Thanks to the dedication of Cheryl and Dean Walrod, Montana’s longest running boxing club survives the passage of time.
Hamilton Eagles Boxing Club
It comes as no bombshell stating that boxing isn’t for all tastes and appetites. Brutal and beautiful, it’s a unique sport requiring punishing fists, tigerish determination, peerless concentration and tactical superiority. On the professional level, the sport changes heroes quicker than the turnover of neon light bulbs in Las Vegas.
Cheryl and Dean Walrod have been running the Hamilton Eagles Boxing Club since 1975. The Walrods got involved in boxing after David, their 11-year-old son, laced up the gloves in 1971. They have never encouraged any of the kids in their program to turn professional.
“It’s too rough a racket,” said Dean. “I just want the kids here to get what they can out of it, and then move on with their lives.”
As coordinators of the longest continuously operating boxing club in Montana, the Walrods have nurtured and developed three generations of amateur pugilists. The Walrods said during this lengthy time span enrolled competitors have benefited greatly from their boxing experiences – both in and outside the ring.
“Through boxing, kids get a boost in their self-esteem,” said Dean. “Many of them get higher grades in school after joining the program, and they get in terrific shape.”
Cheryl offered additional examples of boxing’s benefits: “For many of the kids here now, boxing is a really great stress reliever. They don’t like basketball, soccer or football. Boxing teaches them discipline. It’s even a way to get rid of a lot of frustration.”
Montana Boxing Club, Hamilton, MT
Not only are the Walrods teaching the slick-punching and swift-footed fundamentals of the “Sweet Science,” an immensely complex chore by itself, but the couple intentionally imparts moral lessons.
Teaching goodness or correctness of character and behavior isn’t so simple either, but Dean – a white-haired man with a ruddy face and an expression of kindly intelligence – is quite patient. “There are no bad kids, just bad decisions that kids make,” he said.“We treat them like we would our own kids,” he added.
And the Walrods are up front with kids, letting them know that the conducts and actions of club members are subject to moral scrutiny. “I tell kids: ‘you represent the boxing club, conduct yourself in the right manner’,” said Dean.
Rules and acceptable habits of conduct (such as no smoking, no spitting and no cursing) are posted by lockers in the gymnasiums, located inside the Montana National Guard Armory in Hamilton. While hardly picture postcard material, the location is quintessentially appropriate considering the contused and scarred face of the sport it accommodates.“We could have a really rough gym, but we won’t tolerate it,” Cheryl added.
Bitterroot, Montana
Steven Musil, 11, said that he has been a part of the Eagles’ boxing club for three years. His record, he said, is 7-6. With the rest of his club members, Musil starts the night off with calisthenics, and then gymnastic exercises designed to develop muscle tone, such as sit-ups, followed with heavy bag work and light sparring.
“This is a lot of fun,” said Musil, stretching his limbs by a poster of Muhammed Ali which reads “Impossible is Nothing.”Jake Woods, 14, said that he likes the physical fitness aspect of boxing and was drawn to it because the sport affords him the opportunity to “do my own thing.” “I’ve never done team sports well,” said Woods.
The consummate joy that the Walrods gather from watching kids progress, maturing and developing from ring clumsiness to ring generalship, has kept them energized through the years. And it’s no wild exaggeration calling the Hamilton Eagles Boxing Club a gem of an antiquity surviving from the distant past (its first meeting was initiated by Tom Krantz in 1970). Back then, said Dean, a boxing league could easily be found in nearly every town in the Bitterroot, from Darby to Lolo. “About 20 years ago, there were 40 or more boxing clubs in Montana,” he said, adding that he has noticed dwindling participation at his own club.
“They were everywhere back then, from Polson to Whitefish,” said Cheryl. “Now, there are no others around, even in Missoula.”The lack of necessary money and all-important dedication, they said, has contributed to the closing of so many boxing clubs statewide. Interestingly, both Cheryl and Dean have careers in state politics; all the work, time and money the couple has poured into the program has been done so voluntarily.
In years past, when a kid didn’t have the resources to cover their travel costs to and from a regional, state or national competition, the Walrods paid such expenses out-of-pocket. “We decided long ago we wouldn’t leave a kid home from a competition due to a lack of money,” said Cheryl. Today, things are a bit easier thanks to the benevolence of sponsors, said Cheryl.
Hamilton Eagles Boxing Club
During the last 34 years, the Walrods have attended innumerable athletic contests and tournaments. Even now, they still get great gratification watching one of their kid’s win a matchup. However, for them, what remains even more rewarding than victory is witnessing the undying spirit and commitment enabling a youngster to enter the boxing ring, all alone and ready for a bout.
“Any kid that gets in the ring is my hero because it’s a gutsy thing to do,” said Dean.
The Hamilton Eagles Boxing Club is always looking for sponsorships and donations. For enrollment information or to make a donation, contact Dean or Cheryl Walrod at 363-3779.
Brian D'Ambrosio - Brian D'Ambrosio is the author of more than 500 published articles and seven books, including From Haikus to Hatmaking: A Year in the Life ...
