Carr provides outlet for Valley youth

MERCEDES — Upon entering Beto’s Boxing Club, one can’t help but notice the old-school gym feel.

Punching bags hang waiting to be punished. A shelf with dozens of old boxing trophies tells stories of past successes. Pictures and newspaper clippings of former students adorn the walls.

This is what it’s all about for Herberto “Beto” Carr. It is here where he feels young again. And it’s here where he’s helped mold many young fighters into champions.

Since 1978, Carr has coached and trained local youngsters who try their hand at boxing. Not everyone becomes a champ, but they do walk away changed.

And that’s fine with him.

“I just get a satisfaction from working with the kids,” said Carr, 79. “I love the sport. Boxing has always been there with me and it’s nice to teach kids and see them learn something.”

LOVE FOR THE SPORT

Carr, a Mercedes native, developed a passion for boxing at an early age.

Around the age of 12, he and other children often trained and sparred at a neighborhood lot in Mercedes. They never officially competed, but it was a sandlot-type of arena where the local kids worked in the sport they loved.

“It wasn’t really organized, but we still boxed,” he said. “My brother liked to box and so did I.”

A few years later, Carr enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1951 as a 19-year old. He got to dabble in boxing during his a sparkling career with numerous commendations, including the Purple Heart.

Back in the Valley after an honorable discharge, Carr completed his schooling at the Weslaco High School for veterans. He had sights on becoming an educator and got his degree from Pan American College to try and do that.

“I’ve always wanted to work with kids,” Carr said.

He instead stayed on with J.C. Penney, where he worked during his college days and eventually stayed after a lengthy career in management.

But he always donated his time to local civic groups such as the boys & girls club. He’s also been honored multiple times by the City of Mercedes. He has a day in his honor (Nov. 6) and he was also awarded a lifetime achievement award for his commitment.

But boxing was always along for the ride.

A LEGEND IS BORN

In the mid-1970s, Carr’s son Stanley, an AAU state champion boxer, helped coordinate a summer boxing program in Mercedes. But when the summer was up, so was the program.

That’s when Beto stepped in. He revived the boxing program and his first location was in his Mercedes backyard. That’s where Beto’s Boxing Team was born in 1978.

The club bounced around several locations in the Queen City over the years. He’s also held boxing events for children at the former Mercedes Junior High and later the National Guard armory.

An early location near the intersection of 1st and Capisallo, and later an apartment complex on the north side of town, Beto’s has found its niche in a loft on Vermont Street.

It’s there where Carr and his coaches have worked with hundreds, perhaps thousands of Mercedes-area youth. Each year, he takes his best boxers to compete in amateur tournaments. In fact, young boxers from all over the Valley have made their way to Beto’s to hone their boxing skills and compete against other teams.

“We try to show them everything we can,” Carr said. “We don’t force them to compete, but we encourage it.”

One of the best-known alumni is Mercedes’ Tomas Barrientes, who won countless local fights and tourneys to start a career that eventually saw him become an IBA Light Welterweight champion.

Today, boys and girls wanting to learn from the best go to Beto’s every afternoon. In the sweltering summers, the sounds of young fists hitting pads or the bags echo throughout and the numbers remain strong. Beto’s is a well-known spot among the local boxing community and Carr has numerous honors and student victories to back it up.

“We’re not here to make money,” said Carr, who retired from J.C. Penney at age 55. “We charge a small fee that we use to buy equipment and things for the club. If a kid doesn’t have money, we just want to get him or her in here. There’s a bit of expense, but I don’t care about that.

We’re not interested in money. We’re interested in the kids’ progress.”

A FIGHTING CHANCE

It’s not just boxing skills that kids learn when they walk into the gym.

Beto and his coaches, including his son Stanley, work with the kids and also try to instill discipline and confidence at the same time.

“We have rules here like no cell phones. We just want the kids to come and work. If they don’t want to, they can walk out the door,” Carr said. “Here, they shape up or they don’t make it. We donate our time so we can all have fun and enjoy boxing.”

Everyone who enters the club must shake hands and greet one another to promote unity, Beto said. But seeing a youngster with a spark of ability and molding those skills isn’t bad either.

“I enjoy greeting the kids when they come in,” he said after bumping fists with a young fighter. “But when you see someone’s potential, you just want to start working with them and concentrate on their abilities.”

It’s not just his love for the sport, but Carr’s desire to work with local kids is what also keeps him going.

“Even if we have just two kids in here, that’s all I need,” he said. “If they’re willing to work and train, I’ll take them.”

Carr’s also done lengthy work with the RGV Golden Gloves as the Chief of Officials and USA Boxing, the governing body for amateur boxing in his 30-plus years in the sport.

With all of these tasks, it’s easy to as when will he hang up the gloves. Who knows? Carr doesn’t waste time thinking about things like that. He’s got kids to train.

“It’s kinda hard. When I think about it, I’ll be 80 next April, so I’m not a little kid anymore,” he said with a laugh. “But I’m in great health and don’t have any problems. Boxing has been a big part of my life and I still enjoy it.”

Armando Garza is a sportswriter for the Valley Morning Star. You can reach him at (956) 430-6255 or via email at armandog@valleystar.com.