Local boxer opens his Sharpsburg gym to area youngsters
Jose Caraballo, a professional boxer from Sharpsburg, has seen what effect roaming the streets can have on kids. He is making an effort to help the youth of Sharpsburg avoid the pitfalls and dangers that often go hand-in-hand with too much idle time.
Caraballo runs the Ray Schafer Boxing Club, located above the VFW in Sharpsburg. He's been making a conscious effort to get the local youth interested and, so far, it's working out.
“We're working hard to get the word out to kids around here,” he said. “I think it's working out. We're getting some packed gyms.
“We want to let the kids know that they have somewhere to go and we want to let the parents know that their kids have an option. We want to get the kids interested in boxing. It teaches discipline and self-respect.”
There have also been some non-boxers coming regularly to the club.
“We have some wrestlers and football players here, too,” Caraballo said. “Some of them want to work on conditioning and agility during their off-season. We've got some girls that come down, too. We've started to hold boxing sessions for the girls in the evening. Everybody is welcome here. It's a friendly atmosphere.”
Most of the participants are teenagers.
“We've got some 10 and 11-year olds coming in but the majority consists of teenagers,” he said.
“Recently, we've reached out to the local police. Some Etna and Sharpsburg police officers have shown an interest in working out here. It would be a great situation where the kids and the police could work out together and get to know each other.”
Caraballo was also able to help put together a 13 and 14-year-old girls softball team this spring.
“A couple of the girls that come to the gym told me that there wasn't a softball team for their age group. I had coached my daughter's team in the past and I knew how much fun it was. I talked to some people from the Sharpsburg softball organization and we were able to get enough interest to put a team together,” Caraballo said.
He still boxes and has a bout scheduled for July. His son, Jose Caraballo III, is a successful Golden Gloves winner in the youth division. That's keeping him busy but his main focus is getting kids into the gym.
“When I was young, I got into boxing,” he said. “It gave me something to do. This was when Paul Spadafora was starting to hit his stride and the boxing gyms in Pittsburgh were full. I want to instill that interest around here.
“I'm just trying to open doors for the kids in this area. Everybody is welcome here. We have amateur and professional boxers here. We have kids from different sports coming in. We create a positive atmosphere and show the kids that they have an alternative to just hanging out. Their parents would get some satisfaction in knowing where their children are and what they're doing.”
Marty Stewart is a sports editor for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-782-2123 or mstewart@tribweb.com.
