Soldiers share boxing skills Posted On: Tuesday, Oct. 27 2009 03:21 PM By Alex Byington
Fort Hood Herald

Stationed at Fort Hood in 2005, Spc. Jeffery Spencer was often found pounding away at a speed bag in the J&T Boxing Club.

For two years, he trained side-by-side with Killeen's own brother duo of Marcus and James Johnson Jr., studying the art of boxing from two of the city's best pugilists.

Now, after spending the last two years fine-tuning his craft at the prestigious Army World Class Athlete Program at Fort Carson, Colo., Spencer is back where he got his start to help teach other soldiers what he's learned.

"It's a great thing coming back to Fort Hood. I was excited when I got to Killeen because I came from here," Spencer said Monday evening. "So by coming back, I can show some of the soldiers what you can do. ... You'd be amazed what you can do if you persevere and keep persisting with what you want to do."

Sponsored by Fort Hood's Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers, Spencer and Spc. Zacchaeus Hardrick — a fellow Army World Class Athlete Program teammate — are instructors in a free, week long boxing training camp from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Iron Horse Physical Fitness Center.

"To be a part of (both the Army and boxing), you have to be mentally strong as well as physically strong," Hardrick said.

When they're not teaching, Hardrick, a middleweight, and Spencer, a light heavyweight, are busy training to represent their country on the grandest stage of all — the Olympics.

Having both fallen short of reaching last year's Beijing Olympics, losing in the second round of the 2008 Olympic Trials to the eventual national champions in their respective weight class, Spencer and Hardrick are now striving that much harder to earn their place among the U.S. Olympic Team for the 2012 Games in London.

"After the Olympic Trials, it really gave me a hunger to be the best there was," Spencer said.

With the soldier he lost to now one of his coaches, Spencer feels its his time to prove he belongs among the nation's elite boxers.

"It really gives me a sense of placement because I want to take his spot," Spencer said. "He was No. 1 at the time, and now I'm in his slot, so I'm striving to be the best in the nation."

It's with that same motivation and drive that both are trying to return the Army team to its rightful place in the middle of the ring.

"We're trying to achieve it as a team by letting the world know that the Army team is not going anywhere — we're still here and we're coming back stronger than ever," Spencer said.

Working on fundamentals like movement and form, and how to be graceful but still pack a punch, 15 to 20 participants soaked up the knowledge Spencer and Hardrick were sharing with them.

One of those soldiers was 38-year-old Cpl. Kenneth Brown of the 62nd Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, who said he came out to both learn the sport of boxing while also fulfilling his promise to "maintain tactical and technical proficiency" in the noncommissioned officer creed.

"We're warriors and they're teaching you fighting skills that will help you not only in life, but also in the battlefield," Brown said, still dripping sweat from the hour-and-a-half workout. "Plus, it's just good cardio and a sport I've always wanted to learn."

While most of the students weren't officers like Brown, the instructors saw the same enthusiasm from soldiers nearly half his age.

"I saw a lot of eagerness to learn, a lot of focus — when they were going through the drills, they were like sponges," Spencer said. "... You know how everybody says boxing is dying, but to me, boxing is not dead because there are still a lot of people out there that love it and have that eagerness to learn it."

Although the training camp is already under way, all interested soldiers — single or married — and civilians alike are invited to show up for the final three days of the free event. For more information, contact the Better Opportunities For Single Soldiers at (254) 287-6116.

Contact Alex Byington at alexb@kdhnews.com or at (254) 501-7566.