National Golden Gloves Boxing Championships

In May Chris had the opportunity to sing the National Anthem for the National Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament. Of course he did awesome and the best part was that we were able to stick around and enjoy the evening... ringside VIP seats too! Let me start by saying that I am definitely NOT a boxing fan. I have never watched it at all (unless you count the 'Rocky' movies) and I've always thought it seemed like a brutal sport. Well, we had a blast. I was so impressed. Just a little background, Golden Gloves has been around since the 1930's and is a program for young men (teens and early 20's) to train. This program is what has created some of the biggest names in boxing... I was surprised how many I recognized. Also, I have NEVER seen such polite young men and great sportsmanship. They were polite to everyone around them, their opponents, the refs, each other. The fans and coaches as well, no arguing with refs or other coaches... It was amazing and actually made me a little emotional. I am so glad there are programs out there where young men can learn a skill and do something they love while learning to be gentlemen as well. I also think these are kids that would probably end up in the wrong crowd if they didn't have something like this. It was an awesome night... very fun and something different.