On the surface, boxing might seem like one of the most individualistic and intense sports on campus. However, members of the Carolina Boxing Club say the sport is so much more and that it builds a tight-knit, accepting community.
The Carolina Boxing Club offers students the opportunity to train, spar and compete while developing their boxing skills. The club offers spaces for both recreational and competitive training. It also maintains a close-knit community through regularly hosted social events, collaborations with other student organizations on campus, and consistent support among members as they prepare for competitions and train weekly in the gym.
Ben Reed, a fourth-year economics student and vice president of the Carolina Boxing Club, described the collaborative culture of the sport and the organization.
“There’s a really strong community,” Reed said. “Even though it’s an individualistic sport, there’s a really strong team aspect to it.”
Reed described how his passion for boxing started and how club boxing allowed it to grow into something he now loves.
"I started at the end of high school. It was a hobby. I never expected to keep going with it," Reed said. "I've been doing this for four years now in college. I'm pretty passionate about it."
Reed said his leadership role as vice president has also allowed him to discover a different sense of fulfillment from the sport, and it has changed the experience he's had in the club.
"I've enjoyed it a lot more because I'm able to form a connection with a lot more people," Reed said. "It's also a cool opportunity to be able to give back in a similar fashion to how I remember the VP's and the presidents did when I was a freshman."
Will Jordan, a fourth-year international business and marketing student and social chair of the Carolina Boxing Club, described the social aspect of the club and how important it is to the culture of the organization.
“It really is like a family. We all have each other’s backs,” Jordan said. “If I skipped a day of practice, I would have five people from the club text me. They want to check on you.”
Jordan said that for students who are considering joining the club, no prior boxing experience is required. He said the culture of the club doesn’t just allow new boxers to join, but encourages them to.
“People join at any spectrum of personal fitness or experience in boxing or combat sports, or sports at all,” Jordan said. "I wish I had started it sooner.”
Aidan Lazenby, a fourth-year exercise science student and president of the Carolina Boxing Club, said the organization has a system for guiding new members and making them feel welcomed.
‘’Once they’re prepared, once they have that base framework to build their skill set off of, then I put them into the club, and those guys tend to thrive,” Lazenby said.
Lazenby also described how common misconceptions about the sport — such as it being a solely aggressive and disordered activity — are inaccurate.
“People just think it’s dudes throwing haymakers. That’s not what boxing is at all,” Lazenby said. “Boxing is a thinking man’s sport.”
Additionally, Lazenby said the club has a strong community for female boxers, especially with boxing typically being a male-dominated sport. The end-of-year tournament on April 11 will feature a women's division.
“We have a really tight-knit women’s community,” Lazenby said.
Lazenby described the club as a positive and inclusive space for all members, regardless of their background.
“It's really nice to see that the gym becomes a space for people of all walks of life, all genders to come together and share a love of fitness, a love of fighting and just have some fun," Lazenby said.
The club practices three times a week at Battle Boxing Gym, but there are additional opportunities for members to train every day. Lazenby said members also work to prepare for an end-of-year tournament to showcase their boxing skills in front of a crowd.
"We are having our first-ever tournament with another school," Lazenby said. "This year, we're adding Clemson's boxing club to the mix. It's going to be the first ever Palmetto Brawl on April 11 at 3 p.m. in the basement of our gym."
Jordan said the club is not only a place for members to spar with one another and develop their boxing skills, but for them to grow as individuals as part of a supportive community.
“It’s really given me such a good group of friends,” Jordan said. “It’s really taught me discipline like nothing I’ve ever done has in the past. It makes me a better person.”
More information can be found on the organization’s Instagram, @gamecockboxingusc.