Where Are They Now: Boxing Coach Joe Higgins

The town of Jacksonville, North Carolina isn’t one which pops into anybody’s thoughts as a trip vacation spot. For essentially the most half, individuals don’t know that it exists and sometimes suppose that you just’re speaking about Jacksonville, Florida.

If you deliver up Camp Lejeune, one of many extra acknowledged army bases on this nation, that’s when the sunshine goes on.

Boxing followers who’ve adopted the game diligently within the final 5-plus years know a bit about one of many individuals serving at Lejeune: Joe Higgins, who’s a local hero on Long Island, New York, for his many years of service within the youth boxing realm, in addition to his heroic selflessness as he labored shifts on the web site of the Sept. 11 assault on the World Commerce Middle, throughout his stint as a firefighter.

Higgins got here on the radar of a wider vary of battle fan, exterior of The Island and the New York area because the trainer of Sean Monaghan, the sunshine heavyweight who confounded expectations to construct into contender standing on the world class degree. Seanie had elevated from keen pug, to respectable journeyman with a substantial fan base, to high ten-ranked mild heavyweight, all whereas being a humble kind who had no airs, ever, about himself. He’d let you know he bought his begin as a fighter in bars, the place he’d pound beers after which once in a while a tavern Rocky.

Higgins additionally skilled and cornered Patrick Day, a rock-solid novice who began within the professionals ranks in 2013, after being a US Olympic alternate in 2012. Day had nothing however admirers contained in the boxing world, as individuals within the know had been impressed how he suffered a KO1 loss in 2015, and re-set himself. Day gained six straight fights after that, beating favorites time and again. When you had been conscious of their union, you knew Joe Higgins, who has a capability to inspire and raise people who find themselves not having a run of the best fortune, deserved a portion of the credit score for that comeback run.

Higgins has skilled most all of the issues, emotions and moods that life can produce: laughter, good instances, despair, love, inspiration, and ache, to call just a few. If you sit and absorb all of the trials Higgins has skilled, you may shake your head and surprise silently how the hell he has saved one foot in entrance of the opposite. If you be taught Higgins is a Marine Corps Veteran, that helps you comprehend the place that degree of toughness comes from.

After energetic responsibility, Higgins served as a firefighter for the New York Fireplace Division, a job he carried out with beaming satisfaction, as his father and brothers had been additionally firefighters in New York. The 59-year-old Higgins liked his experiences serving within the army and as a firefighter however boxing additionally known as for his consideration.

I served in California myself, and was transferred from CA to Camp Lejeune, in North Carolina, just lately. I caught wind that Joe Higgins was at Lejeune, doing work, and I instantly knew I want to chat with him. Upon assembly Higgins, we immediately linked, spent over an hour discussing a variety of subjects, and it felt like he really loved it.

With Independence Day rapidly approaching, it felt solely proper to meet up with what Joe was doing, inside and out of doors of the game, as he’s a army veteran.

As children, most of us will shout out totally different occupations as we surprise what we’ll be after we develop up. I wanna play first base for the Yankees. I wanna be a police officer….Or perhaps a health care provider.

Little Joe had members of the family serving within the armed forces however none had been Marines. When he realized that, Joe tells me, “I assumed there needs to be a Marine on this household.”  The thought began firming when he was within the sixth or seventh grade, and noticed his buddy’s brother who got here dwelling from Vietnam as a wounded veteran. “He was so influential to me,” Joe remembers, “simply because he was so proud to be a Marine…and that by no means left me.”

Within the ninth grade, Joe determined that he was going to serve within the Marine Corps and he saved that mindset all through highschool. As soon as he graduated, he instantly went to see a recruiter however needed to get his dad and mom to signal since he was solely 17.

It was 1979 and hours after graduating highschool, Higgins discovered himself on a aircraft in the direction of Parris Island, S.C to attend Marine Corps bootcamp.

“I didn’t need to hang around for the summer season,” he explains. “I needed to be Marine immediately and never waste any time.” Higgins graduated bootcamp, attended the follow-on college and though he was coaching to grow to be an infantry rifleman, was chosen to grow to be an infantry assaultman: “It was a fantastic transfer, and it was tailor-made made for me.”

Later that 12 months, Joe deployed to the Center East on a naval vessel in help of operations to rescue the American hostages being held in Iran. Though he didn’t see any motion throughout that deployment, Joe spent six months abroad and shortly after returning, was given a brand new set of orders.

Joe deployed for 3 months to Ft. Allen, Puerto Rico. The Cuban refugee crisis was enjoying out, and Higgins was a part of a safety detachment to ensure that these constructing camps to carry detainees weren’t interfered with. “I used to be honored to be there however,” he acknowledged, chuckling, “I by no means felt humidity like that.”

In the course of the time he spent with 8^th Marines, Joe had an government officer who not a lot later would acquire large notoriety in America: Oliver North. Higgins felt that, sure, the person who’d grow to be a star as the Iran-Contra Affair performed out was exhausting on them through the week…however everybody liked North on Fridays, as he’d put in movement an early formation, in order that the Marines may get a head begin on the weekend.

Higgins had his eyes set on re-enlisting and turning into a drill teacher. His father, Edward, prompt a doable various path. What about being a firefighter?  Joe accepted the suggestion, took the check and scored a 100%.

Edward weighed in once more: “Joe, these checks are each freakin’ 4 years, the lists run out quick and it’ll be eight years earlier than you get on the job in the event you don’t soar on this proper now.” Joe once more listened and adopted his dad’s recommendation.

We moved again to boxing, the way it’s been nearly two years because the loss of life of Patrick Day. Patrick took up boxing in 2006, and his work ethic and perspective whereas studying the craft had been stellar. He needed to go all in and grind on, to climb up the professional ranks. After the hiccup that was dropping a choice to Alantez Fox on Jan. 9, 2015, and the harsher one, being kayoed in spherical one by 9-14-1 Carlos Garcia Hernandez on the Aviator complicated in Brooklyn, NY on Nov. 20, 2015, Patrick bit down, and bought cussed.

He gained each his fights in 2016 (to Courtney Pennington and Virgilijus Stapulionis) and bought a profession greatest win, arguably, beating 15-0 Eric Walker in July 2017. He had an ideal 2018, too, beating 13-1 Kyrone Davis after which rugged vet Elvin Ayala.

In 2019, Patrick downed one other unbeaten, 11-0-1 Ismail Iliev. Patrick had truly fought his way back from a low place, and earned a step-up battle, towards Carlos Adames, then 17-0.

They clashed June 28, 2019, and Adames had his hand raised, UD10. Patrick did effectively to maintain from being stopped within the tenth and ultimate spherical of the junior middleweight battle.

And no, it wasn’t Patrick’s approach to drop down once more, get a battle with somebody who he’d be a heavy favourite over. He sought robust checks. The supply to satisfy Conwell, then 10-0, in Chicago, was accepted. Nearly 4 months after the loss to Adames, Patrick took a battle with a boxer that was on the similar degree or increased than Adames. His physique language by no means as soon as indicated that his spirit dimmed as Conwell despatched him to the mat in rounds 4, eight, and within the fateful tenth.

I used to be hesitant to speak about Patrick..however Joe was open to debate it. When requested if it’s too quickly to say “time heals all wounds,” Joe rapidly responded.“Time doesn’t heal shit,” he says. “I’m a 9/11 firemen and I nonetheless really feel that as if it was yesterday. Time don’t heal nothin,’ you simply be taught to stay and discover your individual happiness.”

Higgins and a few cohorts have put collectively an homage to Patrick, The Patrick Day Project. Their web site factors out that they want to assist “create a spot that may assist youth and younger adults to grow to be superstars and givers to society.” Joe does admit that it’ll “take a short time” to get going however he informs us that the village of Freeport on Long Island goes to permit the enlargement of the boxing health club to facilitate the top objective of the challenge.

If Joe has his means, he’ll fulfill the slogan that has been created for this challenge,  “time, expertise and treasure.” He notes that, “The imaginative and prescient has all the time been the health club being greater than a boxing health club.” A few of these issues that he feels would take it to the subsequent degree are including one other ring, updating the tools, hiring tutors, getting computer systems, instructing dwelling economics there, and so forth. Higgins is totally conscious of the downsides of the game. He didn’t abandon the game, as a result of he is aware of the upsides of what boxing teaches impressionable children outweighs the draw back. However, to be sensible, to cowl extra bases, Higgins needs space children to widen their scope of pursuits. Grasp the jab, but in addition that laptop.

The lack of Patrick hit Joe Higgins actually, actually exhausting. He saved asking himself, time and again, day after day after day what he may need completed in a different way on that night time. Ought to I’ve thrown within the towel, he wonders.

Is the grief compounded as a result of Joe misplaced his brother Tim, a firefighter, who was in a tower working to save lots of innocents, on Sept. 11? Perhaps. Tim’s physique was discovered within the rubble lengthy after after the shock assault; he was 43 years outdated, and mourned by a spouse, and three kids. Boxing did wonders serving to Joe bounce again from the trauma…however then served because the staging floor for an additional exhausting hit to his soul. Patrick stayed alive within the hospital Sunday, Monday, and household and associates prayed for a miracle. Tuesday, extra prayers.

Then, Wednesday, Oct. 16, grim actuality set in. Patrick was useless. At age 27, his document as a professional would stand nonetheless at 17-4-1.

Higgins was fairly accustomed to the method of grieving. However this one hit a bit totally different, as a result of he saw Patrick was a member of his family, really, another son. He knew he needed to try to make one thing good out of the tragedy. However grief runs by itself schedule. It isn’t so easy, you may’t muscle your means by the darkish fog. A random telephone name from an excellent buddy over a 12 months in the past appeared to show issues round. Jim McNally, who was the coach of the Annapolis Midshipmen Boxing Staff, advised Joe of a chance that he thought could be good for him. Would Joe take into account coming aboard as Head Coach of the Marine Corps MACE Boxing Program? After a protracted pause, Joe expressed his curiosity. However first, Joe needed to focus on it together with his spouse, and he or she mentioned to him, “Joe, if you are able to do it, it’s important to do it.”

After submitting his resume, Joe competed towards different candidates…and he bought the job. As soon as that occurred, he packed his luggage and moved to Camp Lejeune final August. Joe, the top coach, has a full workers to help with coaching the group. Higgins’ objective? To make Marines into Nationwide Champions. The chance to take action could or could not come as this system is on a year-to-year foundation. Price range restraints may doubtlessly get in the best way of Joe acquiring his objective. The instant objective is to compete regionally and regionally whereas getting ready for the Nationals.

This place that Joe Higgins is having fun with, because it helps reduce his grief, was one thing that got here up years in the past in a dialog with Patrick Day. USA Boxing had a job opening, and Joe considered making use of, however wasn’t positive if he was certified. Higgins needed to be clear, he advised Patrick Day, not but a professional, about this gig. “Coach, man, it’s important to take that job,” Patrick endorsed. “That job is you to the T. You must make Marines Champions, I simply gained’t go professional.”

Proper after Patrick died, Joe didn’t attempt to cover how a lot Patrick meant to him. He would inform people who he noticed Patrick as a saint, in truth. Being so unselfish, deciding to desert his dream, if and when his coach took that place, who does that?

Whereas chatting with Joe Higgins, you may’t assist to consider how difficult life could be. I requested if coming again to Lejeune felt like issues got here full circle. “Yeah, I actually do. It’s a special Jacksonville than the one I bear in mind,” he says. “I’ve all the time felt like a Marine. The whole lot I ever did. The tattoo on my physique, sporting Marine Corps shirts all my life. Being right here makes me really feel like I’m again within the Marine Corps. It has actually lifted me from the funk that I used to be in.”

It’s nice to see Joe Higgins go from the yellow footprints in bootcamp to now coaching and getting ready Marines for tournaments. He’ll proceed to write down his story whereas ensuring that he shares tales about the quality person that was Patrick Day.

You’ll be able to donate to The Patrick Day Undertaking by clicking here.

Observe me on Twitter @abeg718 and comply with @nyfights on Instagram.