School Helps Young Boxer Back on Track Toward Olympic Dream

For Paul Romero, a 17-year-old boxer from Phoenix, being kicked out of school wasn’t a good thing, but it may have helped him find the motivation and focus needed to get him to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

Paul, currently ranked third nationally in the 112-pound Junior Olympic weight class, was kicked out of Maryvale High School in 2005 for not meeting academic standards and a poor attendance record. At the time, nothing was more important to him than training and competition. And, the school’s traditional structure didn’t allow him to both attend school and box.

Paul enrolled in the Phoenix Life Skills Center, a school focused on the educational recovery of high school dropouts and students in danger of dropping out, in the fall of 2005. It was here that his poor outlook on school and life started to change.

“I didn’t used to care about school,” he said. “The people (at Life Skills) really understood what I was going through. They would let me participate in boxing tournaments and practice, which helped me out.”

At Life Skills, Paul rarely missed a day, often spending extra time at the school to take on extra assignments and seek help from his teachers. He also took on added responsibilities at the school, volunteering in the school’s enrollment office to show new students around the school and introduce them to staff members.

“If not for Life Skills, I would have been at home on the streets not thinking about going to school and wouldn’t have the boxing opportunities,” said Paul. “Boxing kept me out of trouble and the school’s flexible scheduled helped me out with my boxing career.”

Paul graduated from the school in December 2006. He placed third in his most recent national tournament, losing in the semifinals to the eventual national champion. He is now training for the upcoming Olympic trials scheduled for the fall.

Life Skills Center of Arizona is an alternative education charter school accommodates students ages 16-22 who are experiencing difficulties with the routine of traditional public schools.

Paul Romero Boxing Achievements:
• Finished third in the 2006 Junior Olympics tournament
• Named to the USA Boxing Junior Olympic National Team for his region
• Five-time Arizona Golden Glove champion
• Silver Glove (California) tournament runner-up
• Fourth in the 106-pound class at the 2005 Ringside World Championships in Kansas City