Carmelo Guerrero continues boxing family tradition with new Princess Anne venture
The sport of boxing has done a lot for Carmelo Guerrero. As a teenager who started boxing as a teenager in Salisbury, it provided him with a space to stay safe, stay in shape, and build a work ethic and sense of discipline. It's a story common story that is similar to many others who have looked to sports as both an outlet and a safe space within their communities.
Looking to pass on what he's learned to the next generation, Guerrero began training kids in 2014, working in the neighborhood to help keep kids in shape and off the streets. Though they didn't have a central location where they would do their workouts, they were committed to instilling discipline and principles into the young people they worked with, while also working in collaboration with local schools.
"Boxing gave me the discipline to find something that I was not too good at, and become great at," Guerrero said in a recent interview. "It gave me the perseverance to say, 'Work hard, work hard, put forth the effort,' and that would spring about a champion or somebody who can make a difference in the community and other people's lives."
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Guerrero family opens new Princess Anne boxing club
Working alongside his wife, Julia, Guerrero Productions Boxing Club had its grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony in Princess Anne on Saturday, Feb. 3. And it's a major step in what the Guerreros hope will go a long way towards helping young people in the local community.
“As Main Street Princess Anne manager, it has been an absolute pleasure to work with the Guerrero family to provide support as they realize their dream," Main Street Princess Anne Manager Carrie Samis stated in a release. "I am thrilled they chose to locate in the Main Street District. They are already an asset to our community and now they’ll be helping to attract new people to the downtown district. We look forward to having the Guerreros as part of our Main Street business community.”
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Boxing is in the blood for the Guerrero clan
Guerrero, whose brothers are local professional boxers Fernando and Alex Guerrero, can already feel the impact the boxing training has made in the lives of the kids he's worked with, and hopes that the new gym will be a continuation of that progress.
"Even when I first started in the Princess Anne area, a lot of the kids that I trained were kids that came from what you may call a 'bad environment,' " Guerrero said. "Circumstances of making the wrong choices. And to see that giving these kids a direction to do something positive, and they can see it and change their lives. Implementing dedication and finding something that they love and are passionate about and makes them better.
"I've seen firsthand, from a kid that feels bullied, feels like he doesn't have any self control on what's happening in his life, to just a good month of working out and talking to him about where we see ourselves in life, where we're going, what changes were going to do now and what is going to be the first steps to make those changes to be somebody that's productive and part of a society instead of a penitentiary. I see the attitude change that says, 'Ok, this is scary, training every day is painful, but I can do it. I'm learning something.' "
Boxing classes will be offered for both youth and adults
Having been an amateur boxer himself and having trained amateur boxers, Guerrero says that the focus of their program is less about boxing competitively, and more so about self-defense, training, staying in shape and growing the individual, using boxing and the discipline and determination needed in the sport as a tool for self-improvement and development.
According to a release announcing the gym's grand opening, they are set to hold classes for both youth and adults on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, with Carmelo and Julia serving as instructors. And they can already feel the excitement around the new opportunity.
"The beauty of it is, because I've been doing this for so long in the town of Princess Anne, a lot of the people that I'm touching, it's circling back," Guerrero said. "The talk is there, we can see that the town is inspired by it and being moved by it, and the kids are ready to see something different in the town."
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This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Boxing gym keeps tradition alive for Guerrero family in Princess Anne
