MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, Mich. — Temple United Methodist Church in Muskegon Heights is home to several ministries, nonprofits and one very special boxing gym.
Each evening, Monday through Friday, Coach Ramon Avery trains a dozen young athletes at a boxing gym that first began years ago, now called T.C.B. Boxing.
"T.C.B., take care of business," said Avery.
He lets kids and young adults come to the gym to train for free.
"I let them stay for a week and see, do they really want it, and if they want to compete, then we go from there," Avery said. "A lot of kids come just to work out for a minute or get stress off, so anything to get them off the street, to help them."
"To be able to come up here and he taking us underneath his wings and showing us what he knows with boxing and stuff, it gives us something to do, keeps you in shape and keeps you out of trouble and stuff. It fills that gap in time," said Tommy Watts, who recently won a belt at a local tournament in Holland.
Avery trained under famous boxer Kenny Lane when he was 16 at Temple United Methodist Church.
He said he took over the program to give young people the same opportunity he was given when he used boxing as an outlet while teaching them respect, dignity and the importance of community.
"That's my calling," said Avery. "I really feel that God saved me to be the one to stand in the midst do the same thing and give back the same way they gave back to me."
To Avery, boxing is not just the work that goes on in the gym.
"Take care of business. Take care of boxing. Taking back your community, back one step, one punch at a time," said Avery. "You going out there, you trying to help people come out off the streets. You trying to get them a better lifestyle, trying to help them, you know, go in the right direction, and you only open up the door for them. It is on them to walk through it."
"You work hard, and you show up and come every day, and you'll get the payout of it," said Watts. "I couldn't jump rope when I first started, and now I can do all types of tricks and stuff with the jump rope, and it's just from coming in here, putting in the work steady, doing it over and over."
Growing one step and one punch at a time, Avery said he’s proud of what he's seen with his boxers.
"They put a smile on my face. Sometimes I get a little frustrated, but they do what they supposed to do and they take care of their business," said Avery.
He said he's confident he will continue to see champions come out of Muskegon Heights.
"Watch out for T.C.B. Boxing. We coming."