When the Columbia Heights Fire Department transitioned into the city’s newly-constructed Public Safety building after its completion late in 2009, Sean Clerkin Sr. recognized the opportunity that the now-vacant old firehouse presented.
The Dublin native and patriarch of a family with a long history of community service dating back to the 1960s decided another venture was in order. Clerkin discussed his plans to open a boxing gym with former City Administrator Walt Fehst, and in 2012, he and wife Judy opened Firehouse Gym.
With a history of involvement in Golden Gloves of America dating to the early ’70s, it wasn’t surprising that Clerkin, who’d operated gyms in the area before, would try his hand at it again. As the president of the Upper Midwest Golden Gloves franchise and a member of the national board of directors (recently retired from both) at the helm, the nonprofit gym at 555 Mill St. NE in Columbia Heights has grown to the point that it has nine volunteer coaches working with youth (age 10 and up) and young adults, promoting the sport of amateur boxing.
Darry Jones exhibit at Firehouse Gym. (Andrew Lake)
A gym and a museum
While there is a small dedicated space in the gym that acts as an official museum of Golden Gloves history, especially that of the Upper Midwest franchise, in reality there is hardly a bare space on any of the gym’s walls.
Everywhere one looks there are photos and other memorabilia pertaining to the sport of amateur boxing. In a very real sense, the young people who are stretching, wrapping their fists, working the bags and sparring with a coach or another member are doing so within the walls of one large museum to the history of Golden Gloves boxing.
Banners, trophies, belts and fight programs from years gone by seemingly adorn every inch of free space that the gym has to offer. One display case is dedicated to former Columbia Heights police officer Darry Jones, who trained at Firehouse leading up to his participation in the 2020 USA Boxing Olympic trials. Two other highlights Clerkin pointed out are photos of him refereeing a young Sugar Ray Leonard match and another of him with Thomas Hearns, before the days when he was professionally known as “The Hitman.”
Emily is sizing up another sparring partner on a separate occasion. (Andrew Lake)
Boxing and … personal finance?
Golden Gloves has long stood for more than boxing and prides itself on a tradition of trying to help young people build character and a sense of personal responsibility. Along these lines, Ty Nosser, one of Firehouse’s volunteer coaches, offers weekly instruction in personal finance, covering topics such as budgeting and investing. He recounted the number of gym members who had managed significant purchases, including some joining the ranks of first-time home buyers, after putting their lessons to the test.
Jefferson and Emily sparring in the ring. (Andrew Lake)
Inclusivity
Clerkin said that while their number is still comparatively small, the gym has experienced a sufficient influx of young women training and boxing at Firehouse that they have been able to add a Saturday morning training session dedicated to them. It is also standard practice to match up members of similar skill levels for workouts and sparring, regardless of their gender.
Hanging from the rafters across the length of the gym are national flags from around the world. Clerkin invites members to bring in a flag of their country of origin and, once they do, it is displayed for all to see.
Jon Stannard, who is in his fourth year as one of Firehouse’s volunteer coaches, has regular sessions with a group of adults from a local service agency that works with people with autism. He said while not every exercise works for every one of their clients, he has been able to have a significant breakthrough with one young woman who, normally unable to tolerate others touching her hands, has been able to accept having her hands wrapped in preparation for donning boxing gloves. In another recent success story, an otherwise non-verbal client helped count out the number of situps that the group was doing.
Cost and schedules
Monthly fees at Firehouse are $50 and this covers everything the members (currently 80 strong) need to participate, from personal equipment such as tape and gloves, to the use of locker rooms, a kitchen and multiple breakout rooms for instructional work. Those who end up participating in boxing competitively, “10-15%,” Clerkin said, will do so under the tutelage of USA Boxing which oversees amateur and Olympic-style boxing in the United States. When these members need to travel to compete in matches, they often do so with assistance, direct or otherwise, from the gym. Though officially closed on Fridays and Sundays, Firehouse allows access on those days for coaches to hold private sessions.
Since the Columbia Heights City Council moved into their new digs at 40th and Central a little over a year ago, there is now more empty space in the city-owned building that formerly housed both the Police and Fire Departments, along with the city administrators. Though they’d like to utilize more of the building’s newly emptied space, Clerkin noted that fire regulations prevent it.
Judy and Sean Clerkin Sr. with resident gym dog Vader. (Andrew Lake)
Continuing success
Knowledge Johnson, reigning Golden Gloves champion at 176 pounds for the Wisconsin franchise and Firehouse gym member, began his boxing career late. A 2020 Osseo High School graduate, who started boxing after graduating, he said he began boxing early during the coronavirus pandemic and things were shut down everywhere. “I was in here for hours, it was like a job … during [the pandemic] there was nothing to do, I was in here from the morning until the end of the day.”
It was the same type of dedication that the gym witnessed when Officer Jones used its facilities in preparation for the Olympic trials, and it appears that it’s one tradition that will continue at Firehouse Gym.