Boxing approved as club sport

After a 15-year absence from participating in any IU-sponsored boxing activities, IU-Bloomington Chancellor Ken Gros Louis can finally climb back into the ring again. \nThe Club Sports Federation voted to grant club status to the Gros Louis-sponsored boxing organization Tuesday night in the HPER building. Founding seniors Charles Benson and Jamie Kleinschmidt, accompanied by club coach John Bradshaw, gave a 15-minute presentation to the CSF. During the presentation they distributed the club's provisional constitution and disclosed how they would provide safety to club members.\nAfter some deliberation where many CSF members questioned how the proposed club would address other safety issues and female members, they approved the club. \n"It feels good," Benson said of being approved. "Jamie (Kleinschmidt) and I have been working on this for a year and a half."\nWhile having lunch in spring 2004, Benson and Kleinschmidt created an idea for a year-end charity boxing tournament called "Punch-Out Poverty." Since then they worked with several University organizations where Benson said they were told they needed to have a club in order to sponsor a tournament.\n"It's definitely nice knowing we're through the red tape now," Kleinschmidt said. "It lets us know our efforts weren't futile."\nBenson and Kleinschmidt called Gros Louis on board after they were told they needed a faculty sponsor. \nGros Louis was a boxer while in college at Columbia University. He contacted Bradshaw, who also serves as a senior military science instructor for IU's ROTC program, and asked him to coach the club.\n"It took us a while to find a coach," Gros Louis said, commenting he couldn't coach because he is "too old for that."\nKleinschmidt said the club expects its first-year costs to be about $8,000. The club has already obtained a $3,500 grant from the Residence Halls Association where Benson once served as director of sports and recreation.\nThe club will also seek funds via sponsorships and discounts from local vendors and sporting good stores, Benson said.\nGros Louis also offered his services to help raise funds.\nCurrently the club has nowhere to practice. Benson said a boxing ring takes too long to assemble to place in the HPER building or the SRSC. He said they are looking for a permanent space in an unused area in one of the residence halls. \nBut during the meeting, Benson said that won't pose a problem as the club plans to condition in the HPER weight room for at least six weeks.\nBenson said about 40 people attended the club's callout meeting Oct. 4. He and Kleinschmidt said they created most of the club's publicity through their IU Boxing Facebook group. Benson said he expects a larger turnout at the campuswide callout meeting, but they have yet to set up that meeting.\nNeither Benson nor Kleinschmidt have any boxing experience, but they said the goal of the club is to teach club members how to box.\nBut they might need a lot of training if they want go toe-to-toe with the chancellor. \nGros Louis wrote the book on IU boxing -- literally. He researched and wrote a short history of boxing at IU for the University Archives.\nIn addition to his collegiate career, he used boxing as an aerobic sport. In the mid 1980s, he and a coach would spar in the IU Fieldhouse.\n"They'd better look out," Gros Louis said. "That's all I'm gonna say"