Jacksonville, Florida, he had boxed there for over a year . After coming to Harding, he heard about the club and decided to continue boxing. "I like it," said Hawkins, a Iightheavyweight. "When I win," he continued, "it's a great feeling. It gives me a lot - really too much - confidence." But for the boxers and other athletes, the buoyant feeling associated with winning comes infrequently, and never without a price. For Hawkins and other serious boxers, workouts were long and hard. The workouts included extensive road work , jumping rope and heavy bag and speed bag work. "We do the same thing Rocky did," he said, referring to the movie character, "but we don't lift weights." Boxing matches were harder than the workouts, however. Five rounds of sparring took much less out of Hawkins than three rounds of a regular bout. "Sometimes after a match, " he said, "I can hardly get out of the ring. " Many boxers receive nicknames, and Hawkins was no exception. With his mind set on Golden Gloves competition, he was proclaimed "the great white hope" by the other club boxers. Another Harding boxer also had an unusual nickname. Junior Dan Alessio was a beginning boxer this year, having switched from gymnastics. Because of his initial stiffness in the ring, Alessio was dubbed "Robot." Hawkins said he realized the sport was not for everyone. "This is a sport for me," he said. "I tried it and liked it, but 1 wouldn't recommend it to people." Most student boxers fell into the novice category. This represented their first exposure to organized boxing and primarily served as a learning experience . To most it was one that will be remembered! - Tilll Frakes WId Brad Wat son ~ 145 Men's Intramurals
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