MONCTON – Boxing club owners in Moncton say more support is needed for clubs in the city to survive
Ray Doiron, who runs the F.I.S.T.S. Boxing Club — the name stands for First In Stopping Tough Streets — says the club uses lessons learned through training to help keep at-risk youth out of trouble.
Doiron said his program receives some municipal support, but the city needs new facilities to keep boxing alive.
“The provincial government might own a building that they’re not using in the Moncton area that could be turned over into a boxing club,” he said. “That would be great.”
Other clubs have had to shut their doors because of rising operating costs and decreasing memberships.
Some blame the decline on mixed martial arts gyms that have been luring more young people through their doors.
Phil Baraly used to run Baraly’s Boxing Academy, which recently closed after 20 years in the business.
He said his members learned more than how to fight.
“If you have a good coach, he won’t let you in the ring unless you’re in tip-top condition and that should apply to everyday life,” he said. “If you work hard and put your nose to the grindstone, you can achieve any goal you set.”
Baraly said subsidized locations could also help the sport.
“It would be nice to have a subsidized gym and have a regional training centre,” he said.
The city says it is working with clubs to find appropriate facilities, but finding the right place is a challenge because boxing requires dedicated space, which makes sharing community facilities difficult.
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