Plenty of Fight in Them

Jessie Pacheco has the look of a boxer. The stereotype of Rocky--shy, less than comfortable with the spoken word, but strong and possessing an inner self-confidence--fits.

During a practice session, Pacheco casts eyes downward and bounces lightly. Arms extend fully, punching assuredly and hard.

Pacheco won a Blue and Gold national title in September. But though full of promise, Pacheco has fought only four fights in a three-year boxing career; others the same age have fought as many as 50.

The problem? Jessie Pacheco is a girl.

Pacheco trains at the Downtown Youth Center in Anaheim, where director Ed Kostiuk began supporting girls’ boxing four years ago. Pacheco was one of the first of a program that now has five girls, ranging from 8 to 15.

“The guys said it would never happen, that it was crazy,” Kostiuk said. And when it did happen, some of the boys left in protest.

Kostiuk brought in a girls’ coach, self-trained Yvonne Jurado, who said that, initially, the other coaches and kids didn’t accept her.

Kostiuk insists that “boxing is a cross-gender sport.” The sport builds self-confidence. By working toward and achieving goals in the gym, the kids realize they can achieve all their ambitions, important lessons for both genders.

The boys no longer seem to mind the presence of girls. At a recent practice, the girls circulate easily among the roughly 30 boys. Jasime Reyes, 11, holds her palms up, slightly above shoulder level, and urges another boy to hit her hands. She corrects him when he doesn’t do it right. During a sparring match between two boys, the girls, like the boys, gather around the ring’s perimeter and yell, spurring the two contestants on.

The girls all say boxing is their chosen sport. They come to the gym almost every day to train and say they like it better than soccer or basketball.

“This is more interesting,” said Reyes, who wants to be a professional boxer when she grows up.

They diligently train, but because few other girls compete, these fighters have few opportunities to actually enter the ring.

They prepare for tournaments and shows, going into the ring against each other or a boy. But once they arrive at the competition, they often find there’s no one of their gender in the same age and weight class.

The girls admit it’s frustrating--but not enough to keep them from training and trying to get better.

“Just by going into the ring at all, these girls are doing something that I’ve never done. I admire them for that,” Jurado said.

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Judy Silber can be reached at (714) 966-5988.