A Short Story of Boxing
Below is a short story about the sport of Boxing, the love and dedication it requires, by USA Boxing member Nataly Zempoaltecatl. As we enter 2025, these words written by Nataly embody the spirit of this sport and the devotion required. USA Boxing loves hearing about the tireless dedication that our members put in action and we would love to continue highlighting these efforts. If you have crafted a project similar to the one below, please let us know by submitting your story, poem, or other art form to media@usaboxing.org!
Boxing, A Short Story
As Written by USA Boxing Member, Nataly Zempoaltecatl
Boxing, the sport of both offense and defense combined into one as a single player. Everyone starts somewhere. From learning how to dress to go to the gym in comfortable clothing that is easy to move in, like leggings and a baggy shirt to learning the basics of wrapping a cloth around your hands several times to protect them from damage of your strength when punching the bag or doing mitts.
After several sessions of continuous hard work, you begin to realize that boxing is not only a sport but a lifestyle. Being disciplined enough to know that boxing requires both physical and mental strength is enough to prove you have gone far. With endless nights of training, with tears and sweat combining running down your face and your arms being too tired to lift them back up to protect yourself all you can think of is why you're doing this.
Only 1 more round left from the 10 rounds total in the 3rd set and all you can look at is the timer counting down from 30 second rest in green bold numbers. Using the last bit of strength, you walk over to your coach and ask for water and when he gives you it, you feel the cold fresh water touch your tongue, running down your throat giving you back your energy to continue and finish what you started.
"Ring, Ring, Ring" the break ends, causing the numbers to turn red signaling it's back to work. Fast punches to hard punches that require most of your strength causing your body to feel tired to continue going but you don't stop. I push myself to keep my hands up as I know in a real fight that if I let them down I would get hit, I move around shifting my feet from left to right to not stay in one place for too long.
I begin to grunt as my hard punches make contact with the mitt, I'm slowing down, and my coach begins to talk to me in a stern voice while I continue to push myself forward with punches. The saying of, "You're not tired", "Let's go only 30 seconds left of the round" and "you wanna make papi proud?" They repeat over and over in my head continuously. I remember why I'm doing this, it's to make my family proud and to show them I'm determined to do this and make a change in my family's bloodline.
I'm going to be the next big thing in the sport having my face plastered at big sports events, gifting my family cars and houses as small thank you presents for them and their belief in me.
"Ding, Ding, Ding", the round ends and I'm finally done. Me fighting with both my body and gloves trying to catch my breath and take off the 14oz gloves off my hand becomes a struggle but then my coach walks over to help me.
Unstrapping the velcro from the gloves he tells me that I'm his pride and joy and that I make him the happiest as I train hard in-front and behind closed doors. He tells me he loves me and that I should never quit. I nod, I love my coach, he is after all my papi who I will always listen to and do my best to make him happy. After all, I am his oldest daughter who became a 14x national champion in the United States in different age and weight categories all because of him and his faith in me.
Boxing is a sport that requires both physical and mental strength but also faith and guidance from people to help give you that push to keep going.