Hoping Andy Carr comes back out swinging

To the Times: Often, we read articles that shock us, anger us or just leave us in a state of deep sadness.

Today is one of those days for me having just read the news that Andy Carr has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for dealing meth and enforcing drug deals for the Warlocks.

I feel sadness, not because I think the sentence is unfair – I believe justice has been served – but because Andy Carr is so much more than the man I just read about. I do not know Andy Carr personally; however, he has touched the lives of many people and love.

If you grew up in Upper Darby around Sellers Library in the ‘90s, you may remember seeing Andy with a group of anywhere between 10-20 kids barking instructions to them as he taught them martial arts. Make no mistake though. He taught them more than martial arts. He taught them self-discipline, encouraged them to overcome difficult home lives, and to stay on the right path. I am sure he earned their trust because he had overcome his own difficulties in life – to become that I know a community leader and an advocate for troubled youth.

I used to watch from afar with admiration and respect for the kids I recognized out there working hard with Andy. Later in life, Andy directly impacted by family. When my father retired from a career that consumed his days, nights, heart and soul and lost his father only a short time later, Andy gave him a new place to call his home away from home at the Upper Darby Boxing Gym. Yes, my almost 60-year-old father – a Vietnam Vet and the consummate tough guy – took up boxing in retirement and that gym brought a light into his life and continued to give him a reason to feel good, look good and interact with some young boxers who have had a profound and lasting impact on his life.

I hope that the article I read today is not the end of Andy’s story. I hope he serves his time and comes out swinging, fighting for the life he should be leading – one where he is inspiring and pulling people up out of the darkness, not living in the darkness himself. Leave your comments online Use hashtag at