the competitive fighters have a close relationship with each other as well, like a brotherhood. The joke of the gym is that when you join the team, you join a family forever. My father said that the hardest part of his job is when “the kids don’t show up for training camp within two weeks of their fight. Boxing is a sport that requires dedication and discipline. Unless a close family member died or your house burnt down, you should have no reason not to show up… it is unacceptable. I hate it when I put so much time into training someone and they don’t show up for training because they ‘slept in.’ If you wanna be the best, you gotta do what your opponents not doing.”

           Another fighter, Rasheed Johnson is twenty-two years old, African American, 6’2” and has known my father for thirteen years. He has actually lived with my family for three years previously when he was going through problems with his family from Philly. Coach George and Rasheed have an amazing relationship that continues out of the gym. Rasheed comments, “George, is more than a coach. He is the Pops I never had, and I couldn’t ask for a better role model. He is the only dude that never gave up on me, and it means the world to me. I am truly blessed to have him in my life. Coach was put on this earth for a reason, and his reason was to help people like me. He is a good man, and I love him.”
          Beyond the love and family feel of the atmosphere, there is much more to owning a gym than many people think. It takes time, effort, money, and dedication. Operating a boxing team requires hours of paperwork, many meetings around the tri-state area, and a set of mandatory tests to receive a coaching license. Next Level Boxing Team is a way for George to do what he loves; keep kids off the streets and build relationships with all ages around the community. The fighters look up to their coach, and it is easy to see by the amount of respect they give him. My father claims. "I would not change my job for the world. I do my job for a reason, and its because I love what I do. If you aren't happy when you wake up to start work, then you should find a new job. Even though everyone thanks me for changing their lives in a positive way, they are all actually changing my life. I love them all and will always have their backs. In simple terms, its just one big family." At the end of the day there is no better feeling than helping out the ones you care about the most. Be sure to thank your sports coach or the workers at your local gym next time you get the chance, they go through so much hard work to help the community.