Boxing coach rings in votes, plaudits
FROM training a single athlete in his own yard to leading the next generation of boxers to greatness, beloved coach Damien Lawler is one of the often unsung heroes of Warwick sports.
The Warwick Boxing Club trainer has been voted by Daily News readers as the community’s best sports coach for 2021, but his trainees say he’s had just as much of an impact on their lives outside the ring.
After training under legendary Warwick coach Sel Brackin, Damien began his own coaching journey years ago with his own kids’ soccer and football teams before taking up-and-coming boxer Nick Newley under his wing.
He said it didn’t take long to turn a few shifts a week at the boxing club into the fully fledged training squad he leads today, with at least a dozen young athletes and six registered boxers.
“Sport to me is not just about sport. There’s coaches out there who think they’re only here for boxing lessons, but it’s as much about teaching life lessons and helping them be confident,” Damien said. “It’s not just about fighting, because what they do here, they’ll take to school, that discipline and respect.
“I say all the time that if they’re not cleaning up the gym when they’re finished, they’re not cleaning up your room at home and definitely not cleaning up your school desk.”
Demanding hard work and commitment from his young athletes at their five training sessions a week, Damien matches every trainee’s effort in taking them to weekly sparring in Toowoomba and Brisbane along with competitions across southern Queensland.
It’s this dedication that Warwick pro boxer Jake Wyllie credits for much of his own success, saying the trainer and mentor had gone above and beyond at every step of his career since teaming up almost eight years ago.
“I started with him when I was 13. We went through the youngsters together and worked hard, then started getting to a higher level and eventually had a chat about turning professional,” he said.
“It’s unreal the way he takes kids under his wing and looks after them. He’s so much more than a trainer to me – he’s like a psychologist, a father, a trainer, a coach, he’s just everything.”
It’s an impact Damien is now having on the next generation of boxing stars, with his younger squad members holding just as much admiration and respect for their trainer.
Jed Morris said it was the coach’s encouragement and work ethic that drove him to move from the club’s fitness class into competitive boxing.
“Damo’s got a pretty good vibe about the gym and encourages everyone to work hard, and the boys have been winning so whatever he’s doing is right,” he said.