GIVING BACK: Officer by day, mentor by night

Barry's Boxing Center offers children ages 8 and up more than just skills in the ring

Photos by Jim Miller/ViewTop, Pat Barry, a Metropolitan Police Department officer and owner of Barry?s Boxing Center, 2664 S. Highland Drive, sets up the pads for a body shot for Cory Connor, 11, during a practice session at the gym, Jan. 15. Bottom, Augie Sanchez, Barry?s son-in-law and head coach at Barry?s Boxing Center, tapes up the gloves of Pablo Montiel, 15, before a sparring session. Advertisement

Pat Barry spends his days working in a job most people would find incredibly stressful -- dealing with domestic disturbances for the Metropolitan Police Department.

After work, when many people would kick back with a frosty beverage and watch TV, Barry goes to his second job. He instructs young people at Barry's Boxing Center, 2664 S. Highland Drive.

Barry works a full shift with the police department before coming to the gym from 4 to 9:30 or 10 p.m. The gym closes at 8 p.m., but staff needs to clean up. He works five days a week at the police department and six at the gym. Sunday he takes off, unless there's an out-of-town competition, in which case, he often finds himself on the road, traveling to Arizona, Utah or California with his students.

To say the gym is his home away from home is understating the point. Barry's Boxing Center is really a family affair. Pat's wife, Dawn, who also worked for the police department, runs the center full time, taking care of the business end. Their daughter Dawn is there, as well, coming down to the center after her day job as a social worker to organize funding and grants and put together special events, such as last weekend's benefit bout at the Tropicana, which featured celebrity appearances from Floyd "Pretty Boy" Mayweather and former boxing champions Hasim "The Rock" Rahman and Jorge "Maromero" Paez.

The center is located in an area of town typified by businesses that don't require elegant surroundings to do well, and Pat Barry is quite happy to be there.

"It's a great location," he said. "It's off the beaten path, but easy to get to from anywhere in the valley.

"It's been a long road to get this place. We started in our carport, then we had a store front, then a nice warehouse, then we had a place across the street, in front of Treasures. This is our fifth place, and every time, we get a little bigger and a little better."

The center is a nonprofit organization. The younger Dawn takes care of administrative duties, such as grant writing, fund seeking, putting on shows and chief officiating for boxing events.

"Right now, we're trying to raise money for swamp coolers and heaters," she said. "These kids are loyal; in the summertime, it's hot as heck in there and they're sweating. There are times in June or July when it's a hot box in there. We need $18,000 for parts and labor. Anyone who'd like to donate time working on the mechanical or electrical would be greatly appreciated."

The center serves a lot of kids, 8 years old and up, males and females.

"We have programs we're starting," the younger Dawn said. "We've collaborated with the Police Athletic League. They bring their kids down here and we train them. They bring in groups from the Cambridge Rec Center and the Stupak Rec Center."

The center also participates in a program with the Juvenile Court System called the Hands Up program.

"Kids that are showing success in their probation or their parole, showing a desire for change and an interest in boxing, this is offered to them as an incentive. All their expenses are paid and incentives are provided along the way. We're trying to open up programs with the school district, that's our big goal, we want to have boxing in all the high schools," she said.

The kids are charged a fee of $25 a month, but the younger Dawn said they get a lot for it.

"Most of our money is brought in with grant writing, and the boxing events bring in some money," she said.

"My police instinct tells me that probably a good third of (the kids), if they weren't here, would be finding their way into mischief to some degree or another," Pat Barry said.

"Would they be hard-core felons? I certainly hope not, and I don't see any bad youngsters here, but out of boredom or maybe thrill seeking, would they find themselves getting into trouble? I think they might," he said. "The majority of the kind here are conscientious, they come from good homes. Loving families. Because they have to have support to come to a facility like this, there's a buy-in from the parents in that they have to get them down here."

Pat Barry is proud of the kids he's worked with. He looked around the room and pointed out a young man, Diego Magdaleno.

"He won the U.S.A. Nationals in amateur boxing. He was No. 1 in the USA at 132 pounds in 2007. He wound up losing in the Olympic trials, so he went pro," Pat Barry said. "He was just a step away from going to the Olympics. The kid who wound up winning the Olympic berth, Saddam Ali, is a fellow (who) only two months earlier Diego beat, five-zip. He's a success story."

"We are, Pat!" Magdaleno interjected. "Together!"

"He had his first professional fight two weeks ago at the Hard Rock and he won that very impressively," Pat Barry continued. "He's been training with us since he was 8 years old."

Magdaleno's next fight is Feb. 7, again at the Hard Rock.

"One more thing," Pat Barry said. "Let me tell you about my head coach Augie Sanchez. His dad was his main trainer, I started working with him when he turned professional. He fought for the world title twice. He got beat, but in great fights. He decided that he had gone as far as he was going as a professional and wanted to work with kids. He left fighting. He's still got all his faculties and he's really a great guy. And he's passing on his knowledge and experience to the kids."

Pat Barry said he first saw Sanchez box when he was 8 or 9 years old at the Golden Gloves Gym. "My daughter used to come to all the matches, she used to be a little ring card girl. Augie walked up to my wife one day and said 'Mrs. Barry, I'm gonna marry your daughter.' Seventeen years later, they did get married," he said.

Barry's son-in-law, Augie "Kid Vegas" Sanchez, is now the center's head coach.

"His experience really shows when you watch their skills and how fast these kids are coming up," Pat Barry said. "You don't pick up that kind of skill unless you're being taught by someone who knows it. I credit him as being a fabulous coach and trainer, and I think you're gonna be hearing great things about him."

For more information about Barry's Boxing Center, call 368-2696.