SANGER — Four weeks ago, the Sanger Boxing club was forced to close its doors to the public after its last coach retired.
Aware of the head coach’s incoming retirement, the city had been searching for his replacement for over two years. However, while interest is high, officials said they have been struggling to find someone who “checks all the boxes.” The city is looking for someone with the required certifications and a vision for the future of the program, but for many, the biggest challenge is passing the mandatory background check.
“It’s something that has been there for the city, and the city has seen the positivity that’s come out of it,” Parks and Recreation Director Doug Bolton said. “We don’t want to throw somebody in there just because we have to keep the program running, we want someone with the right vision to move the program forward.”
According to Councilmember Michael Montelongo, the club was founded by long-time Sanger resident Osvaldo Vera over 25 years ago. Years later, the city purchased a local market and transformed the property into the Sanger Youth Center, where the club was relocated to accommodate its growing membership. Around the same time, city officials also moved to hire a part-time boxing coach.
Today, the boxing club is one of several youth sporting programs operated by the city of Sanger. It serves children ages 8 to 17, teaching the fundamentals in boxing, nutrition, weight loss, strength training and physical health. Before stepping into the ring, participants must register for the program and sign a waiver.
For the past 24 years, the program was led by Mario Irazoqui, a longtime Sanger boxing coach who returned from a seven-year retirement to coach the club. In recent years, the young boxers under his instruction have gone on to win big at competitions. In December 2024, Priscilla Meraz, Wendy Ledesman and Jayyden Avendano made headlines after advancing to the regional tournament of the Silver Gloves State Championship.
“The program has been successful in so many different areas with these kids,” Councilmember Montelongo said. “It’s something that the city of Sanger as a whole should be grateful for and proud of.”
According to some of the club’s former coaches, the program’s role extends beyond boxing competitions, as coaches have also served as mentors to young people in the community, helping them build confidence and stay connected to the gym.
Albert Samorano and David Pollastrini, who now coach at Sanger JiuJitsu and MMA, previously taught classes through the city program until around 2020. Both said an important part of coaching is supporting young people who are shy or struggling at home, something they said becomes more difficult when the gym closes its doors.
The city’s boxing club has struggled to stay open in the past due to staffing issues, and while Irazoqui’s son temporarily stepped in to help after his father retired, he also departed from the program after accepting a full-time position with the Sanger Police Department.
With no one else to step in, city officials are ramping up the search for a new coach.
Bolton said that the city has interviewed six candidates for the job since January, and even attempted to hire some of them. However, many later failed to pass a background check or refused to be fingerprinted.
Montelongo said these requirements are necessary to ensure that the next coach can also teach children “how to be a respectable citizen” in addition to boxing fundamentals.
“Once we started putting out that (coaching positions) require fingerprinting and background checks a couple years ago, a lot of people took a step back and didn’t want to become coaches anymore,” Montelongo said.
As a part-time boxing coach, applicants would also need to be certified with USA Boxing — the national organization overseeing amateur and Olympic-level boxing in the country. Other requirements include first aid and concussion-CPR certification. Beyond the official requirements, Bolton said the city is looking to hire someone with a vision for the future of the club as it seeks to expand the program.
Officials have put out the call for a coach on social media and various job boards to attract potential applicants to the city. Additionally, Irazoqui has reached out to administrators at USA Boxing in the hopes of having them spread the word.
Samorano pointed out there are still plenty of qualified people interested in the position, but said some may view the city’s limitations as additional hurdles on top of the usual challenges of coaching, including short staffing and support. He highlighted the program’s past funding struggles, saying during his time with the club, he often paid for youth equipment out of his own pocket, and saw restrictions on fundraising as an additional challenge.
In August 2023, former coach Mario Garcia helped organize a fundraising match at the boxing gym. The event later drew the attention of USA Boxing, which opened an investigation into an “unsanctioned boxing event” that would be in violation of its competition rules. As previously reported by the Mid Valley Times, the city temporarily closed the gym, and USA Boxing suspended Garcia for 60 days.
Montelongo, who has supported the program since taking office in 1998, said the city remains committed to keeping it going. He noted that the club’s activities are already included in this fiscal year’s budget, and said that the city council has increased funding for the program in recent years.
Montelongo added his dream is to eventually expand the club with an outdoor venue and a larger ring.
“I’m not giving up on this program … and as a councilman, I will be their number one supporter to make sure that they get what they need,” Montelongo said.
