Photo By Cpl. Jackeline Perez Rivera | Members of the All-Marine Boxing Team pose with the commandant and sergeant major of...... read more read more
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CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — The All-Marine Boxing Team’s list of achievements is growing by the minute and gaining a lot of attention. They’ve earned it. They spend each day honing their skills and recently conquered the Army in the 2012 Armed Forces Boxing Championship.
On April 19 the commandant and sergeant major of the Marine Corps, Gen. James Amos and Sgt. Maj. Michael Barrett, stopped by to congratulate the group in person. The team and members of their command spent some time with the commandant in a meet and greet at the Area 3 Gym, the home of the All-Marine Corps Boxing Team. While there, Amos took the time to speak to each member of the team, congratulating them one-on-one.
“It was like meeting the president,” said Lance Cpl. Freddy Rosado, a lightweight boxer with the team. “It’s a big deal.”
Lance Cpl. Curtis Iverson, an undefeated heavyweight boxer, said he felt nervous when meeting the commandant.
“I had butterflies,” said Iverson. “It was like before a boxing match. It was amazing seeing him and just talking to him, just leveling with him. He is a great guy and I was honored to meet him and the sergeant major. I’m pretty sure that’s not an experience everybody gets. It was nice. I had my team around and everybody was supporting us.”
It was good to get recognition, said Rosado, who was 13 years old when he started boxing. When he joined the Marine Corps he became a part of 8th Engineer Support Battalion, a unit which he describes as very fitness and Marine Corps Martial Arts Program oriented. Rosado found himself knocking out whoever they put against him. His unit encouraged him to try out for the team. Since then, he’s won matches in Texas, North Carolina and has defeated the Royal Marines in the United Kingdom.
“I’m just getting ready,” Rosado added. “This is the best feeling in the world. Not only do I get to serve my country, I get to do the thing I love the most, and that’s boxing. I’m grateful for everything the Marine Corps has given me and I hope that they continue (the program).”
While the team is currently riding the waves of success, with one of their own contending for a spot at the Olympics, that does not mean they are letting their guard down.
“We won the (Armed Forces Boxing Tournament) for the first time in 21 years,” said Jesse Ravelo, the team’s coach. “That was easy. The hard part is defending it. We’ve got a lot of tournaments going on this year and we’re going to defend our territory.”
The Marines understand that their individual accomplishments and matches reflect on them as a group.
“Cumulatively, it was everybody as one team,” said Chuck Rose, the section head and director of Marine Corps sports. “My background is baseball and baseball is a team sport made up of individual accomplishments. Boxing is very similar. It’s a team sport made up of individual boxers who go out and do their part and compete.”
The boxers also know that through their hard work and accomplishments reflects on the greater Marine Corps.
“That effort, that teamwork, that professionalism, that Marine Corps pride and tradition is what’s going to take you not only from (recent victories) but to higher goals,” said Rose.
| Date Taken: | 04.19.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 05.04.2012 14:40 |
| Story ID: | 87910 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 151 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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