JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
Air Force Boxing Coach Steven Franco was hopeful his six-man team would bring home medals from the Armed Forces Boxing Championships, which conclude tonight in Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Franco said before the team left earlier this week that how far each boxer went in the competition was in the individual's hands.
"I see us getting more medals than last year, (when the Air Force only had one), but I told them it's your decision how far you go," Franco said. "The gold and silver medals are there for the taking."
The six boxers representing the Air Force are: Kenneth Cruz, super bantamweight, Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico; Dustin Southchack, super featherweight, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland; Adam Hassan, super lightweight, Scott AFB, Ill.; Daniel Logan, super middleweight, Tinker AFB, Okla.; Thomas Jacobs, light heavyweight, Hickam AFB, Hawaii; and Kent Brinson, heavyweight, Fort Carson, Colo.
The boxing team's two-month long training camp began Jan. 4 at the Chaparral Fitness Center in preparation for this week's military championships and the USA Boxing National Championships at Fort Carson, Colo., Feb. 27 through March 3.
The boxing team trained at JBSA-Lackland for two weeks before taking on Golden Gloves fighters at the Air Force Box-Offs Jan. 20-21 at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston. Competing against local fighters, the team won three of eight bouts the first night, and two of nine on the second.
"I wanted opponents (in the Box-Offs) who had participated in Golden Gloves fights," Franco said. "We wanted hard bouts because it wasn't going to be easy at Armed Forces or at Nationals. "It's going to be the tough guys who are the best in the nation, so if they are going to compete in that regard, they might as well get that same type of training here at Lackland."
The six boxers each have more than 10 bouts on their resume and box in the open division. But as is common in the Air Force, some have had to take time off from boxing because of military commitments.
Franco said this year's camp is a refresher course on basics, which has been picked back up rapidly.
Pacing has gotten better, the coach said, after putting the boxers through eight 3-minute rounds of sparring during training, although amateur bouts are usually three 3-minute rounds.
"Their legs are shot because my goal is to burn their legs out," he said. "I told them, 'Your legs are going to be shot; you'll feel like Gumby.'"
Because the Air Force does not train as often as other services, the goal was for boxers to reach and maintain peak boxing condition while in camp.
"If you can last the fight and your opponent is not in shape like you, you have the advantage because you're going to throw more punches and move around better," said Franco. "Your opponent is just going to be in a defense mode."