Here is a pop quiz. You’re an amateur boxer and at the next tournament you face a very formidable opponent. Do you…
a.) pull out of the competition because you don’t think you can win?
b.) reluctantly go into the fight and give it at least some effort?
c.) box your heart out despite your fears, because you believe in yourself?
The answer to the question depends a lot on your attitude, which is a big part of learning and winning.
A positive attitude is one thing that gym coach Rachel Schley and her business partner Dan Witte hope that students learn at Believer’s Boxing in Forest Lake. The gym has been open now for almost one year.
“I love how excited the kids get when they start to believe in themselves, when they win, or even when they don’t win,” Schley said. “They realize that something clicks, and that they can figure it out for themselves.”
On January 24 Believers presented its “Night Of The Warriors” show. Besides boxers from Minnesota, athletes from Illinois and Chicago were also invited.
Schley is also excited about some young talent in her gym. Fifteen-year-old Tomas Witte and seventeen-year-old Annie Griffin both have promising futures.
Another thing that makes the Forest Lake gym interesting is the fact that it operates inside a church building. The gym is not officially affiliated with the Maranatha Church Community, Schley said. But the church donated the space for the gym and it does add a lot to the boxing gym, because about one fourth of the gym’s students are also members of the church. Even though it seems like a typical boxing gym with the doors closed, there is also a sense of community.
“For kids, it is sometimes tough because boxing is not a team sport,” she said. “It is nice to have people surrounding you who are interested in what you are doing. The church members are like a family and they really support each other. All ages of people are involved, from age 5 all the way to age 70.”
Schley first developed interest in the fighting arts because her brother was a martial artist. She often served as her sparring partner. At age 18, while in college, she started boxing. As of this year, she has been a boxing coach for six years.
For more information about the Believer’s Boxing Gym, call 612-750-9463.

AdamHaan@yahoo.com