Rondez Martin, 15 and a Mariemont High School student, recently participated in the Junior Olympics. A Cincinnati Golden Gloves for Youth program student since he was 7-years old, Rondez says he likes boxing under the supervision of the Golden Gloves coaches, and he likes to be around the people involved in the Golden Gloves program at the Over-the-Rhine gym, 1715 Republic Street, traveling to matches, and meeting other coaches and boxers.
Christina LaRosa is the Cincinnati Golden Gloves for Youth (CGGY) Executive Director and the granddaughter of LaRosa’s Cincinnati-based pizza chain founder Donald “Buddy” LaRosa, who brought a Golden Gloves program to the city. She is also in-house Counsel for LaRosa’s Inc.
This Golden Gloves program has generated National and World champions, including Cincinnati’s late Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor, who became World Junior Welterweight Champion from 1980 to 1985 and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996. Pryor was voted by the Associated Press as the #1 junior welterweight of the 20th century in 1999. With hundreds of youth passing through CGGY, Christina LaRosa said some of the other boxers also have been good enough to turn pro. Christina, who became executive director of the program in 2018, says she is trying to continue this legacy of her grandfather and her uncle, Michael, who is President of the CGGY Board of Trustees. “Family members have grown up around boxing,” she said.
She said, “Boxing is like a second home or family, where kids can come spend time doing something positive for a few hours a day.”
The free, after school program is available weekdays.
“We have from 30 to 35 youth participating in the program on a weekday night, including two girls who are now active. However, there are about 150 kids who are active in the program,” Christina said.
CGGY provides at-risk children, adolescents, and young adults with a cost-free opportunity to participate in the sport of competitive Olympic-style youth boxing in a safe, supportive, and positive environment, encouraging development of essential physical, psychological, and social skills and competencies, according to the organization’s website.
“The program includes teaching boxing fundamentals, physical strengthening and developing coordination, as well as how to defend one’s self. Some of the kids we have are at-risk youth, and we have been able to keep them out of trouble, by teaching them about discipline and respect, which are important parts of the program,” Christina added.
The Olympic sport of competitive youth amateur boxing is a uniquely effective outreach tool to engage at-risk children, adolescents, and young adults in a positive activity promoting development of physical, psychological, and social skills, according to the program website.
CGGY coaches include head coach Rua’shee Warren, a three-time Olympian and winner of two World championships, and five assistant coaches.
“Our amateur boxing programs are open year round (Monday – Friday, 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.) to young men and women, ages 8 to 18, at all levels of physical fitness,” Christina said.
It should be noted that amateur boxing provides a safe, fun environment for boxers to train and compete in. Boxers are required to have mouthpieces as well as special safety gear when sparring. The safety gear is designed to absorb impacts rather than transfer them keeping the boxer safe. The physical condition of boxers is evaluated before and after each bout through physicals as well as the referees during bouts. Amateur boxing referees exercise more control in the ring than professional boxing and are constantly evaluating boxers throughout each bout. Amateur boxing ranks as the safest sport among contact sports such as football and wrestling. And according to a National Safety Council accident report, amateur boxing ranked 23rd on its list of injuries, below hockey, gymnastics and skating.
Cincinnati Golden Gloves Board members are Michael LaRosa, President; John Burns, VP; Janice Neumann, Treasurer; Bill Burwinkel Chair, Governance Committee; Ryan Ernst, Chair, Philanthropic Committee; Candice Tolbert, Chair, Programming Committee; members Mark LaRosa, Steve Caudill, Johnny Burns, Frostee Rucker, Jonah Neuman; Athlete Representatives Peter Frakes Jr.; Javaughn Dula, Geonte Smith, Brandon McKinstry, Camren McKinstry.
Community Partners will likely utilize some of the classroom/office space in the (former) Elmwood Place Elementary School building where CGGY anticipates moving its program when the City of Cincinnati begins demolition of the current boxing gym as part of their Findlay Recreation project.
Feature Image: A Cincinnati Golden Gloves for Youth boxer spars with an assistant coach. Photo provided by CGGY.
Cincinnati Golden Gloves Olympians:
- Raymond Russell (Munich 1972)
- Tony Tubbs (Moscow 1980)
- Tim Austin (Barcelona 1992) – Bronze Medal
- Larry Donald (Barcelona 1992)
- Gerald Tucker (Atlanta 1996)
- Ricardo Williams Jr (Sidney 2000) – Silver Medal
- Dante Craig (Sidney 2000)
- Ron Siler (Athens 2004)
- Rau’shee Warren (Athens 2004)
- Rau’shee Warren (Beijing 2008)
- Rau’shee Warren (London 2012)
- Duke Ragan (Tokyo 2020) – Silver Medal
NOTE: Rau’shee is the ONLY American boxer to qualify and compete in three Olympics.