Since its inception in 1997, Notre Dame women’s boxing, also known as Baraka Bouts, has developed into the University’s largest all-female organization. Each fall, hundreds of women endure blood, sweat and tears within the ring, not only for their own individual growth, but for the betterment of students at two Holy Cross secondary schools in Kyembogo and Jinja, Uganda. This vigorous pursuit of community-building is spearheaded by a team of experienced upperclass leaders, including senior vice presidents Emma Hazel and Tess Kesler.
A hometown kid from South Bend, Hazel studies political science and Spanish at Notre Dame. As vice president, she oversees the club’s mission operations and fundraising efforts with alumni. She was initially drawn to the service aspect of the group, advocating for a role in organizing the mission work when she became a junior captain. “You join boxing and then you’re told, ‘Oh, you’re also helping to spread Catholic education in Uganda,’” she recalled.
Hazel has a unique tale, one that even surprised Kesler, for how she stumbled upon boxing. Donning her Pasquerilla West Hall merch, the then-freshman Hazel was perusing a local Target when a Baraka Bouts coach approached her and introduced the club. “I heard his pitch and I thought, ‘this is the coolest club in the world. I have to be a part of it.’ So I went to the first practice and I’ve loved it ever since.”
Kesler is also a political science major with a minor in Italian. The New Jersey native became involved with boxing during her freshman year, with some encouragement from her resident assistant in Walsh Hall. “She was really plugging it to all of the freshmen to try to get us to come for the first practice. I really looked up to her as she was one of the first people I met at Notre Dame. I just kept coming back year after year because I love that community,” Kesler said.
In her role as vice president, Kesler coordinates the eight two-hour practices each week, working in conjunction with volunteer coaches to lead technique practices and a cardio regimen. Drawing on her admiration and appreciation for previous captains, Kesler said she has “tried to be creative with thinking how we can incorporate more strength exercises to make practices more intentional.”
Emma Hazel, one of two Baraka Bouts vice presidents, sits with her boxing gloves on. Photo courtesy of Zoe Keane.
Aside from their instrumental work in fundraising for Lakeview and St. Joseph’s Hill educational services, the two vice presidents have been fulfilled by mentoring inexperienced boxers. “You get to see a lot of novices, who really doubted themselves at the beginning of the season, put in all this work and then finally compete. When they finally do, a lot of them will have smiles on their faces after and be really proud of themselves. So I think the best part for me is just getting to see that journey,” Kesler said.
Hazel has had similar experiences in her mentorship, saying, “When you're cornering the same girls over and over and when you see it finally work in the ring, and they just come back and they’re beaming, it’s the most exciting thing in the world to watch.”
She also emphasized the difficulty of embracing a new challenge and how the culmination of the tournament each year shines the spotlight on the hours of work spent by young boxers improving footwork, hand placement and confidence.
That diligence isn’t practiced in solitude, with companionship and community being the lasting impact of both Hazel and Kesler’s time in the club. Kesler cited the guidance displayed by captains during her freshman year as helping grow her love for the sport. “Those are the kind of people I’ve been trying to emulate now that I’m in a leadership position. I want to have that same impact on the younger girls. It’s just the biggest family,” Kesler said.
For Hazel, it was her first-round tournament matchup as a freshman that revealed the geniality of Baraka Bouts, despite the combative nature of boxing. “She didn’t go easy on me at all but she was just the most reassuring person, telling me to go out there and know what I was capable of. Then my sophomore year, I was able to work with her and just keep in touch after the club. She’ll donate to my page every year, and we’ll talk all the time. I was able to gain a friend through a mentor.”
Following last night’s semifinals, the 2025 edition of Baraka Bouts will conclude next Tuesday, Nov. 18. The finals will begin at 7 p.m. inside Duncan Student Center’s Dahnke Ballroom, with tickets available for purchase online and from a boxer.
