LACING UP GLOVES FOR GOOD UNDERTAKING
“... The idea of getting in the ring was great by itself but knowing that this wonderful event helps these kids and this organization, that made it a no-brainer . ... ” Jen Pitassi • San Diego firefighter, on participating in the Battle of the Badges
NATIONAL CITY
The idea of slipping on the gloves and headgear to participate in a charity amateur boxing event appealed to the competitive instincts of Jen and Ben Pitassi of Imperial Beach.
Stepping inside the little slice of boxing heaven that is the Community Youth Athletic Center in National City and observing what the place does for at-risk youth inspired the married couple.
The 17th annual “Battle of the Badges” taking place this evening on deck of the USS Midway Museum is the primary fundraiser for the CYAC, which has mixed training 8-to-18-year-olds from the neighborhood in the pugilistic arts with academic tutoring, career training and life mentoring for over 22 years.
“When we came for our first practice and saw what this place is all about, we were sold, we wanted to be a part of it,” said Jen Pitassi, a San Diego firefighter who will square off against Samantha DeLa Cruz of the Palm Springs Police Department.
“The idea of getting in the ring was great by itself but knowing that this wonderful event helps these kids and this organization, that made it a no-brainer. We wanted to be involved.”
The event will feature nine, two-minute, threeround bouts pitting law enforcement officers, members of the military and first responders against one another.
Before he takes on San Diego firefighter AJ Hubbard, Ben Pitassi will parachute from around 8,000 feet onto the deck of the Midway to help get the night started.
A senior chief in the Navy, making such jumps is old hat for Ben. Boxing against an opponent in front of a jazzed-up crowd? That will be a new, exciting experience.
Like his wife, Ben has a background in wrestling and a lifelong passion for fitness and competition and like Jen, his interest in the event was turbo-charged after seeing the CYAC up close and learning about its mission.
“This is where the rubber meets the road,” Ben said. “When we first started coming to train, it was right after the kids trained and we’d see the overlap. To see the depth of coaching and mentorship the kids are getting, it really hit home. We’re already talking about doing it again next year and telling everyone we can about it.”
Some outstanding boxers have come through the CYAC or trained there over the years including Antonio “Relentless” Orozco, Giovani Santillan, Jorge Chavez and former pro and current high-profile trainer Joe Vargas, who works with athletes out of The Arena in San Diego.
A young man who is working to break through next is 18-year-old Diego
Luna, a recent graduate of Montgomery High School.
Luna, who will also be in action tonight in a bout against Franklin Garcia of Vista, already has over 66 amateur fights under his belt, has won five national championships while working his way up the ranks of USA boxing and has his eyes on making Team USA for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
He’s trained at CYAC for just over seven years and on Thursday, he worked combinations on the pads with the center’s head coach Edgar Sandoval, who works as a U.S. Border Patrol agent.
“The purpose of this place is about so much more than boxing,” Luna said. “It’s a place to train and get great coaching but it’s also a place to do homework. A place to hang out. It’s family.”
Sandoval, who grew up in the area and boxed himself, sees the CYAC as an essential part of the community at large.
“Kids who have something to hang onto, goals to work towards are kids who stay out of trouble, it’s that simple,” Sandoval said. “This place is all-encompassing. We are here to help. It’s not just about being a boxer. They can see that there are career paths in everything. Maybe military. Maybe law enforcement. Maybe as a firefighter. Maybe something else. There is a big world out there outside of the neighborhood. This place helps make that real.”
CYAC Executive Director Clemente Casillas sees partnership with law enforcement, military and first responders and the USS Midway Museum as a natural fit for the organization’s overall mission.
The National City Police Department donated a
grant to purchase new computers for the academic center — a comfortable office area that sits at the back of the gym — and community leaders like Sandoval volunteer their time to work with kids throughout the week.
“Boxing is about discipline and you can’t have discipline in the ring unless you have it in other parts of life,” Casillas said.
“That’s what we’re trying to instill in the kids here, whether the goal is to be a boxer or get into law enforcement, the military or to get into college and do something as a career. It all starts with good habits and discipline that can be learned in the ring.”