Page 6 - MidWeek Central - July 21, 2021

6 JULY 21, 2021
Youth Are Served At New Boxing Club Located In Waipi‘o
BY CENTRAL O‘AHU VOICE STAFF
is just as important in the ring as it is outside the ring.” Longboy would know about wrong directions. As a teenager, he ran into all kinds of trouble before he found discipline and purpose in the Hawai‘i National Guard’s
rently works as a heavy-duty diesel mechanic for Grace Pacific.
94 Box is not just where fighters learn to throw jabs, crosses, hooks and upper- cuts, but where they also find guidance in the bout of life.
In turning his life around, Longboy has become a role model for community youth searching for direction.
Since opening its doors earlier this month, the box- ing club has attracted scores of adults and youngsters to its Waipi‘o gym — and the emphasis has been in teach- ing the approximately 30 youth as much about becom- ing productive members of society as it is with giving them pointers in pugilism.
Youth Challenge program. “I was a delinquent, and I actually dropped out of high school in my sophomore year,” he explains. “Fortu- nately, I had an opportunity to participate in the pro-
“It takes time to build a relationship with these kids, but I always have a little bit of insight for them,” he says. “And, once they become a part of our family, their problems becomes our prob- lems.”
a certain famous boxing family from Waipahu in its corner with Brian “The Ha- waiian Punch” Viloria, the former professional boxing champ, along with father Ben and brother Gee.
our foundation is good.”
As for the club’s unusu- al name, it’s derived from the street slang “94 block,” which Longboy explains is another way of saying
(Left) Vincent Longboy, 94 Box owner and coach, runs drills with 7-year-old student Robert “Kama” Boner. (Above) 94 Box coaches Mike Pacheco, Longboy, Gee Viloria
and Marvin Martinez are eager to guide community youth. ANTHONY CONSILLIO PHOTOS
“For us, our club is more than just boxing. It’s about steering kids in the right di- rection,” says owner Vincent Longboy. “The art of boxing
gram, and it saved me.” After graduating from Youth Challenge, he joined the U.S. Marines, serving two tours of duty in Iraq before returning home. Recently, he obtained his degree in busi- ness management and cur-
At 94 Box, Longboy is ably supported by three as- sistant coaches, all of whom cut their teeth under the di- rection of legendary coach Al “Quick” Silva at the old Waipahu Boxing Club.
“The Villorias play a big role in our training pro- gram,” Longboy says, “so
“you’re from Waipahu.”
“I didn’t want to take the name Waipahu Boxing Club out of respect for my old
club,” he says. “So, we left it up to the kids and that’s the name they came up with.”
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