2 Rivers Boxing Club’s head coach Wally Doern proudly holds onto the plaque as he explains Boxing BC has named the Quesnel operation as Club of the Year 2016.
The announcement came at the provincial association’s annual general meeting in Cloverdale on Sept. 30.
“I had no idea it was going to happen and I couldn’t attend because I had work commitments. One of the directors accepted the award on my behalf and then mailed it to me.”
Doern explains the criteria Boxing BC looks at includes the club’s membership and the travelling activities where club members go to other areas of the province, the country and the internationally to box.
The board also looked at the number of “shows” 2 Rivers Boxing hosted last year. They included the Golden Gloves and two club shows – Rumble 22 and 23.
Noting the club won the award in 2001, the coach says it’s quite an honour to be recognized as the number 1 club in the province.
“Every member who walks in the door and their competition accomplishments helped win this award.
Meanwhile, Doern says the club’s membership – 30 plus – is really good with a lot of younger boxers between the ages of eight and 14. Many of them are coming in with their fathers, he adds.
“[Boxing] seems to be the thing to do right now. It goes in cycles.
“It could have been the recent boxing match between UFC champion Connor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather. Interest goes up when there’s a good boxing movie, too.”
Doern notes sometimes their friends are boxing so they want to try it out, or they’re new to town.
He adds girls in all age groups are showing up at the gym.
“West Park Mall is a good location for the club because it’s centrally located.”
Competitions
Three young boxers travelled to Vancouver Island to compete in the Sooke Slam #2 on Oct. 14.
They included the 11-year-old veteran “Iron” Emmett Emblau who competes in the 75-pound division.
Former Sooke resident Caleb “Rooster” Tetreault, who is nine years old and weighs in at 85 pounds, returned to his old stomping grounds to go up against Emblau in an Initiation exhibition contest.
Emblau says the Sooke trip was “awesome” because he wasn’t expecting a fight.
“Then Caleb came and I got a fight.”
It was Tetreault’s second fight and he says he enjoyed it.
“I’m working on a new style for boxing. It’s the same footwork, but my hands are in a different place.”
The third member of the travelling team was Britynn “Hurricane” Carter who is 11 years old, weighs in at 85 pounds and has been boxing for six months.
“I think boxing is pretty awesome.”
Doern says the girl Carter fought had a lot of experience, but their exhibition bout turned into a spirited contest very quickly.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking at the start, but once we started fighting, I wasn’t nervous any more.”
The girl she fought had five years experience.
“She grew up in a gym, which I think was really, really cool.”
Carter says she learned that she has to work on things she already knows a little more.