Steele's new gym opens at Home Courts

To the casual observer, the Richard Steele Amateur Boxing Club may seem like a place to get a good workout and throw a few punches. Steele, who has officiated matches between some of the greatest boxers to fight in the past 30 years, likes to think of it as a training ground for future champions.

The gym originally opened in April 1995 as a nonprofit organization in North Las Vegas, under the name Nevada Partners Boxing Gym. Eventually the name was changed to Nevada Partners Richard Steele Boxing Gym.

This time around, it will open as the Richard Steele Amateur Boxing Club in its new home at Home Courts in Henderson.

During the past 10 years, Steele got about 200 children involved with his boxing program. Eight months ago, the culinary union bought the building that housed the gym, and Steele's boxing club was forced to vacate.

Because Steele feels the program was so important to the North Las Vegas area it used to serve, he hopes to use a van to shuttle youth from that area to the new gym. He also is hoping some of the youngsters' parents will be willing to bring them to Henderson.

Though Steele is still sad the old location was lost, he believes his gym will find success in Henderson.

"We've already stirred up so much interest here," he said. "I hate for the North Las Vegas kids to lose this vital service they've had for so many years but now we'll get to bring kids from Henderson and North Las Vegas together, and they can learn to respect each other. That's going to open a new world for them. It's a big plus."

In addition to Steele, the gym will feature Evarald Foster, Alonzo Jones, Michael Scott, Nicole Laptain and Julio Garcia as boxing and martial arts instructors.

Steele hopes the club will attract both males and females ages 8-28, though he also will offer classes for older adults, including boxing aerobics. The club also will instruct in weight training, weight loss and nutrition and provide members with a "full physical fitness make-over."

Steele also has worked with female boxers in the past, and he hopes to encourage girls to get involved with the sport.

"Boxing is great for females," he said. "It teaches you how to get in shape, how to defend yourself and to work alone, because boxing is all about yourself. There's no one there to block for you (or) punch for you, and you have to be self-driven to be competitive in this world."

In addition to the physical fitness benefits, getting involved with boxing can help keep youth in school, Steel said, and help them make the right choices in their lives. He plans to have tutors at the club to help students and ensure they're not wasting their time while they are in school.

"I find kids just going to school to get their diploma instead of going to prepare themselves to go to a higher level of education," he said. "Boxing can help them learn to push themselves. They can go higher and reach goals in life, because you can't just be in boxing to be in boxing. You have to push yourself to do better to have better things in life."

Steele believes if children make the right choices, listen to his training advice and strive to be the best, his club can prepare them to become champions.

"A lot of these kids have nothing," he said. "With boxing, this type of workout is for kids who will really give their all, make that choice to really get involved This is a hard workout just to get ready, before you even get in the ring to fight. You have to really want to do this."

Though training at the gym costs $60 each month, Steele said the gym takes each youth as an individual case. If a family can't afford to pay for the training, Steele said he will find a way to help with a scholarship. He said NetFAZE Technologies donated money to provide scholarships for at least 10 youth, and the Church of South Las Vegas also has donated money to sponsor 10 youngsters.

The boxing club is open 1 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and Saturdays for special training sessions.

Home Courts is located at 7485 Commercial Way. For more details about the boxing club, call 566-4081.