The Crushers Club
10 years ago I photographed a boxing gym in Englewood, on Chicago South Side, part of a story covering the senseless shooting that plagued the poor neighborhoods of the city. The Gym doubled up with a program to keep kids out of trouble, boxing was just a way to get them in and show them an alternative to gang life. I came back a few days later to share the pictures with the kids, and took some more, starting a cycle that is still going on today. Each time, I’d come back to give the kids 2 pictures, one for their family and one to post on the walls of the gym. Before long, kids would ask me to take their pictures, with the new ones asking “how come my photo isn’t on the wall ?”. I loved it, I loved the fact they felt confortable asking me to do something for them, and I am grateful they allowed me into their space.The hard work that the young men do, in a powerful and nurturing environment, continues to inspire me, and photographing them and learning about their lives has been one of the greatest experiences of my long career creating visual insight into often untold stories.

The Crusher Club in Englewood, Chicago is a boxing gym with a special mission. Started by Sally Hazelgrove 10 years ago, the non-for-profit organization is dedicated to improve the lives of young men by helping their academic performance and keeping them out of the juvenile justice system.Boxing was the initial draw for many of the young men, but it was just a means to an end. There are good life lessons to learn from boxing, and one of them is preparation is necessary to competing. The real goal of the club is to provide an alternative to the street, to offer young men a way out of the cycle of poverty, violence that too often defines their lives.When I first walked into the club ten years ago, I was struck by the sense of safety and camaraderie that filled the space. The young men who trained there came from one of the toughest neighborhoods in Chicago, where violence and crime were all too common. In the gym, they found an alternative path, a safe place to be themselves. The older guys were taking care of the young boxers, wrapping their hands and padding them and slowly and clearly, there were some great boxers in there, from 8 to 18 years old. Over the years, I watched young men at the Crusher Club grow stronger, both physically and mentally. They learned self-discipline, respect for themselves and others, and the value of work - and a paycheck!  They also found a sense of community and belonging that is so important for one’s self esteem.There was a learning curve for the club too, and the club has developed and expanding as the young men have. After the pandemic hit and forced the gym to shut down its boxing program, the club pivoted to focus on job training and education. The goal was to help the young men not just stay off the streets, but give them options for the future, and open the world to them, beyond the borders of Englewood.Today, there are 70 young men on the payroll, working as managers, mentor, trainers, and apprentices in a variety of fields. And there's a waiting list of kids who want to join the club. They are boxing, cooking, creating clothing, and producing music. These young people are learning life skills in the catering, culinary, and construction professions. Young members of the Crushers Club in Englewood get paid $15.00 or more per hour for the work they do.Hazelgrove works every year to raise funds to support the programs. She said all of the young people who are in need, in Englewood, know they can come here, to be nurtured and loved. More than 500 young people have walked through its doors, and there have even been three Golden Gloves champions. The organization has been recognized nationally beyond Chicago’s borders and receives state and county funding and relies on donations and grants. Its next goal is to create a workforce hospitality training center in Englewood, in the years ahead.