The Demon Boxing Club has started at Santa Fe High, with 20 members who are hoping to take advantage of belonging to one of only two public high-school boxing teams in the nation.

Santa Fe High is teaming up with the Santa Fe Boys and Girls Club and Coach Pat Holmes of Holmes Boxing. Training, which includes physical workouts, running, and confidence building, is now happening four days a week in the Activity Center, near the ROTC area.

Regarding his own grueling training, Muhammad Ali once shared that he had to tell himself, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”

Two classes are run on alternate days, and will continue through April 30. Other team activities involve going to professional fights, such as the one the team attended at Buffalo Thunder last month. Next month’s USA Boxing Western Elite Nationals will be held in Albuquerque, and there are plans for club members to attend that as well.

Dylan Mattes, a senior in the club, said, “The boxing club would be helpful because normally in schools around the world, for some reason people want and have the instinct to fight one another. If we capture that motivation early, it could be helpful to each student who joins.”

But Coach Ferguson wants to develop more than just boxing skills. “Boxing cultivates respect and a sense of community Most boxers are very humble So, we want to promote these virtues as they are equally important as the boxing techniques

At one of the early meetings, Coach Pat Holmes laid down the law: “All of you think you’re going to be fighting each other because you joined this club,” he said, “and that’s not happening.” “It takes motivation,” Holmes said. “If you’re here and not motivated, then don’t join. Conditioning, and maybe weightlifting, coordination, a little bit of self-confidence— it’s important to know that boxing is dance, fighting, and physical training.”

For more information, contact Mr. Ferguson at [email protected]