Current participants in the boxing program | Photo by Daisy Garcia Montoya
Daisy Garcia Montoya
Education reporter
The Kansas City Police Athletic League (PAL) has one coach on each side of the ring.
Deyanira Gudino, better known as “Coach DD,” has been an integral part of the expansion and development of PAL's boxing program. Unlike other coaches, Coach DD was once a youth boxer with PAL, but returned as an adult to coach the program.
Coach DD says she was bullied at school when she was 11. She tried to deal with the situation, but it wasn’t until she discovered PAL during a school trip that she found a way to deal with these issues.
“I saw a woman talking about wanting to be a boxing coach and I said, 'That's great, because all the other sports are male and she's the only one,' and I thought, 'I want to do that too,' so I went home and told my mom, 'I want to do boxing,'” Coach DD said.
Her parents were cautious about this new interest in boxing, a sport historically dominated by men, but ultimately agreed.
“When I enrolled, I spoke to the boxing coach and he asked me why I wanted to box and I told him girls would pick on me and boxing would help me protect myself,” Coach DD said. “He replied, 'I'm not teaching boxing so you can compete, I'm teaching it because it's a sport' and I simply said OK. I was scared but over time I started to trust him.”
As her skills improved, she was signed up for USA Boxing. Until then, her coach had kept her status a secret out of fear, but when she signed up, she decided to let her coach know. All of the PAL coaches and officials were involved in her case, and they made sure she was allowed to compete. She won local and regional matches, eventually winning the national title at age 12.
Now, Coach DD is back with PAL full time, coaching other fighters inside the ring.
With three skill levels and about 60 kids in the program, she said her schedule is focused not just on teaching them how to box, but also on helping them with life and school.
“I'm crazy about these kids,” said Coach DD. “We feed them every day, so I spend most of the time sitting with them and talking. There are a lot of kids these days who only speak Spanish, so I make sure they can ask me questions in English, and it's so great because it reminds me of myself as a kid.”
Coach DD said despite the language barrier, her players remain consistent and are eager to improve their skills. She teaches them discipline so they can grow beyond just being athletes.
“I give confidence to the advanced boxers, help the beginners, talk to them and teach them what they need to do to win the competition,” Coach DD said.
Because she has been with PAL for many years and knows the athletes well, parents have come to her for guidance on communicating with athletes.
“It really does take a village to raise a child, and even though I'm not a parent myself, I'm slowly realizing that,” Coach DD said. “I'm part of the village that's raising these kids. These parents are looking to me to help them make decisions, motivate their kids to do well in school, and find ways to balance both.”
With the help of other PAL officials, individualized guidance is also provided to ensure consistency in the players’ performance. Additionally, as participants begin to search for part-time employment, Coach DD and the PALs work to secure resources and opportunities for the students.
Coach DD said she was looking to expand further and take a group of boxers to visit other PAL facilities. She approached Coach Swag with the idea of visiting the PAL facility in Tampa Bay, Florida, and he made the idea a reality.
Coach DD told her that the trip would not only give his students more knowledge about PAL and boxing but also teach them that there is more to life and other possibilities if they stay disciplined and motivated.
“Coach Swag deserves a lot of credit. She helped put together the itinerary and the plan for the board meeting, so I'm taking 10 kids to Tampa Bay in August,” Coach DD said. “The kids will visit PAL there and then we'll explore the city. A lot of the kids have never seen a beach or been on an airplane, so it's exciting. It's important that they have that opportunity because it shows the kids there is something outside of the Northeast and Kansas City.”
While awaiting the trip, Coach DD said she wants to continue exposing PAL participants to the success stories of Kansas City residents, whom she also understands as a former PAL participant, athlete and someone who grew up in the same city.
“I think it's important for them to know that I understand them and that they have someone they can trust,” Coach DD said, “someone who speaks English and Spanish and knows they're Latino. I want my kids to know their worth because I know their worth myself. I really do. I know my kids and we're very excited for Tampa.”
