“Gym students learn to take responsibility – and a punch” |
| Gym students learn to take responsibility – and a punch Posted: 10 Feb 2011 03:40 AM PST On certain nights, men gather in an old building among the closed storefronts of Glouster in northern Athens County. Most don't leave without taking a few punches, and some win high accolades for it. Sam's Gym, located on High Street in downtown Glouster, has gained renown for the boxers and kick boxers it trains. Owner Sam Jones has spent much of his time in the gym since his father opened it in 1936. Since then, Sam's has helped numerous fighters to win championship titles at every level. But it's not all about professional boxing at Sam's Gym. Family values play an integral role. Jones' own family has lived in Glouster since the Civil War. Jones' father originally opened the gym to provide a source of entertainment and exercise for the residents of Glouster when it was a booming coal town. The gym offered a venue to keep kids out of trouble and in school, Jones said. Jones took over the gym in 1960. He has his own breed of fame in Glouster. His family has owned a restaurant, tavern and clothing store in the village, though he's still most famous for the gym. Currently, Jones works to help raise money for the Trimble Local School District through the Textbook and Supply Foundation. This is just one of the many contributions the Jones family has brought to the area. SAM'S GYM OFFERS TRAININGfor all ages and skill levels in boxing and kickboxing. Just as it did when it first opened, the gym works diligently to keep the youth of Glouster healthy and successful. "If you want to be a champion, be a champion in life," Jones said. "Stay in school, stay off drugs, and be a productive citizen. That's really what we're all about." Jones most recently has been training two boxers for state championship fights. Brian "The Golden Greek" Camechis and Joe Paintiff, both former Athens County residents, have trained at Sam's Gym for the Ohio and West Virginia state championships, respectively. Camechis' fight will take place March 3 at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus. The match will be the first pro boxing event ever hosted at the Arnold. Camechis' fight against Michael Clark will be the main event. According to its web site, the Arnold Sports Festival is the largest multi-sport event in the nation. More than 18,000 athletes participate in more than 45 sports and events. More than 175,000 people attend the Arnold Sports Festival each year. The event will take place March 3-6. Clark, a Columbus native, has a professional record of 35 wins and 4 losses. He formerly held a two-time International Boxing Council world lightweight championship. Information about the fight can be found on Camechis' Facebook page as well as the Arnold Sports Festival site. Camechis, 32, stands at 5'8'' and fights in the welterweight division, which consists of fighters who weigh 140 to 147 lbs. A Glouster native, Camechis has boxed since he was 18 years old, beginning at Sam's Gym. He cited Jones as his main reason for taking up the sport. "Young men in this area know about Sam Jones from the time they're 6 or 7 years old. He's a man that all young men look up to and want to be like," Camechis said. "He's a strong fighter, and he's always had good focus on every feature that a young man would want." Jones has helped Camechis achieve a professional boxing record of 19 wins and 3 losses. He said the fighter has never been knocked unconscious during a fight or suffered any serious injuries. Camechis said boxing is more about the other people involved than it is about himself. He said he's driven by his family, fans and anyone from Glouster who can take pride in his achievements. He enjoys giving people a reason to come together to have a good time, he said. The reason he chooses to continue to box to bring them together is more vague. "There's no one good answer. It just becomes part of you," he said. "Even if you quit boxing as a competitor, it's still a part of you." When he isn't boxing, Camechis works as a heavy-equipment operator in Logan. He lives there with his wife Mindy and his two sons, Weston and Creighton. Camechis said his family originally tried to turn him away from boxing. Now they support him, and he maintains he could not continue to box without the support of his wife. "My wife is one of the most important parts of this whole thing," he said. "Like Sam says, it's like making a pie. If you leave out one ingredient, the whole pie is ruined." Camechis said the championship fight is no different in terms of motivation. He aims to make Glouster proud. "If we can get three or four people to go on the map and say, 'Where the hell's Glouster?' we did our job," he said. THE OTHER STATEchampionship fighter at Sam's Gym, Joe Paintiff, fought this past Saturday, Feb. 5. Paintiff, who once sold display ads for The Athens NEWS and lived in Athens, lost to Bobby Thomas Jr. in Parkersburg for the West Virginia cruiserweight title. Paintiff, a Parkersburg native, has a professional record of 5 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses. Both losses have been to Thomas, with the first one occurring last April in Wheeling, W.Va. Saturday's match was Paintiff's first shot at a state title. Paintiff, 31, has boxed since he was 14 years old. He got his start through an independent boxing program started by one of his high-school teachers. He turned professional in 2002. After a nine-year break, Paintiff started boxing again at Sam's Gym. Paintiff dropped from 263 to 200 pounds to enter the cruiserweight class during his time at Sam's. Paintiff said he cannot easily describe the feeling he gets from boxing. "I don't put a lot of stock into the emotional side of it," he said. "You're so focused on the task at hand, you just focus on putting on your best performance." As with Camechis, Paintiff counts on his family to support him during his fights. His wife, Jami, and daughter, Elly ,provide him the encouragement to continue despite the time his boxing takes away from them. This connection to family mirrors the teachings Sam's Gym offers. Camechis and Paintiff take their lessons from Jones in life and in boxing as so many have before them. Jones and his gym have taught numerous people how to handle the difficulties of the world. "If you get knocked down in the ring, you get back up and get right back in the game," Jones said, "because if you get knocked down in life, if you lose your family or your job, you have to bite down and get right back up." And that's what Jones aims to teach, whether he is training the next state champion or just another champion in life. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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