$55 dollar annual fee and copy of birth certificate just to spar?

[chris5]

So i want to take it to the next step and start sparring but owner of my gym said that just to spar for fun in a gym legally you have to pay a $55 annual fee to some association (i forget) and present a copy of your birth certificate w/ passport pictures. WTF is this about it...is this at every gym???

[PHOENIX623]

need a sponsor... ?
i will take 10% is you ever make it to the big times ! ???

[DIB42]

I thought maybe the charge was just to suppliment their insurance.... doesn't look like that though if they want passport and they're talking about an association.

What gym?

[chris5]

Savannah gym in houston...home of Juan Diaz. let me clear it up, they just want pictures LIKE the size of passport pictures...not your actual passport or pictures or anything.

[chris5]

LOL PHOENIX623, we have a deal. i think i could be pretty marketable and if julio cesar chavez jr is gaining that much popularity, i GUARNATEE you after two years of pro training i will be better then him and can have a way bigger fan base and following

[FIGHTING_FLIP]

probably talking about getting your USA amateur boxing passbook/license. my first gym i went to, a PAL, said we couldnt spar unless we had a passbook. every other gym i went to after that didnt follow that. it depends on what gym you go to

[THE REED]

Thats like $5 a month.

[#1Assassin]

the picture is for your book, cant fight without one of those. i would be fighting today, maybe right now if it wasnt bcuz my book wasnt ready in time. 55$ a year to box is the deal of a lifetime, i know ppl who pay that much each month.

so theres nothing strange or worth complaining about at all, the exact oposite actually. that they are already starting to get you set for competition shows they either believe in you or want to help you really bad for the sake of it. and again the money is nothing.

you are lucky to get to train there.

[rmz]

The $55 is for your boxers registration. USA Boxing is the amateur sanctioning body in the US and by paying the money, you provide yourself with insurance through them if you get injured etc. The passport like picture is for your book, they take the picture and put it in your USA Boxing passbook. When you go to competitions, they use the book to identify you and record your bout results. Every gym that is legit will make you register with USA Boxing so you and them can have insurance. If you get hurt training or sparring, USA Boxing will cover the medical costs minus the deductible.

[Pony Boy]

That's only for professionals. Some states now require you to have a valid professional boxers license in order to spar or train with other professionals. This is not the same for amateurs. For amateurs you usually sign a waiver with the gyms.