Anybody Know this Kid?

[billeau2]

Apparently he was a promising prospect at one time...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/mar...202-story.html

Welcome to the fair city of Baltimore...In my neighborhood we have had two homicides this last year on our block, and a block away. Both probably gang related, one guy ambushed in his house, that is at the end of our alley, and one on our street, the guy was popped in the head...must have been driving because he wound up hitting a few parked cars as he came to a stop...the cops think he was hit inside the car.

Now, if you go a little east of me? a lot more homicides have occurred, its sad really.

[Ray Corso]

The records my boys recorded in the J.O. & Open class is very impressive through the years and I take pride in their accomplishments.
However when it comes to my record of having a safe haven for kids to grow up in while offering a place to learn discipline and pride became a loosing effort I've lost far more then I've helped.
Beginning in the mid 80's the percentage of loosing the battles to the neighborhoods sky rocketed! The lure of easy money via drug sales had taken over and by then the fight was out of me. The fellow who took over had the desire to offer the option to the corners and continues today. An up hill battle as it's always been. My gym from 69-85 was aligned with Youth Divisions in New Haven, Hamden & West Haven Police Depts.
A lot of 3 o'clock in the AM calls about knifing, shootings and B&E.
Our alternative offers rewards through hard work and sacrifice the streets off quick reward and street corner status. Tough choice for a 12 year old who doesn't have to begin with!! All boxing gyms start out as a youth haven for kids, how it develops has a lot to do with raising money and the people running it. Anyone in boxing will tell you the hard part isn't the fight its all the **** that comes with the business in the game!
Ray

[rightsideup]

the lure of the streets is frighting it claims the youth and in some instances established pros such as hector Camacho and others.

[Mr.MojoRisin']

The youth have no good role models. The people that they see with money are the ones selling dope. A lot of new rap music appeals to kids who are from the suburbs and nice neighborhoods to want to live the street life. Btw 80% of homicide related deaths are gang members so its not like random innocent people are being killed although it does happen when the shooter misses their target and the bullets go stray.

[billeau2]

The records my boys recorded in the J.O. & Open class is very impressive through the years and I take pride in their accomplishments.
However when it comes to my record of having a safe haven for kids to grow up in while offering a place to learn discipline and pride became a loosing effort I've lost far more then I've helped.
Beginning in the mid 80's the percentage of loosing the battles to the neighborhoods sky rocketed! The lure of easy money via drug sales had taken over and by then the fight was out of me. The fellow who took over had the desire to offer the option to the corners and continues today. An up hill battle as it's always been. My gym from 69-85 was aligned with Youth Divisions in New Haven, Hamden & West Haven Police Depts.
A lot of 3 o'clock in the AM calls about knifing, shootings and B&E.
Our alternative offers rewards through hard work and sacrifice the streets off quick reward and street corner status. Tough choice for a 12 year old who doesn't have to begin with!! All boxing gyms start out as a youth haven for kids, how it develops has a lot to do with raising money and the people running it. Anyone in boxing will tell you the hard part isn't the fight its all the **** that comes with the business in the game!
Ray

Its the same with the martial arts for many. Most of the guys I trained with in Baltimore were of the street, some of them in gangs. I know the feeling when you lose one. In Philly I went up there to train as a kid in college and these guys were also that way...one guy was a prison guard. This guy was really tough and really good...he used to keep an eye on me, would threaten me that if he didn't see me back next week he would come to baltimore and find me! Just spent a lot of tough love making sure I made it through...I loved that guy like the big brother I never had (I was the oldest with two sisters)...One day found out he committed suicide. A lot of other guys in the club were shot, went to jail for many moons... It wears you out for sure.

[billeau2]

The youth have no good role models. The people that they see with money are the ones selling dope. A lot of new rap music appeals to kids who are from the suburbs and nice neighborhoods to want to live the street life. Btw 80% of homicide related deaths are gang members so its not like random innocent people are being killed although it does happen when the shooter misses their target and the bullets go stray.

And you know what burns my azz? especially in the suburbs! You see kids do the **** we used to do as kids....in this generation it is skateboarding, we did stickball, street hockey...and adults attack the kids tell them to go some where else! for christs sake! kids need to be able to skateboard and play and climb around and be kids. But when these kids are at home in mom's basement watching garbage on television, like Elroid, they are not bothering anyone skateboarding.

I am always glad when I see kids being physically active and constructively, I try to encourage them when at all possible...I know there are times when kids are in an area where they shouldn't do that stuff, but it seems to me that when we were kids adults were a lot more tolerant of kids playing in public areas.

[Ray Corso]

We were taking part in a "scared straight" program years before I ever saw the shows or heard of the program. A friend of my older brother who also knew Gaspar Ortega ran the boxing program at Somers Prison in Enfield Ct.
I took a team there once a year to fight the prisoners since the mid 70's those who earned the right to participate in their program trained pretty hard but the lack of road work showed up in the novice guys. The first year I took my kids who began in 1978 was in 1983 most were above 18 however I did sneak in a few that "needed" to be there. Walking through max security with a triple deck block with multiple cells was an eye opening event for my kids! They heard some sweet callings and some other very real threats.
We got to fight in a difficult environment and they got a real lesson what freedom was all about! By 1985 that program was abolished, to bad it did a lot of good.
They did continue their release fight night that allowed a few guys to fight pro on under cards with Marlon Starling a future welter champ. Their were guys like Randy Milton who fought Ray Leonard in one of Leonards earlier bouts (maybe 12th) and Chi Chi Rodruiqez and some others I can't think of right now.
Visiting a max prison will get a young mind thinking especially when their cheering for you to die!
Ray