Hidden Student Talent: Liam Coleman
By Brock Nye
“It has brought confidence in every aspect of my life.”- Liam Coleman
One of the things that makes SVU so great is the wide array of talents that the students have. For some it is music and vocals, others it is sports such as volleyball and tennis. For Liam Coleman, however, his passion and talent is found in the brutal sport of boxing. Boxing is one of those sports that I wish I was good at because of how impressive it is. Liam has had so much success with boxing and really is a complete animal at it. He is a golden glove boxer and currently ranked 4th in the nation in the 189 lbs weight class and 10th in the 176 lbs class. To be not only in the Golden Gloves tournament, but doing so well is nothing short of astonishing. This tournament is for anyone that is not into professional boxing yet from ages 18–40. Liam has been able to do so well because of the years of practice and the dedication he has to his sport.
Up before anyone else, Liam is up and running, literally running. He says that he gets up and is running before the football team even gets to practice in the mornings. Three times a week you will catch Liam in the weight room and if he is not there then he is definitely in the ring. He says he really doesn’t have very much downtime; when he isn’t boxing he is either at school or hanging out with friends and family. Liam got into boxing when he was around 13. He was playing football but wanted to try a different sport. His father took him to look into boxing and he fell in love with it ever since then.
While talking with Liam, I asked him what his future plans with boxing and his business degree are. He told me that he plans to turn his boxing career into a professional one in about 3–4 years. He is ecstatic for this next jump in his career and the differences that come when you reach this next level of boxing. He explained a few of these differences such as the headgear worn in the amateurs is removed and your gloves get less padding. The amateur gloves that are used are 12 oz compared to the professional gloves of 10 oz. Obviously the removal of the headgear and the less padding in the gloves makes professional boxing more painful, but that has no effect on Liam. Professional boxing also goes for a longer period of time. Amateurs go for three rounds whereas the professionals go at least 4 and up to 12 rounds. Another difference of course is the money aspect in that you actually make money and tons more if you are successful in the professional realm. Currently, Liam is using this time to build his boxing resume so that when he does enter the pros, he will be able to dominate.
Along with boxing, Liam is excited to get into the business world. He hopes to get into real estate or have his own company which is why he is majoring in business. He plans on using his experiences from boxing and his business degree as catalysts for a successful life. Liam is a great example to all at SVU of hard work, dedication, and of chasing your dream. If you see Liam on campus, congratulate him for his success, and if you are brave enough, take the boxing class that SVU offers to get a taste of what Liam loves to do!
The Plan
While talking with Liam, I asked him what his future plans with boxing and his business degree are. He told me that he plans to turn his boxing career into a professional one in about 3–4 years. He is ecstatic for this next jump in his career and the differences that come when you reach this next level of boxing. He explained a few of these differences such as the headgear worn in the amateurs is removed and your gloves get less padding. The amateur gloves that are used are 12 oz compared to the professional gloves of 10 oz. Obviously the removal of the headgear and the less padding in the gloves makes professional boxing more painful, but that has no effect on Liam. Professional boxing also goes for a longer period of time. Amateurs go for three rounds whereas the professionals go at least 4 and up to 12 rounds. Another difference of course is the money aspect in that you actually make money and tons more if you are successful in the professional realm. Currently, Liam is using this time to build his boxing resume so that when he does enter the pros, he will be able to dominate.
Along with boxing, Liam is excited to get into the business world. He hopes to get into the real estate world or have his own company which is why he is majoring in business. He plans on using his experiences from boxing and his business degree as catalysts for a successful life. Liam is a great example to all at SVU of hard work, dedication, and of chasing your dream. If you see Liam on campus, congratulate him for his success, and if you are brave enough, take the boxing class that SVU offers to get a taste of what Liam loves to do!
