Devonne Canady is teaching DeMarcus Phillips 17, how to correctly use a speedbag at the Elephant in The Room Boxing Club in New Haven. Phillips is more used to kickboxing, and is rusty on his technique.
Canady quickly shows Phillips by moving her arm in a circular motion, over and over to make the speedbag swing, building to a sustained pace. Philips soon takes over.
“That’s the rhythm you’re looking for, yup, bop, bop, bop, now pick it up,” Canady said.
Canady owns the club and Phillips is one its newest members.
Canady says the club is more than just a place where boxers can launch professional careers.
She emphasized the transformative powers of boxing, from giving young people in New Haven a creative outlet, to maybe going pro, offering her own experience in professional boxing as an example.
Philips first learned boxing at a young age, wanting to learn how to defend himself in school. Several students begin to spar in the ring, their gloves connecting with protective padding, everyone trying to find an opening to land a hit.
Canady told Phillips’ mother, Tiffany Capps, her gym has never had a member seriously injured as a result of their training, much to her relief.
“You just want to either mitigate the risks or have that preventative mindset,” Capps said. “So it's comforting to know that they do put safety as a priority.”
Canady’s gym doesn’t require someone to be a good boxer to stand out. All she requires is that members who are currently enrolled in school maintain good grades if they want to keep their memberships.
Phillips says it’s a good thing.
“Most kids probably just want to box and not worry about school, but that just holds you accountable,” Philips said.
Being accountable can go both ways, by giving an extra hand to members struggling in school. Canady mentioned some of her members can and do struggle with their grades. The club partners with New Haven Reads, an after school program tutoring students.
Members who are students practice their reading twice a week. The partnership has been going on for a year, she said.
“So they read for one hour and then they train for one hour only on monday (and) wednesday,” Canady said.
Phillips paid Canady $220, practically all the cash he has on hand for his lessons.
One of the coaches, Nate Green, soon takes Philips under his wing, training him and his friends the basics of the footwork needed to box correctly. Green tells his friends not to rush, as music blasted from a speaker.
Everyone, Green said, learns differently. Some readily pick up the basics, others take longer. Many are able to start sparing within a year, depending on the student.
He said the best part of coaching is watching members grow.
“Boxing gives you a lot of confidence, because all odds are on you, it’s not like you got anyone to depend on,” Green said.
Canady is also a boxing promoter, and owns Boss Lady Promotion. She manages several boxers. She stops at a photo of herself, back when she was a professional boxer, located near the front of the club.
She told Phillips he can go far, as they looked at other photos of her fighters in the ring, and Mike Tyson.
“I'm hoping to still go to the Olympics one day through one of my students,” Canady said. “Could that be you, possibly?”
