Meet the Team

Although it is absolutely a community effort, Jennifer, or Jen, is the brains behind Boddie Boxing. Although she claims she is “a simple mom with a daughter who loves boxing”, she has created this non-profit organization, obtained the Twin Rivers USD contract, designed the summer camp and is only just beginning. “I think communication is key. Sometimes we just need a hug. [Or] someone to say, ‘Hey, I’m here. I’m listening.’” Jen has big plans for the kinds of services and activities BFBA will offer in the future. Check back to see what we’re up to!

A seasoned athlete and coach, Alphonso, or “Coach AJ”, has played football and basketball, and coached all his kids teams when they played basketball, football, and baseball. “My daughter started boxing when she was six. I started coaching shortly after.” Now she is a two-time champion! “I just kinda seen how it affected her. How she was able to walk with confidence, defend herself, or just be herself without the repercussions of being bullied or being judged.” “It’s a fine line between tough love and understanding… We want to be tough and stern with them but at the same time everyone is different… Mainly, we want to make sure that, hopefully, the best part of their day is here.”

“I grew up boxing. I started boxing when I was about 5 years old and I did it for around 12 years. I was training in Oxnard on a pro camp; I did that for awhile and then... I started wrestling [and] playing football.” Now a 5th-grade teacher, Joe has his Masters from the University of Maine in organizational leadership. This education guides his coaching and teaching, helping him “understand kids on a different level.” Joe says, “A lot of people don’t really see these kids as people. You have to understand that they all have feelings and we have to figure out why they’re expressing their emotions and how we can best deal with it.”

Bio Coming Soon

A parent of four, one with special needs, Shannon brings a wealth of experience to the kids of Boddie Family Boxing. “Working with kids is what I love to do!” Shannon has also worked for a local school district helping kids with special needs. “[The reason I keep coming back is] seeing the improvement in all of the kids. How much better they're doing emotionally, physically, mentally… [There was one kid who] would do half a lap and then stop running and now he does all his assigned laps. Just watching the growth, is amazing.” Shannon proudly shares that one of her children would cry over the tiniest of touches before joining Boddie Family Boxing, and now he is strong and confident.