Volusia County boxing coach helps underprivileged youth achieve champion status

HIS CAREER IN THE RING, HELPING OTHERS REACH CHAMPION STATUS IN THIS WEEK’S COMMUNITY CHAMPION MEET COACH GLENN HAGLER. HE HELD A FUNDRAISER AT HIS GYM SO UNDERPRIVILEGED KIDS WILL BE GIVEN A CHANCE IN THE RING AND A CHANCE AT NEW OPPORTUNITIES. RIGHT HAND ROLLED UNDER RIGHT HAND. GOD GOOD. WELCOME TO HAGLER BOXING CLUB IN DAYTONA BEACH. HERE YOU CAN LEARN THE PROPER JAB, CROSS STANCE AND MORE. JACK GLENN HAGLER HAS BEEN BOXING HIS WHOLE LIFE. HIS PURPOSE IS TO BE IN THAT RING TEACHING KIDS OF ALL AGES. WE SHOW THEM THAT THEY ARE SOMEBODY WHEN THEY COME IN THIS GYM, EVEN THOUGH SOMEBODY OUT THERE MAY HAVE SAID YOU WERE NOBODY. WHEN YOU COME AT HAGLER BOXING CLUB, YOU ARE SOMEBODY STEERED ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND I KNEW HOW POSITIVE IT CHANGED MY LIFE, AND I JUST WANTED TO BE THAT SAME INFLUENCE ON OTHER YOUNG MEN’S LIVES. MEN AND WOMEN. THE GOAL IS TO WIN IN THE RING, BUT THE BENEFITS TEACH YOU TO LIVE LIKE A CHAMP. BOXING IS AN ART. WHEN YOU’RE BOXING A PERSON, YOU’RE NOT JUST THROWING PUNCHES, YOU’RE SETTING UP TRAPS. YOU’RE WATCHING, REACTING OFF THE OTHER, OFF THE OTHER PERSON’S MOVEMENT. YOU’RE SEEING HOW THEY MOVE. YOU’RE SETTING UP COUNTERS. WE’VE BEEN JUST TRYING TO PULL IN THE YOUNG MEN OFF THE STREET TO COME IN AND SHOW THEM THE POSITIVE INFLUENCE AND GET THEM, GET THEM DOING THE POSITIVE THING. AND IN BOXING AND STAYING IN SHAPE, MIND, BODY AND SOUL, GLENN SAYS. BOXING IS IN HIS BLOOD. HE COACHES HIS SON, GLENN JUNIOR, WHO IS A PROFESSIONAL BOXER WORKING WITH MY DAD. HE’S ALWAYS BEEN MOTIVATIONAL. HE’S ALWAYS BEEN PUSHING ME EVER SINCE I WAS A KID. EVERY DAY AFTER SCHOOL, WE HAD TO WORK OUT. HE ALWAYS BEEN AN INSPIRATION FOR ME, FOR THE KIDS. I GREW UP AROUND, FOR THE GUYS AROUND THE COMMUNITY. THEY DON’T MAKE FATHER FIGURES LIKE HIM ANYMORE. GLENN ALSO TEACHES LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, INCLUDING DAYTONA BEACH POLICE CHIEF JAKARI YOUNG. I CAN COME IN HERE AND SPEND 30 MINUTES AND JUST PUNCH IT OUT. SO IT’S NOT ABOUT NECESSARILY THE PHYSICAL. SO MUCH FOR ME, IT’S ABOUT THE MENTAL HERE. THE CHIEF STOPPED BY A FUNDRAISER AT THE GYM. THE GOAL WAS TO SPONSOR A FEW TEENS IN THE COMMUNITY, SO THEIR MEMBERSHIP WAS COVERED AND THEY COULD GAIN NEW SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE. I LEARNED SO MUCH HERE, CHANGED MY LIFE. WHEN I STARTED COMING HERE, I WAS 200 POUNDS. I LOST WELL, NOW I’M 150 SO I LOST ABOUT 50 POUNDS. CODY JILLIAN WAS ONE OF THE TEENS AWARDED A SPONSORSHIP. HE MAY HAVE HAD A PHYSICAL TRANSFORMATION, BUT ALL ASPECTS OF HIS LIFE HAVE IMPROVED SINCE MEETING COACH AND PUTTING THE GLOVES ON. I USED TO GET IN A LOT OF TROUBLE AT SCHOOL AND ALL THAT, BUT EVER SINCE I STARTED COMING HERE, I CHANGED MY LIFE AND GOT DISCIPLINED. I DON’T GET IN TROUBLE NO MORE. I’M AN A B HONOR ROLL STUDENT NOW. CODY IS GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, AND NOW HE’S OPTIMISTIC ABOUT HIS FUTURE. I WAS VERY SHOCKED WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT PEOPLE PUT MONEY IN ME TO COME HERE AND TRAIN, AND BECOME ONE OF THE GREATEST, THE BEST. I CAN COACH EVEN TOOK A CHANCE ON A BEGINNER. ME? YOU’RE MY NEXT CHAMPION. WE’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU ALL THIS TIME. OH MY GOD, THAT’S WHERE WE BEEN DOING. THANK YOU. I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU. THAT WAS GOOD. GOOD WORK. YOU’RE SO SWEET. THE BOND BUILT IN THIS GYM IS BASED ON TRUST, DISCIPLINE AND FAITH. AND IT ALL COMES FROM THE LEADER IN THE RING, WHICH MAKES COACH GLENN HAGLER A WESH 2 COMMUNITY CHAMPION, TEACH THEM THE SKILLS AND AND WORK WITH THEM AND SHOW THAT LOVE TO THEM AND HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE THEM. AND THE FIRST THING WE LET THEM KNOW THAT GOD HAS ALREADY MADE YOU GREAT AND HE JUST SENT YOU TO US TO BRING THE GREATNESS OUT OF YOU. OH, I JUST LOVE THIS STORY. JOINING US NOW, COACH GLENN HAGLER. COACH, CONGRATULATIONS. YOU’RE OUR COMMUNITY CHAMPION. THANK YOU. I’M HONORED. WELL, TELL US, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU TO BE THE COMMUNITY CHAMPION? WELL, WELL, FIRST, UH, FIRST, I’M HONORED TO BE HERE, BUT I’M HUMBLED AND I’M GRATEFUL. AND I’M JUST THANKFUL THAT I GOT THIS OPPORTUNITY JUST TO TO TO TEACH THESE YOUNG MEN WHAT GOD HAS BLESSED ME WITH AND TO TO SHOW THEM AND TO HELP THEM GUIDE THEM ALONG THE WAY. THAT’S WONDERFUL COACH. WELL, WE’RE SO HAPPY THAT YOU’RE HERE TODAY AND ALSO SHOULD MENTION THAT YOU ARE A PASTOR IN ADDITION TO A BOXING COACH. SO SO YOU BRING SO MUCH TO THE TABLE. YEAH, TAKE ME THROUGH. YOU’VE IMPACTED SO MANY LIVES IN DAYTONA BEACH. REALLY JUST IN THE BOXING COMMUNITY. UM, WHY IS THIS YOUR MISSION IN LIFE? WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT TO YOU TO BE DOING THIS? IT BRINGS GRATIFICATION TO ME TO BE ABLE TO JUST DO WHAT I DO. AND IT’S NOT LIKE IT’S WORK. IT’S SOMETHING I LOVE TO DO. IF I CAN TOUCH SOMEONE’S LIFE, CHANGE THEIR LIFE, INSPIRE THEM, MAKE THEM FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEMSELVES, AND IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I’VE DONE SOMETHING IN LIFE. AND THAT’S WHAT MOTIVATES ME. WHAT ARE YOU HOPING THAT THE TEENS LEARN IN THE RING? I KNOW YOU’VE COACHED YOUR SON. WE MET A YOUNG MAN THAT YOU COACHED THERE. I EVEN THE CHIEF OF POLICE, YOU KNOW, JAKARI YOUNG IS WITH YOU IN THE RING. WHAT ARE YOU HOPING THAT WHETHER THEY’RE TEENS OR ADULTS, WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR TEACHING? UH, A LIFE OF DISCIPLINE THAT YOU CAN DO ANYTHING THAT FIRST GOD HAS ALREADY PUT GREATNESS IN YOU. AND THEN. AND IF YOU DISCIPLINE YOURSELF, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. YOU CAN REACH ANY GOAL THAT YOU WANT TO. IT’S JUST TAKING ANYTHING THAT’S NEGATIVE, PUSHING IT ASIDE AND PUTTING ALL POSITIVE THOUGHTS, POSITIVE, YOU KNOW, THINGS IN OUR LIVES THAT WE CAN BECOME SOMETHING GREAT IN LIFE. WHY DO YOU THINK BOXING RESONATES WITH TEENS, WITH THE CHIEF, WITH SO MANY PEOPLE? BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT’S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WANT TO YOU WANT TO YOU WANT TO STAY IN SHAPE AND YOU WANT TO. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? KEEP YOUR BODY RIGHT? AND WHEN YOU GET MIND, BODY AND SOUL AND ALL THREE ARE COMING TOGETHER OTHER THEN IT CLICKS TOGETHER AND IT SEEMS LIKE YOU’RE YOU KNOW, YOU’RE REALLY DOING SOMETHING POSITIVE IN THE COURSE OF THE DAY. WELL, COACH, LET ME ASK YOU THIS BECAUSE BOXING IS A TOUGH SPORT. I MEAN, YOU’RE YOU’RE IN THE RING. YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT BE TAKING A BLOW OR TWO. YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE, BUT SO FOR PARENTS THAT ARE MAYBE WATCHING THIS SEGMENT AND THEY’RE A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT EXPOSING THEIR KIDS TO THIS, PUTTING THEM IN THE RING, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THEM? HOW WOULD YOU CALM THEIR FEARS. OH WELL, FIRST OF ALL, IT’S REGULATED. WE’RE WATCHING OVER. AND I WANTED TO SAY I CAN’T DO WITHOUT MY COACHES. MY SON GLENN JUNIOR COACH KENNY COVERT, AND THE COACH RAFI AND THE COACHES THAT I HAVE. ROY JONES JR, WHO ALSO COACHED US, BUT WE REGULATE IT. WE WATCH OVER IT. WE MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING, UH, NO ONE GETS HURT. AND, YOU KNOW, WE GO AND IT’S JUST THE ART OF IT THAT WE TEACH. SO THEY DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING HURT IN THE RING. IT’S JUST SHOWING HOW TO HIT AND NOT BE HIT, MOVE AROUND AND DOING THOSE THINGS. SO WE REGULATE IT. SO IT’S REGULATED THE WHOLE AND MONITORED THE WHOLE TIME. EXCELLENT COACH. WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING IN TODAY AND JUST SHARING YOUR STORY AND TELLING US ABOUT HAGLER BOXING CLUB. AND JUST THE BIG IMPACT YOU’RE MAKING IN THE COMMUNITY THERE. IT’S AWESOME TO SEE. I’M HONORED YOU