Just to clear things up before I start this: I am not an athletic person. For all of my life I have been interested in music. I have never considered trying out for any sports simply because I don’t have any interest in them. That being said, it came as a shock to me that my newest interest outside of the world of music would be becoming an active member of the Carolina Boxing Club.
I began my journey into the club during the end of my sophomore year. I saw my dad attend a few meetings and the club instantly interested me. I still don’t know why I wanted to try it but something inside just said, “Hey, that might be cool,” not even thinking about what I was getting into.
The Carolina Boxing Club was started in 2004 and was made to teach basic and beginner boxing skills to the community of UNC. The meetings go through a combination of technique, strength and endurance.
My first practices at the club were probably one of the most difficult things I have ever done. A combination of conditioning exercises and running made it very challenging. The core conditioning is meant to push you to your limits and for someone who doesn’t do sports, it was incredibly difficult. This is all before even getting to actually learning how to box. When we finally began learning the actual boxing technique it was very confusing. Having to memorize nine different punches to then practice them in different orders at a fast pace, all while remembering to dodge your opponent’s punches, was a huge obstacle.
One thing this club has also helped me with, besides the obvious physical health benefits, would be the exposure to an environment in which you have to work with people you don’t know. When I first arrived I was about as scared of the thought of having to work with other people as of the threat of being punched in the face. Having to work with people I don’t know is a big challenge for me and boxing was forcing me to overcome it. The club has helped me become more open and able to adapt to the environment I am forced into.
Beginning in the Carolina Boxing Club has been such a unique experience. I have met so many new interesting people from UNC and the communities around it. The club has made me more active than I was before and I have begun to combat my shyness problem. This club has helped me in ways that I didn’t think it would even affect me a single bit, but that has been the joy of it. Still, as I am hesitant to even call myself good, I plan to continue it for as long as I can.
– By Zach Brackett