GILROY—After nearly two years of work behind the scenes, Gilroy’s youth boxing program finally has a permanent home. It’s a return to its former location from over a decade ago in the heart of downtown.
The Tom Carr Youth Boxing Gym, which opened with exhibition bouts Oct. 28, stands at 7400 Railroad Street, near Sixth Street.
“The building is back,” beamed program director and boxing coach Rick Mello. “We’ve got the boxing program in there now and hopefully we’ll have another successful run.”
Champions have passed through the program’s doors in Gilroy. Mello points to four-time world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, who cut his teeth in the Garlic Capital, as did professional boxer Kelsey Jeffries.
“I would’ve never made if it wasn’t for the boxing program here in Gilroy that I grew up with and it is refreshing to see it back,” Guerrero told the Dispatch in an emailed statement. “We must applaud all those who helped make this happen. It’s time to get these kids in the gym and off the streets. Boxing saves lives and gives opportunities for kids to succeed in life; I’m living proof.”
Mello, 80, has watched boxing change since he was a young boy. A brush with death following a prostate cancer diagnosis rekindled his desire to pass on the skills and discipline of boxing to Gilroy’s youth.
It was the efforts of community members who made the program come to life and bring about the facility’s renaissance, Mello said. It took garage sales put on by the families of local boxers, donations of time, money and materials to actually build the gym, and it took the support of city officials.
Mello contributed money to the cause. Mayor Don Gage chipped in to pay for the building’s plumbing. Downtown property owner and advocate Gary Walton also donated the necessary electrical work to get the facility up and running. The family of a former participant donated speed and heavy bags for boxers to train with. Many others in the community helped in various ways by offering free or reduced-cost services to rebuild the center, Mello, Gage and Walton all acknowledged.
“When there is a vision, people can buy in together. It’s a real win-win,” said Gilroy Chamber of Commerce CEO Mark Turner of the facility and its community-driven revitalization.
At the exhibition Oct. 28, the mayor was elated to see the new gym—which in its first incarnation was made of unreinforced masonry and demolished—come to life as young boxers showed off their skills for the audience, with the promise they would be back.
“It’s going to be great for the community and it’s excellent for the kids,” said Gage, who added he was a champion wrestler back in his high school days. “The first lesson they teach you here is respect. They have to show up on time and keep their grades up—otherwise they won’t box. You won’t see these kids getting in trouble.”
The program through USA Boxing is open to anyone 8 years or older, and boxers must maintain a C average in school to train for, or even step into, the ring, according to Mello. They must also follow training routines and work out regularly with other participants.
“If you’re a gangbanger, you’re going to have to give that up. I need to see some good marks and I need to know you’re doing good in school,” Mello said. “We’re not a bunch of babysitters.”
Mello became involved in Gilroy boxing around 1984 and was instrumental in the creation of the USA Boxing program in the city. A boxer himself starting in 1945, it was the one sport he truly loved and it continues to teach him lessons, he said.
“It taught me that if I wanted to get ahead in life, the onus is on me. It’s up to me and not anyone else,” he told the Dispatch. “Although you do have kind of a team in boxing—you have your trainers and the people in your corner showing you different things—but when you’re out there executing, it’s just you and the other guy.”
“And I found out, after participating in boxing for 13 years myself, that I just love teaching people,” Mello added.
A team of coaches, including Mello, will train Gilroy’s up-and-comers at the gym, which operates Monday through Thursday. All the coaches are certified through USA Boxing and background checks are regularly conducted to ensure the coaching ranks do not include criminals.
Locally, some young boxers have gone on to do some great things, Mello said.
Nearly 20 years ago, a 19-year-old woman who was caught up in gang life in Hollister, approached Mello with interest in the program. He said she eventually became a Golden Glove champion and later connected with him to express her gratitude, as boxing taught her the discipline she needed to be successful.
Matthew Culberson got in the ring with Melina Valencia during the exhibition, and Mello pointed to Culberson as a young boxer who has come a long way.
“There’s a kid who changed himself around,” Mello said, adding he was unmotivated when first joining but has revamped his reputation. “We now call him “The Tank.”
A YMCA membership during his childhood cost 50 cents a year, Mello recalled. Moving forward, Mello stressed he wants to keep the program affordable for everyone in the community. Gage added Gilroy’s boxers will not have to pay for equipment to participate, aside from personal items like mouth guards and hand wraps.
Membership dues are $40 each month, and it costs $70 a year for an athlete to register with USA Boxing as part of the program, according to Mello.
“I just have fun watching these kids be able to execute [in the ring] and to be able to talk to them and get inside their heads,” he said. “I tell them, ‘Life is not easy, nobody is going to give you anything and you have to earn it.’”
“[Cancer] didn’t change my passion for boxing,” Mello said, “it just changed my passion for life. It taught me you’re vulnerable and some day you’re going to croak, so get the most out of this life that you can.”
