((PKG)) BOXING GYM
((Map: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania))
((Video Montage))
((Banner: Yo, Adrian!))
((Reporter: Maria Morton))
((Camera: David Gogokhia))
((Adapted by: Martin Secrest))
((Banner: Front Street Gym has trained boxers since the 1960s, guiding young people and producing champions))
((Terrence Lewis, Trainer, Former Heavyweight Fighter))
Terrence Lewis. I’m a trainer here at Front Street Gym.
((NATS))
((Terrence Lewis, Trainer, Former Heavyweight Fighter))
I always tell the parents, when you let your kids run with those steps, they’re my kids. You know, I have three kids of my own. So, I want all these kids to feel like they’re with a father figure when they’re with me, and I treat them like a father. You know, I mean, we just have so much fun together, but they’re learning in the process. But, when they come in this gym, they’re my kids, in two hours.
((NATS))
((John Kemp, Boxer))
It’s kind of crazy. People come to the gym, they learn how to fight, but it’s actually to keep you from fighting on the street. So, it keeps you out of trouble. So that way, you’re able to come in here and relieve a lot of stress, relieve a lot of anger, and still be in a good environment at the same time, and have people that look over you and want to see you do better. I went from fighting on the street a lot, to coming in here. My grades improved. I stopped fighting on the street. I started being happier. I was upset because I never had my father in my life. So coming here and having a father figure to show me love and attention and everything, it actually changed my life in a very dramatic way.
((NATS))
((Terrence Lewis, Trainer, Former Heavyweight Fighter))
Discipline. Discipline and respect and just having some kind of foundation under you. You know what I mean? Because a lot of the kids don’t have any kind of foundation under them. Here, I give them a foundation. You see, because I don’t want them to only become champions in the ring. I want them to become great people.
((NATS))
((Frank Kubach, Owner, Front Street Gym))
You can either be a black kid or a Spanish kid or a white kid. They can be the worst enemies out in the street, the worst enemies in the street. When they get in that ring, they’ll show more respect for each other than their own brother. When they get done fighting, they’ve got respect for each other. Win or lose, win or lose, they’ve got respect because they’re one on one. They ain’t 50. They’re fighting three minute rounds or two minute rounds and they’re doing the best they can. You and another guy’s in the ring. It ain’t like a football team or a baseball team. It’s one on one. People don’t understand that. This is a real gym. This is an old fashioned gym. As long as I live, I’m going to try to do the best I can with this gym, keep it going.
((NATS))
