Boxing – More Than Just A Sport!
By Tyler “The Miracle Man” White
As this is my first article for Ringside Report, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about how I believe boxing is more than just a sport and how it has been so important to me, throughout my teenage years; through to early adulthood.
As an angry and bitter 13 year old I took up boxing to cope with the grief of losing my father to cancer, not only did it help me massively to cope with this devastation, but it also helped give me that much-needed motivation and discipline that I required at that young and difficult age. It was boxing that kept me on the right path and stopped me from straying off towards the path of which would’ve been a lot easier to walk down.
This is the case with most fighters, they generally face some sort of loss or hardship in their life and it is boxing which gives them the focus, the desire and something to aspire towards. This is what leads me to believe that boxing is more than just a sport; in fact, it really is a way of life, a tool for dealing with grief, loss or any negative circumstances that someone may face in life.
Although technically, boxing is ‘just’ a sport, it teaches so many young men and women the basics of self-defense, health, fitness and conditioning, respect, sportsmanship and in a lot of cases also leads to opportunities in life and within the local community. As well as benefitting young people, it can also be a life changer for adults who enter the game late, likewise helping them to deal with the stresses of adult life.
As all past and present boxers will tell you, the boxing community is also one which never ceases to amaze me, despite rivalries and differing opinions, the way that boxing fans unite to pay their respects to a past legend or to club together to help a fighter dealing with boxing-related injuries or illnesses is incredibly inspiring and the love and generosity shown by the boxing community is second to none.
I have been lucky enough to meet boxing fans from several different countries including Mexico, America, England (obviously!), Spain and Germany. I have also been blessed to have trained at The Wildcard Boxing Club where I’ve spoken with all sorts of people from World Champions and Hall of Fame Trainers to homeless guys keeping fit and 90-year-old war veterans coming in to hit the bags – one thing remains the same and that is the respect that everyone has for one another, regardless of their abilities, it’s the fact that they’re all passionate about the sport of boxing!
To conclude, boxing is definitely more than just a sport. It can save lives by keeping people focused and on track, it has a community that will rally together to support a worthy cause, it brings people together and as well as all that, it provides countless opportunities to all those who partake in it in some way, shape or form.
Boxing isn’t just a sport – it’s a way of life!
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