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Tuesday, September 29, 1998
FIGHTING FOR DREAMS
Four young boxers say they are learning lessons in responsibility and sacrifice thanks to a pair of police officers and their gym.
By Glenn Puit
Review-Journal
Five days a week, sometimes six, Ishe Smith goes to Barry's Boxing gym on Highland Drive and labors at his trade.
For hours he slams the punching bag, does hundreds of sit-ups, jumps rope and fights shadows inside the ring, with sweat pouring down his face, his lungs nearly bursting as he gasps for air.
He is willing to pay that price for his dreams.
The 20-year-old said his work toward boxing stardom is possible because of the unwavering support of his two mentors, Las Vegas police officers Pat and Dawn Barry. The two owners of Barry's Boxing are supporting Smith and three of his colleagues. The fighters also are getting help from the newly formed Southern Nevada chapter of the Police Athletic League.
"A lot of people in this town, they don't believe in young fighters," said Smith, who missed the national Olympic qualifying competition in 1996 by one fight. "And for a lot of kids in Las Vegas, boxing keeps them off the streets."
Smith, Avelino Chavez, 15, his 14-year-old brother, Dominic, and Norman Campbell, 26, will travel to Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 24 to participate in the PAL national boxing championships. The competition is viewed as a springboard into prominence for young fighters.
The Barrys, who have been training young male and female fighters for nearly two decades, said they run the gym to contribute to the community.
Dawn Barry is assigned to the Court Services Detail while her husband is a detective in the Juvenile Detail.
"Training these kids has nothing to do with our jobs as police officers," Dawn Barry said. "It has everything to do with society in general. We teach them how to be dependent on themselves, not the system, and we teach them that like boxing, you have to be responsible for yourself in life."
Pat Barry said that while pugilism often is associated with brute force, the sport teaches an individual how to overcome obstacles with quick thinking and persistence. The Barrys hope the lessons carry over into the young fighters' everyday lives.
"We hope fighting teaches these kids to start thinking, to make decisions on their own," Pat Barry said. "In boxing, your decisions have to be made in a split second, and a lot of times life is like that, too."
The Chavez brothers have dreamed daily of becoming professional fighters since they were 6 and 7 years old and their father taught the pair how to shadowbox in their garage.
"We want to make it to the Olympics, and I dream of it every day," Avelino Chavez said.
His brother said that despite the rigors of training fights, the Barrys have taught him that to succeed, you have to make sacrifices.
"Some days I get up in the morning and I am so sore, but I keep going because I know I'm going to make it," Dominic Chavez said.
Campbell said if it were not for boxing and the Barrys, he would be doing what many of his friends are: partying, sitting around and watching television.
"Before I met Pat and Dawn, I hated cops," Campbell said. "I wouldn't even talk to them. But without them, myself and all these other kids wouldn't be here."
Bob Babilino, president of PAL's board of directors for Southern Nevada, said the philanthropic organization expects to foot the bill for all four fighters to travel to Orlando. The event will be one of the first major ventures for the group, which was founded last year.
PAL aims to provide law enforcement role models for youths who may be vulnerable to influences such as gangs, violence and drugs.
"Unfortunately, the only times kids see cops these days is when their parents are being led out the door in handcuffs," said Babilino, a retired U.S. Secret Service agent. "Our goal is to have these kids relate to cops as mentors and at the same time get them off the streets."
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Boxer Ishe Smith punches a heavy bag as gym owner Pat Barry coaches the young fighter on Monday evening.
Photo by Jim Laurie.
Dominic Chavez, 14, left, and his brother, Avelino, 15, wrap their hands before beginning workouts at Barry's Boxing gym.
Photo by Clint Karlsen.
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