Improving the City His Way

Written by Jospeh Fromuth

Spoken by Henry Calvo

Ever since his father set up a punching bag in the basement in the mid-90s, Henry Calvo knew that he wanted to box. His aspirations continued as he attended Reading High School, “The Castle on the Hill.” “[It’s] one of my earliest memories, especially seeing it in the car when you're a kid and you're in elementary school where [you’re like] ‘Damn, I'm gonna go there one day’ Yes, big place.” 

Henry teaches boxing at Wyomissing Fitness and Exeter Fitness as well as refereeing youth basketball games at Body Zone. As Henry explains, the youth of Reading found a new role model in Lonnie Walker IV, the star Reading High player who led the Red Knights to the state championship. Walker went straight to the NBA, a first-round pick for the San Antonio Spurs. 

“People are becoming more hopeful becoming something because of Lonnie... Just laying out blueprints for these kids to be better and look, it is possible to improve the city in your own way. You know, leave like a lasting image.” 

To maintain shape, Henry competed in Spartan Races at Blue Mountain Ski Resort, but he figured out that he didn’t have the strength to run up and down the mountains and compete with the elite runners. “It's important to know what's the most your body can do, especially when it comes to stuff like that if you ever needed to do that, like just kind of run somewhere.” By building up muscle, Henry became a stronger competitor, and carried over his skills to become a trainer for youth boxers. “[Discipline] has affected my life early on, it helped me just be more patient with everybody and everything. Aside from being more patient, I will say it has helped me stay in shape.” 

Before the pandemic, Henry had aspired to turn professional. “There were no more sports, no more anything and then I ended up moving, too, because there was no work either, especially over here. It was hit a little worse because New York is right here, Newark International or you know, flying in.” At one point, he decided to move to Arizona, 2,000 miles and two time zones away, working as another gym’s fitness manager for a year and a half. This helped Henry in getting jobs anywhere based on what he’s learned from his coaches. 

Boxing’s emphasis on strategy, a concept that newcomers do not associate with the sport, has also helped Henry grow as a person. “It's always like all your thought process is based on strategy and the better I get with my strategies like in the ring because every kid here is a different fighter, they all fight differently…. so, the more I grow in here I feel like the more I can go out there.” 

Star City’s volunteers also invest their time in other community impact efforts, such as neighborhood cleanups and back to school donations. “We have people donate book bags, stuff like that. And we posted up tables in the back here in the parking lot...we encouraged the community to come, they all came to grab books or whatever, we had barbecue. Everybody's eating, everybody was just together and we're all hanging out. So here we clean the back of the gym. Yeah, just cleaned up the area and just volunteered.” 

For those who want to enter the ring, Henry stresses the importance of training, adding that boxing is not meant for everyone. “I've seen people come and go because they just don't get it or it is just his footwork... But I wouldn't want that to discourage us.” Those with different skill sets may want to try other forms of combat sports. “I always say it’s just the hands, it’s old school. It's very dedicating. It's like your life.” 

Training young boxers involves more than being at the gym. Henry explained that some of his other duties include planning workouts and meals as well as responding to participants’ texts. Although not everyone here aspires to turn professional, diet plans can be valuable toward physical training and overall well-being. 

“I still got to help them, it’s like a 24/7 thing, they text me, ‘Hey can I eat this?’ I want to respond because ultimately, it’s gonna affect their body… but they're at home eating whatever they want.” As this is a volunteer effort, Henry adds that, while he enjoys the work at Star City, he must also pay his bills. 

Keeping young boxers at Star City has also been a challenge for Henry. Although the gym maintains a Facebook account and has appeared in local print and broadcast media, the struggle to retain members continues. Several kids have come and gone, and new pressures, such as getting a job (or two) or arranging for transportation, add to the fluctuation. “We have kids here that want to stay here but life happens and ultimately you can't be here as much as you know they can't.” 

For those who stay, though, Henry finds satisfaction in seeing his students succeed in the ring. “Seeing their face when they realize they got it, they realize they can do it...They won the match, that reaction is like it's priceless. It's one of those reactions that is just so positive to have. And that's really what drives me.”