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My Proudest Moment

In the little over two years that I have been working on the MyBoxingCoach website, I’ve experienced many proud moments.  In fact, there’s barely a week goes by that I don’t encounter something (or more usually somebody) that makes me say to myself “Now, that is why I started this thing.”

Whether it’s a young fighter like Mo who has used the website to augment his learning in the gym, and by the sounds of his comment against the Vasily Lomachenko article he’s doing very well thank you very much!  Or whether it’s a friend of the site called James who has used the Boxing Training Foundation as a basis to create the very first boxing gym in the British Virgin Islands (and yes, I had to dig out a map to find out where the British Virgin Islands were).

Whether it’s seasoned coaches like Ric and Terry adding superb insights to articles that I produce (like the Cuban Warm up/cool down/warm down, depending on your viewpoint), or whether it’s bright boxing minds like Dave, Scott, Rich and Karl offering alternative opinions to mine in the results of the big fights, like Khan Vs Peterson, giving us all a much more rounded and qualified view of what happens on fight night.

Something happened this morning that has trumped all of those little weekly ‘pick me ups’ that help me to keep on working away at the site, trying to create a place on the Internet where boxing people congregate and provide a resource that makes a difference.  Whether that difference is to competing boxers, coaches or indeed those who like boxing and want to understand more, I just want it to make that difference.

This morning though, I awoke to a message from a young man that I spent some years working with at our boxing club.  You will remember Craig from the article How to Box at Long Range.  Without going into too much detail, I rank Craig as the best I ever worked with, and I’ve worked with a few.  I have always had great admiration for his skills, approach and general all round demeanor.  In short, he’s a class act.

Craig is now based in Australia and will take part in his first professional fight in March.  For my money, he’s going to be a highly successful fighter.  I really do believe that he can become a world champion, no hype, no BS, I think it’s a dream that for him can become a reality.

As part of his preparation for his first professional outing, Craig has had his shorts made.  As you can see above, Craig has taken the extremely flattering step of having the MyBoxingCoach.com emblem embroidered into his shorts.  Craig’s motive for doing this is that he feels he owes people like me and John Jones (my fellow coach at the boxing club) a debt of gratitude for spending time coaching him.  From our point of view, it’s very nice to be thanked but this is absolutely not necessary.  Coaches like John, Ric, Dave, Rich and others who visit the site can testify to the fact that our reward is being around young fighters like Craig.

What makes me really, really proud is that a promising young professional fighter like Craig, along with his management team, is content to have him associated with the MyBoxingCoach website.  It’s a pretty major step for them.  A modern athlete needs to be managed in any number of ways, and the image of that athlete is foremost in the thoughts.  Without this consideration the athlete’s potential to earn revenues aside from his fight purses could be negatively impacted.  In short, a young fighter like Craig cannot afford to be associated with anything that is not in keeping with a professional image.

I know that in fights ahead a spot on the front of Craig’s fighting shorts will be highly prized by big companies.  In his first fight though, Craig decided that MyBoxingCoach.com website was something that he felt was worthy.  Nothing can ever change that.

A proud day indeed.

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{ 11 comments… add one }
  • brian_p March 8, 2012, 8:26 am

    Congrats Fran, keep up the good work. This is a fantastic resource and most of us would be lost without it (well I would anyway;)

    • Fran March 8, 2012, 9:03 pm

      Thanks Brian, very kind of you and I’m glad that you are finding the site so helpful.

  • Matt Brassington February 23, 2012, 2:27 pm

    Fran,

    Even as a qualified Boxing Coach, I now turn to your site for tips.
    Whilst in the Army I coached a few lads and many went on to be very good fighters. I never did it for the thanks, kudos or rewards…. for me and possibly you all, its about giving something back to the sport.
    The best feeling I got was from taking a shy, inexperienced boxer with little to no enthusiasm and see him months later in the ring in his first fight against a veteran in our unit finals. He lost on points but bloody hell did he box. He won the best boxer award for his skill and promising. The same guy recently won the Army Finals under his new coach.
    Well done on the site and to all of you have given something back to the sport. Keep it up.
    Matt

    • Fran February 23, 2012, 9:18 pm

      Thanks Matt. It’s always great when other coaches find the site useful. It’s especially satisfying that someone with a coaching background in the Services gets involved, I know how seriously that role is taken. A main aim for me with this site was to put something together that provided a good basis for discussion. With the quality of some of the guys contributing to the site, I’m sure that I’ve learned as much as anyone visiting. Great story as well mate, that’s the real reward, knowing that you’ve helped a boxer along that road to success. From the first fight to who knows where!

      Thanks very much Matt, great to have you involved with the site.

  • Paul Smith February 19, 2012, 2:38 pm

    That is a very nice and considerate gesture of Craig and hopefully many others will know of your website because of it. Hopefully Craig will become a champion. Congratulations Fran, you certainly deserve it.

    • Fran February 19, 2012, 7:57 pm

      Thanks Paul. Craig is a true boxer and a truly nice person. Really proud to have spent time with him over the years, a true honour to have the site associated with him.

  • Rich February 17, 2012, 5:33 pm

    Hi Fran,

    Damn, I had feeling that might be the case. I did have quick look around on the day just before I left but couldn’t see anyone with a camera. I thought it was strange that I couldn’t see anyone with a camera set up, but just assumed there must be one somewhere.

    Yeah, my son boxed. I have footage of all his other bouts but this is one I really wanted to review – He lost 14 – 10.

    Also, we had to leave about 2 o’clock but there was a couple of class 3 bout I wanted to watch.

    Thanks for trying mate. Much appreciated.

    Rich.

  • Dave Waterman February 14, 2012, 8:17 pm

    What an absolute honour, Fran. That’s brilliant. It reflects the fact that My Boxing Coach is the best boxing resource on the net for newbies, developing fighters, experienced boxers and coaches. I’ll follow Craig’s boxing career with great interest.

  • Rich February 14, 2012, 6:49 pm

    If I were Craig I’d be trying to hide the information on this site from potential opponents. I’d probably spend most of my time developing a virus to bring the site down 🙂 …

    Seriously though … That is very good of him and a great way of showing his appreciation for all your hard work.

    Just out of interest Fran, were you at the Schools Quarter Finals at Everton Lesuire centre on Sunday?

    If so do you know if anyone filmed the show? Or do you know anyone who would know?

    Thanks mate.

    Rich.

  • Mo February 13, 2012, 2:28 pm

    This is what its all about people helping people. Fran you are a good man and planting the seeds of wisdom in all of us here. I will continue to learn and grow for I am a forever student of the sweet science!!!!

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