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Culture & Artsby Mark Reutter6:48 pmDec 16, 20110

In hard-knock West Baltimore, a big-hearted boxing center

Upton Boxing Center, a place to learn more than boxing, gets ready for the state Silver Gloves championship tomorrow.

Above: Eight-year-old Isaiah Chapman throws a cross cut at coach Mack Allison in preparation for tomorrow’s Silver Gloves bout.

The boys were drenched in sweat last night, their jumping jacks, squats, sprints, and push-ups especially fierce, as Baltimore’s only municipal youth boxing club prepared for its biggest challenge yet – the Silver Gloves Maryland Championship at Oxon Hill tomorrow.

Fifteen members of the Upton Boxing Center – ages 8 to 15 – have advanced to the state level, a tremendous accomplishment for a program that began only six years ago, says lead coach Calvin Ford.

Many of his budding pugilists, he is confident, will advance to the Silver Gloves Regionals in Wilmington, N.C., next month and some will go on to compete in  national championship bouts in Kansas City. ((See Update))

“We’re the best kept secret in Baltimore,” he exclaims, between the rhythmic wham of punches landing on the heavy bags. “We want this the place for kids to be.”

Club logo (courtesy of Calvin Ford)

Upton Center logo.

In an area where the rowhouses are ragged and gangs dominate the streets, the Upton center at 1901 Pennsylvania Ave. has become a safe haven where boys (and a few girls) can learn the craft of boxing and in some cases follow their dream of becoming a pro.

The Baltimore Recreation and Parks Department views Upton as “a great example of a well-run rec center,” says spokesman Dennis Tuttle. The rec program has been beset by controversy over Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s plans to hand over about 18 centers to private parties (or close them) and modernize and expand others.

Rec and Parks has no plans to change the operation at Upton, Tuttle said yesterday.

“This Becomes Their Rock”

As the city’s only public boxing facility, Upton is equipped with a boxing ring, treadmills, a weight room, punching bags and showers.

Statin Darden helps steady the heavy bag as son Jordan, 9, practices his jabs. (Photo by Mark Reutter)

Statin Darden steadies the punching bag as son Jordan, 9, practices his jabs. (Photo by Mark Reutter)

But it wasn’t the racks of equipment that made the yellow-and-blue cinder-block gym so inviting last night.

It was kids like Isaiah Chapman.

The eight-year-old ran through his routine of jabs, cross cuts, upper cuts, hooks and 1-2 combinations so quickly that it was hard to take photos that weren’t blurred.

Coach Mack Allison loomed over him, shouting instructions and warding off punches with his foam mitts.

Isaiah enrolled in the Upton program a year ago. He’s now a contender for the 60-lb. weight class at tomorrow’s tournament. “I like to work,” he said simply after the session, perspiration rolling down his cheeks. Nearby his dad was smiling broadly.

Robert Chapman said he’s watched how his son has changed.

“Isaiah did basketball and other sports, but nothing to this extreme,” he said. “It’s been good for him. He comes here every day [Monday through Friday] for two hours. He can’t wait.”

Ford, who everybody calls “Coach Cal,” shouted words of encouragement to older boys, several still panting from their workout.

“Belief! Belief! If you truly have belief in doing what you’re meant to do, nothing will stop you,” he said before instructing them on what to eat before the match – “no junk,” just salads, fish and fruit.

Lisa Jenkins moved to Maryland so her two sons, Joshua (left) and Juan, could train under Coach Cal. (Photo by Mark Reutter)

Lisa Jenkins moved to Maryland from North Carolina so her two sons, Joshua (left) and Juan, could train under Coach Cal. Juan's speed has earned him the handle, "Boogie-Down Productions." (Photo by Mark Reutter)

“It’s like a family,” says Garry W. Jackson, a veteran Recreation and Parks employee who runs the center. “If a child can’t pay the registration, we get him a scholarship. The whole idea is to get the kids off the streets. Give them something that teaches them life skills.”

Jackson also pointed out that the program offers continuity to children. “It’s not like when they graduate from fourth grade, they have to adjust to a new teacher or school. We get kids like Isaiah who are seven years old, and they’ll be with the same coaches in the same building for eight, nine years. Some of these kids don’t have a stable home. So this becomes their rock.”

Life of a Boxing Mom

Lisa Jenkins was so impressed by the Upton program that she and her husband moved from Fayetteville, N.C., just so Coach Cal could train their two sons. She said the family had met the coach two years ago when the Upton team came to the Wilmington Regionals.

Lorenzo

Lorenzo "Truck" Simpson, 11, seeks to become a two-time National Silver Gloves champ. (Photo by Mark Reutter)

“We saw how Coach Cal was teaching his students. My husband was able to get a job in Maryland, so we decided to move here and sign them up.” The Jenkins live in Laurel, so she drives Joshua, 16, and Juan (who turns 12 tomorrow) for their three-hour sessions every evening.

Juan has become a standout at the club. So much so that he’s been bequeathed two nicknames – “N.C. State,” designating his origins, and “Boogie-Down Production,” alluding to the number of jabs and upper cuts he can administer in the ring.

Another champ practicing last night was Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson, who punched his way past a half-dozen opponents last March to win the 95-lb. title at the National Silver Gloves Tournament in Kansas City.

Lorenzo is fighting tomorrow in the 100-lb. class. He hopes to go all the way to Kansas City again this year.

Another promising fighter is Jordan Darden, whose red boxing gloves whizzed through the air during his workout. He’ll be in the ring in the 80-lb. class tomorrow.

Regardless of whether Jordan wins or loses, his dad says the program has made him a winner. “He’s so much more disciplined now,” said Statin Darden, helping to steady the punching bag while his son practiced. “His time-management is better. No more wasting time watching Sponge Bob.”

Coach Cal Ford with Gervonata

Coach Cal Ford with Gervonta "Tank" Davis, winner of 12 championship belts who is now training for the U.S. Olympics team. (Photo by Mark Reutter)

The Upton center demands that the young boxers do well in school as a prerequisite to continuing in the program.

“We look at report cards,” said center director Garry Jackson. “We make it a point that you got to do well in school. That’s part of the package.”

Training for the Olympics

For those thinking of a career in boxing, there are some amazing mentors at Upton. Now 17 years old, Gervonta “Tank” Davis collected a dozen championship belts during his tenure on the Upton team, including as three-time National Silver Gloves winner and two-time PAL (Police Athletic League) champ.

He comes regularly to the gym to train for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. He will be fighting in the open division (for men 17 through 34) at the Olympic trials to be held in Colorado Springs this March.

Cecil McCalla, who turned pro, stands beneath a banner honoring his accomplishments at the Upton Boxing Center. (Photo by Mark Reutter)

Cecil McCalla, now a pro boxer, stands beneath a banner honoring his many wins for Upton. (Photo by Mark Reutter)

Then there’s Tyrieshia “Baby Girl” Douglas. The soft-spoken 21-year-old was giving pointers last night to some of the more greenhorn boxers.

A southpaw who used to get out her frustrations by picking fights at school, Baby Girl is the No. 2 ranked 116-lb. female boxer in the nation.

She will be fighting at the “Olympic Box-Off” in February, where the U.S. women’s team for the 2012 Olympics in London will be determined.

“The ones that make that team will make history,” said Ford, “because this is the first time women have boxed in the Olympics.”

Cecil McCalla is another proud graduate of the Upton Center. He started boxing when he was 12 and joined the program when it opened in 2006. Now turned professional, the 26-year-old boasts a 13-0 record in the regional boxing circuit.

McCalla says Upton was a godsend for him. Asked what would happen if the facility ever closed, he said, “It would hurt the kids something bad. They need this.”

He added in a low voice, “I don’t even want to think what would have happened to me if I was out on the street.”

Isaiah Chapman poses in classic fighter mode as his dad, Robert Chapman, and Upton Center manager Garry Jackson look on. (Photo by Mark Reutter)

Isaiah Chapman poses in classic fighter mode next to the ring with his dad, Robert Chapman, and Upton center manager Garry Jackson. (Photo by Mark Reutter)

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