Otahl "Slim" Saunders

We fight our own battles. It doesn’t matter if they’re in the ring or in our psyche.

Fourteen-year-old Otahl “Slim” Saunders, who trains at Circle of Discipline, knows all about those battles. After tragedy struck his family, boxing helped him deal with his emotions.

“My dad had passed away, and I had a whole bunch of anger built up, and I didn’t know what to do with it,” he said. “I told my mom that I needed to find a sport. She asked me if I just wanted to fight. I told her ‘no, I want to control myself.’”

Otahl Saunders Sr. & Otahl "Slim" Saunders Jr.

Slim’s father, Otahl Saunders, was one of three people killed during a St. Paul house break-in in 2007, according to published reports.

The intensity of the sport helps him deal with what happened, Slim said.

“After a very hard workout, I am relieved,” he said. “It makes you want to have fun. It takes out a lot of stress and things you have built up on the inside.”

Additionally, the sense of community at Circle of Discipline and in the amateur boxing community is a great help.

COD Coach, Sankara Frazier sharing a moment with Slim after his match

Slim has been training for about two years and boxing for a year and a half. His current tournament fighting weight is 106. The next big tournament he is anticipating is the Ringside National Championships in August. At that event, he hopes to win the first belt of his career.

Endurance, speed, and power are some of his biggest strengths in boxing, he said. The biggest challenge is to stay balanced during the different types of workouts he does.

“I would say that another strength of mine is having pride and heart behind every combination I throw, and every match that I go into.”

The Minnesota boxers who Slim admires the most are Jamal James and Javontae Starks, both from Circle of Discipline. He also is a big fan of Muhammed Ali.

Slim has the following advice for anyone just starting out in boxing:

“Put your mind to it, and try to put your heart to it also. If it’s really what you want to do, then just be dedicated to it.”

(L) Assistant Coach, Jamal James working with a boxer

As a professional boxer and assistant coach at Circle of Discipline, Jamal James enjoys learning from young fighters as well as teaching them. He said when boxers win a championship or a just a fight, it is a great boost to their confidence.

What’s more, it helps manage the more difficult aspects of life.

“Boxing helps a person deal with negative energy,” James said. “They can channel the anger out in a positive way, and deal with the stress. Intense training helps to calm the body down and avoid the negative energy. Slim will be doing well, if he sticks with it. I have high expectations for him.”