Photographing children in an adult world especially in the sport of boxing, sometimes one has to look beyond the violence to see the upside. In urban America’s boxing gyms young boys learn positive life lessons, develop self-esteem, while improving their physical and emotional development. Here a young boy takes a break from his daily workout to pose for this photograph. For a photographer, walking into a neighborhood gym is like a child walking into a candy store. The grittiness of the facility, the history showcased on the walls, or the worn equipment reflective of years of wear and tear, all adds to a gym’s unique make-up.
Yet here among all those cool backdrops, a young boy rests quietly, thoughtful, against a painted brick wall lit only by the warm sun’s contrasting rays filtering in from a wire-glassed metal window. Our young boxer poses in a learned, guarded position ready to go a few rounds. I always believed what makes a strong portrait is a subject’s body language. Regardless whether that attitude runs somewhere between passive and aggressive.
young boxer/©frank marchese photography
Yes, I must agree. We often think that kids doing boxing are only exposing their fragile body to the harms the sports bring. But then again, boxing can teach the hard lessons of life. As Rocky Balboa puts it, “Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth.”