>>> ONE NIGHT IN 2016,
SPRINGFIELD POLICE OFFICER DEAN
FAY NOTICED AN ABANDONED AUTO
REPAIR SHOP ON THE CORNER OF
BELMONT AVENUE IN SPRINGFIELD.
SEEING THE BUILDING SPARKED AN
IDEA OF RENOVATING IT INTO A
BOXING GYM FOR CITY YOUTH.
AND BARBELL IS OPEN AND HAS A
ROSTER OF OVER 30 YOUNG PEOPLE
AND FIVE COACHES.
PRODUCER ALEJANDRO CAMERON
BRINGS US THE STORY.
>> THE GYM WAS REALLY A THOUGHT
PROCESS IN 2012.
WHAT HAPPENED WAS I'M A POLICE
OFFICER IN THE CITY AND I WAS
DEALING WITH A LOT OF AT RISK
YOUTH SO I WAS ASSIGNED TO THE
STREET CRIMES UNIT.
DEALING WITH A LOT OF THESE KIDS
I RECOGNIZED THE FACT THAT THERE
WASN'T A LOT OF STRUCTURED
PROGRAMS OUT THERE TAILORED TO
THE YOUTH OF THE CITY.
GROWING UP IN HOLYOKE, THE
GOLDEN GLOVE WAS A STAPLE FOR A
LOT OF YEARS.
UNFORTUNATELY IN 2003, NICK
PASSED AWAY, THE GOLDEN GLOVES
HAD LEFT AND ALONG WITH THAT THE
BOXING PROGRAMS WERE GONE.
THIS WAS MY PATROL AREA ON
BELMONT AVENUE, ONE OF THE
TOUGHEST AREAS OF THE CITY.
I ANSWERED A CALL FOR KIDS
HANGING AROUND THE CORNER.
WHEN I NOTICED THE WINDOW, I SAW
THE BASEMENT WAS VACANT.
I CAME HOME AND TOLD MY WIFE OF
24 YEARS, WE GOT A BIG HOUSE, WE
GOT A BEAUTIFUL BOAT, A
BEAUTIFUL HARLEY DAVIDSON
MOTORCYCLE, I DON'T NEED ALL
GARBAGE, WE SOLD EVERYTHING AND
SUNK IT IN THIS PLACE.
WE PUT ABOUT $60,000 OF OUR OWN
MONEY INTO THIS PLACE TO MAKE IT
RIGHT.
WE OPENED UP IN MARCH OF 2017,
BUT I KNOW THAT AT THE END OF
THE DAY, I CAN PUT MY HEAD ON A
PILLOW AND KNOW THAT I'M DOING
SOMETHING WELL.
WE'VE GOT A GOOD GROUP OF KIDS
HERE.
EVERY KID HAS GOT THEIR OWN
STORY, THEY'VE ALL COME FROM
DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.
I GOT INTO IT UNCONVENTIONALLY.
I HAD A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE,
JOSH, WHO WAS A BOXER AND HIS
FATHER WAS A COACH, ROCKY SNOW.
MOST PEOPLE KNOW ROCKY FROM THE
GOLDEN GLOVE, HE'S A
PROFESSIONAL BOXER, HE COACHED
THE PROGRAM FOR A LOT OF YEARS.
BUT I WAS AN AGGRESSIVE KID
GROWING UP AND I THOUGHT I KNEW
WHAT I COULD DO AND I GOT IN A
STREET FIGHT ONE DAY, AND ROCKY
SAID YOU THINK YOU'RE A TOUGH
GUY, COME DOWN TO THE GYM, WE'LL
SEE HOW TOUGH YOU ARE.
I WENT DOWN THERE AND I GOT WORE
OUT.
HE PUT ME IN A RING WITH A KID
WHO ABSOLUTELY WORE ME OUT, AND
I WAS LIKE WOW I NEED TO KNOW
WHAT HE KNOWS, AND THAT'S HOW I
GOT INTO IT.
ROCKY WAS A MENTOR TO ME GROWING
UP, HE WAS LIKE A FATHER TO ME.
THESE KIDS ARE GOING TO PAY
THEIR DUES AT SOME POINT,
WHETHER THEY CHOOSE TO PAY THEM
WHEN THEY'RE YOUNG OR OLDER,
THEY'RE GOING TO PAY THEIR DUES.
AND IF THEY CHOO TO DO IT NOW
AND BUCKLE DOWN, GET YOUR SCHOOL
WORK DONE, AND TRAIN HARD AND DO
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO DO NOW.
LATER ON IN LIFE THEY'RE GOING
TO REAP THE BENEFITS AND HAVE
THE NICE HOUSE AND NICE CAR.
WHEN THEIR CHILDREN SAY THEY
WANT TO GO TO DISNEY, THEY'LL
HAVE THE ABILITY TO BRING THEM
TO DISNEY.
THAT'S THE FIRST THING I TELL
THE KIDS WHEN THEY COME INTO IN
GYM, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BOX
AND YOU DON'T WANT TO BETTER
YOURSELF, THIS IS NOT THE PLACE
FOR YOU.
I CAN COACH BOXING, I CAN'T
TEACH WILL AND DESIRE.
EITHER YOU HAVE IT OR YOU DON'T.
WHETHER IF WILL OR DESIRE TO DO
SOMETHING OTHER THAN BOXING,
THAT'S FINE, WE CAN CHAN THEY'LL
IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
NOT EVERY KID IS GOING TO BE A
BOXER.
IF WE GET A CHAMPION BOXER,
GREAT, I'M NOT GOING TO DENY
THAT FACT.
BUT I'M MORE CONCERNED WITH KIDS
BEING CHAMPION HUMAN BEINGS IN
LIFE.
I WOULD MUCH RATHER A KID MAKE
THE HONOR ROLL THAN WIN A GOLDEN
GLOVE.
WE HAVE A CAST OF CHARACTERS
HERE AND EVERYBODY'S GOT THEIR
OWN PERSONALITY.
EVERY KID IS GIVEN A NICKNAME,
IF HE DIDN'T MAKE ONE UP, WE
MAKE UP THE NICKNAME.
IT ONLY TAKES ABOUT A WEEK
BEFORE WE GOT A NICKNAME FOR THE
KID, AND YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE
THAT THE NICKNAMES THAT WE HAVE
FOR KIDS THAT COME IN HERE.
I TELL THEM STRAIGHT OUT, BOXING
IS A SPORT THAT'S 60% MENTAL.
NOT ONLY IS IT PHYSICALLY
DEMANDING, IT'S MENTALLY AND
EMOTIONALLY DEMANDING AND YOU
HAVE TO KNOW IN YOUR HEAD THAT
YOU CAN PUSH THROUGH THIS.
IF FOR ONE SECOND YOU THINK THAT
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO WIN IN
FIGHT, YOU ALREADY LOST, DON'T
EVEN GET IN THE RING, YOU'RE
WASTING YOUR TIME.
IT'S THE SAME THING IN LIFE, YOU
HAVE TO KNOW THAT NO MATTER WHAT
HAPPENS, YOU'RE GOING TO PUSH
THROUGH.
CONFRONTING YOUR FIERCE I A HUGE
STEP, AND CONFRONTS YOUR FEARS
IS A HUGE THING IN LIFE, ARE YOU
GOING TO RUN FROM THEM OR RUN AT
THEM.
