My Friday Morning (finally!) at The Bloc’s HQ

On Friday, I finally stepped foot into The Bloc’s HQ. I specify HQ because the Bloc is more than a building — it’s an ideal, signaling what can and should be when the right resources marry hard work. That said, the HQ is incredible, and I wanted an account.

First, a little personal story. I’ve been boxing regularly since 2010 because I watched it but didn’t really understand and respect it, and I wanted more. So my wife Laura and I started going to a group class every Sunday. This was the genesis of my boxing family — it began at Jabb Gym, which transitioned to GSP, which became Franklin Street Boxing. Over the past eleven years, I’ve had more friends become like family through boxing than I can name, so I won’t try. But it stuck, and it’s been important to me ever since.

I trained six years until I built up the courage to box (a friend) in an exhibition. I like to say I really have no business doing this (boxing) — but a lot of great people have pushed me to at least try.

Boxing did great things for me — for my psyche, confidence, joy, health, you name it. So I started to think about what a boxing gym could do for others what it had done for me. Serendipity intervened, and around 2016, my friend Cheryl from the gym introduced me to Jamyle Cannon, founder of The Bloc. I’ve been a supporter ever since.

In Jamyle, I found a person of relentless action. I had put all these thoughts, plans, and steps into a Powerpoint at one point…he was just making it happen. He didn’t over-think or over-plan, he just acted, and it became clear to me that someone all-in and willing to make this his life would be successful in this endeavor. So it was no longer my calling to start a boxing gym, but I did feel a great sense of purpose in supporting Jamyle and The Bloc.

The Bloc has given back to me in spades — Corey was an original member of The Bloc and is now a trainer — he trained me for my second fight in 2019. I look up to Corey a lot given his knowledge and dedication.

So that’s what I have done ever since. As I said at the beginning, The Bloc is an ideal. It signifies that high-potential youth are just that, high-potential, and all they need is some support, resource, and opportunity to lead fulfilling lives. That is what Jamyle and his team have provided youth since The Bloc’s founding — even before it opened its HQ. Until spring 2020, when he opened the doors to a church-turned boxing center. As you might expect, much ceremony was curtailed due to Covid. I’ve been cautious during the pandemic (I’ll admit, maybe overly), but I finally stopped by The Bloc on Friday.

Walking in, I was overwhelmed and emotional. The Sanctuary, now boxing gym, is just one-of-a-kind. It was an off day, so it was eerily quiet and at rest, but standing in there, you can hear the echoes of hard work. Even a heavy bag at rest for 24 hours has a slight sway, a little motion from the prior work thrust upon it.

Quiet, but give it a moment, and not so much. Special work has gone down in here, you can hear and feel it.

I got the VIP tour from Jamyle’s wife and business partner Juli, who, like Jamyle, fills half a dozen roles and makes an incredible impact each day. At one point, I commented about that very point — that they are having such an outsized impact on the community. I was taken aback by her response, something like, “It’s just amazing that we get to live our lives doing this every day.” Heck yea — it makes sense in hindsight, but I needed a reminder of the joy and purpose of acting outside oneself.

Finishing the tour — I got to see first-hand what I had come to know on social media. The Bloc puts incredible resources into talking values, tutoring, running a fresh food pantry every two weeks, coat drives — you name it, if they can offer it using their space and name, they do. I ended my tour thankful that there are people like Jamyle and Juli in this world, that there is a growing cohort of people who support them, and that I’m in a position to be one of them.

This was a gift I had ready for the grand opening…in March 2020. The opening didn’t happen due to Covid, but I was thrilled to see the bell in place and to hear it has a place in the gym’s future.

So that’s what I’m here reflecting on for my 40th birthday. I’m blessed with my family at home, a great group of like-minded people at work, and birth and opportunity have been good to me. So I’m thankful to have an organization and now space, like The Bloc, to put more effort and resources into. If this did strike you, I’d be remiss if I didn’t post a link to learn more and offer support. Take care all, and have a great holiday season.