It’s extra reps right now for Parksville’s first crop of young boxers to come out of the Geneses Boxing and Fitness club, as anticipation for the upcoming BC Bronze Gloves competition, being held in their own backyard in May, builds.
Slated for Oceanside Place May 28 and 29, and the final tournament in Boxing BC’s Road To Glory, the BC Bronze Gloves tournament will take over the Howie Meeker Arena for two full days of competition featuring more than 120 entries and 60 bouts.
Locals have been training hard and on Saturday they take to the ring for the club’s first competitive sparring session open to the public.
Genesis’ founder, head trainer, and as hard a working driving force as you’ll find, Rick Rae, will lead a team of fired up local students of the sweet science, aged 11-21, representing all 12 weight categories, into the competition.
Genesis has two senior fighters entered in the event — Katlin ‘Lights Out’ Langerfeld will be competing in the heavyweight division, and Brandon ‘The Hawk’ Busby in the light heavyweight.
Richie Rae, who is now a certified trainer, will also be fighting in the lightweight division.
“It’s going to be good,” Langerfeld said Thursday. “We’ve been training hard.”
Rae’s dedication to the club and to the youngsters that have come to call it home is well known, and his passion evident. Rick’s not only pleased as punch Parksville has been given the opportunity to host the event — the first time a Boxing BC sanctioned event has ever been held in Parksville — he’s also proud to be part of it all, and he hopes the community will embrace the event, which for hundreds of young boys (and girls) is the highlight of their season and the culmination of months of dedication and hard work.
“It will be a huge boost for the community because of all the people that will be in town from all over B.C. and some from the States,” he points out, adding, “the kids are revved up and ready to go. We had the best sparring I’ve ever seen out of our guys last night.”
Saturday’s competitive sparring event, the first of four such open houses planned leading up to the Bronze Gloves tournament, will be held at Genesis Boxing and Fitness from 2-5 p.m. Besides getting the local boys used to boxing in front of people — if past tournaments of other sports are any indicator Oceanside Place will be packed and very loud — the sparring sessions also serve as a fundraiser for the club with a social conscience.
The big day gets underway at 10 a.m. The Salvation Army will have a truck on hand accepting bottles and pennies earmarked to help earthquake victims in Tokyo, as well as non-perishable food items.
As for the sparring, there will be plenty of room for spectators. Rick and company will be setting up chairs around the ring and there is plenty of room to watch from above in the workout areas and look down on the full-sized ring.
Admission is by donation (suggested donation is $20 for adults, $10 youths, $6 under 12s) with the all money raised going to the local Food Bank, the MS Foundation and to help offset the club’s travel costs.
“Come out and see our local boys prepare for the big event,” said Rick.
Saturday also marks the club’s first year anniversary.