LYNN— There’s a decorated history in Lynn when it comes to sports. Lynn has produced no lack of stars athletes in baseball, basketball, football and hockey.
Alex Sepulveda feels boxing’s ready to join the list.
“Boxing’s always been here,” Sepulveda, a Lynn native who owns Private Jewels Fitness and runs a youth boxing program, said. “It’s just that people are new to the sport, a little, in our city. That’s the key. Just bringing the sport back to the area. Boxing was the primary sport in New England and it kind of faded out. We’re bringing it back and here we are.”
This past Saturday, all eyes were on a group of boxing hopefuls, some from Private Jewels Fitness, who competed in the Silver Gloves New England Regional Tournament.
Even better, they competed in front of their hometown fans in their own backyard. Sepulveda was tasked with organizing the tournament and brought it to the Lynn Tech Field House.
The Silver Gloves regional originally started in Massachusetts before moving to Rhode Island, where it had taken place for the past 80 years. Sepulveda was recently named Head Director of the Silver Gloves Program.
“We have states and cities from all over coming here to compete,” Sepulveda said. “It’s just giving the sport a little more power, a little more strength. These are kids from the city of Lynn, from all over, keeping it strong.
“To see this, this is beautiful. It’s a dream come true. People thought it was dead but this sport has always been here. It’s not going anywhere.”
Sepulveda’s youth boxing program at Private Jewels started with modest numbers but has hit the ground running over the past year. Sepulveda said there are 80 kids currently in the program who’ve become role models for one another as they erase some of the misconceptions associated with the sport.
“The growth in boxing and the way the kids are taking the sport is amazing,” Sepulveda said. “The way they’re grasping it, the way they’re accepting it, the way the city’s accepting it. It’s amazing. People are starting to respect boxing. Most people thought boxing was ‘let me knock you out, let me knock your head off.’ It’s not. These kids here, they respect each other and they’re national representatives.
“Boxing is a lifestyle. You can play baseball, you can play basketball, you can play football but you don’t play boxing. Boxing is a sport that you take seriously and the kids I have here take it seriously. They want to go above and beyond. Some of these kids are nationally ranked, champs already in their divisions.”
The regional saw 10 different states bring their best bouters, ranging from ages 8 to 15, to the event.
