Boxing Club: Good sportsmanship, hard work, and responsibility.

“I never back down from a fight,” says Tony Cifuentes, founder of the Highlanders Boxing Club. “I never lose. I either win or I learn.”

It’s that kind of attitude that led him to establish the club and bring in kids from his troubled neighborhood to a world of boxing, along with good sportsmanship, hard work, and responsibility.

“You can’t blame your parents,” he says. “If you say it’s your parents’ fault, you’re just playing the violin. You have choices. It’s up to you to do the right thing.”

Cifuentes still boxes, but devotes most of his time managing fighters and running the club. His son, Anthony, 19, has just turned professional after establishing dominance in amateur boxing.

Cifuentes says he got into trouble when he was 13 and was one of the many kids on the mean streets. That’s where he learned to be tough and established a reputation.

But then he decided to make a big change, seeking something better for himself and for his community.

“With me, God comes first,” he said. “Then, youth and the community.”

He says the incidence of gang activity, crime, tagging and weapons is reduced since the started the club in 2005. He has many friends in the Highland Police Department and Fire Department. Some are even students in the club, a good place to get rigorous physical training and inspiration.

“It’s not enough to complain about your neighborhood, If you see something, you need to do something about it,” he says. “And you have to be a role model. If you don’t want your kids to do drugs and alcohol, don’t do it yourself.”

Seeing kids on the street who liked to fight, Cifuentes appealed to them on that level, urging them to join the club if they want to fight.

From there, he adds other values like responsibility and respect.

Right now, he has 43 boxers; many of them will participate in a boxing match at the club on Oct. 29. Other fighters will come from California, Arizona and Hawaii.

The Highlanders Boxing Club is at 26127 Sixth St., Highland. Phone (909) 496-0710 for more information.