After retiring from the Army two years ago and moving to Huntsville, Steve Badgley found civilian employment with the Corps of Engineers. Just as important to him, he found there was a youth boxing gym.
Badgley, the unmanned aircraft systems program manager for the Corps’ Aviation Program Office, is a volunteer coach at Rocket City Boxing. For the first time, the club’s competitive fight team will be represented at the USA Boxing Silver Gloves Tournament.
“I love the sport,” Badgley, a former boxer who has coached 16 years, said. “I love the impact it can have on everybody involved. And that’s from underprivileged kids to stay-at-home moms. Boxing helped me out of a bunch of tough times when I was growing up. So, if I can give back even a little of that I’m happy to do it.”
The Poughkeepsie, New York, native retired as a chief warrant officer 4 at Fort Rucker in 2024 after 22 years of service. The former Army aviator served three deployments – Iraq in 2003 and 2008 and Afghanistan in 2010.
He boxed 14 years and amassed a record of 81-16. His lone professional bout was June 12, 2010, at Madison Square Garden, the New York sports mecca. He lost the light heavyweight fight by technical knockout to Angel Gonzalez but cherishes the lifetime experience. Badgley, 46, was a member of the Army Boxing Team in 2005-06 at 165 pounds, middleweight. Last year he was inducted into the Dutchess County Sports Hall of Fame. He and his wife of 20 years, Amanda, reside in Athens with their three sons – Mason, 20, Cameron, 17, and Myles, 15.
Badgley has glowing praise for Rocket City’s two qualifiers for the USA Boxing National Silver Gloves Tournament, Feb. 25-28, in Independence, Missouri. “For their age and experience level, their quality of performance is amazing and I’m extremely proud of them,” he said.
Miguel “Floyd” Spells, 14, will compete at 132 pounds. Spells dominated his fight at the state championship Jan. 5 in Birmingham, and he also dominated his two fights at the Region 6 championship Jan. 15-17 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Region 6 includes Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
Spells, a freshman at Grissom High School, is 11-1 in USA Boxing.
“I’ve been waiting for it (the nationals) a very long time and I feel like it’s my opportunity to prove myself,” Spells said. Asked his ultimate goal in boxing, he said, “I really want to be an undisputed champion in at least two weight classes.”
Gabriel Johnson, 11, at 106 pounds, is Rocket City’s other qualifier. He advanced to nationals because he was the lone boxer in his category at state and regional. Johnson (4-1) has been boxing about a year.
“Discipline, really hard work,” Johnson said of the sport. “I like what it represents – like determination, hard work.”
Allen “Snoop” Martin, in his third year as owner of the Rocket City Boxing gym, said having its first national youth qualifiers is a milestone. “It’s great for the gym and great for them as young people to accomplish something, to work toward something,” he said.
The gym, at 407A Jordan Lane in northwest Huntsville, is open Monday through Saturday. There are about 10 active members of the competitive fight team which includes females.
Martin met Redstone worker Larry Bright, a former Army boxer, in 2005 in Harvest.
“Without Larry Bright laying down the foundation (for youth boxing in Huntsville), none of this would be possible today,” Martin said. “I wouldn’t be who I am today. If he wouldn’t have laid down the foundation, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
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