With Bengal Bouts now in full swing, with the next round on Feb. 24, senior vice president Michael Nilsen reflected on what the club has meant to him throughout his time as both a boxer and coach, as well as the impact that the organization has had beyond Notre Dame’s campus.
Bengal Bouts has drawn a large crowd this year, with Nilsen saying he “[hasn’t] seen it that full in all four years being here.” The first group of people Bengal Bouts has an impact on are the men that choose to sign up to train and compete. In practices, Nilsen explained how they are taught how to “basically protect themselves.” The “more overlooked part,” however, is their mental development of learning “to face their fears and anxieties by stepping into the ring, and it takes a lot to get there whether you're a four-year or first-year boxer.”
Nilsen also highlighted a common analogy they bring up in practices of the hero and the coward by explaining how “both of them are equal in terms that they are both scared, but the hero steps into the ring and the coward doesn’t.” In addition to developing its own boxers, Bengal Bouts helps those involved in the Holy Cross Congregation in Bangladesh, with the funds the boxers raise going to building “schools, science labs or dining halls.” Nilsen said the charitable aspect of the club is “extremely fulfilling” to him.
Nilsen stressed how important it is to stay in shape for boxing and explained how training is “half the battle.” He thinks staying healthy and not getting sick was hard because it can set him back a couple of weeks in training. Nilsen discussed how steady breathing is key, which is why “you have to do a lot of cardio,” specifically “a lot of burpees, which get the plyometric, cardio and calisthenic workout in.” Technique training, which can be done through shadowboxing or drills with partners, helps boxers visualize facing their opponents and where their combinations are landing. It is the physicality that Nilsen believes is one of the biggest challenges for new boxers, noting that the first practice is usually a “wake-up call” because they don’t realize the full physicality that goes into boxing.
Getting involved in Bengal Bouts was simple for Nilsen, and he started off just as one of the boxers after discovering the club at the same time as the current president, Phil Pollice, at a club event. Nilsen has always been involved in athletics and saw this as an avenue to “keep active and in shape.” In terms of his leadership role, Nilsen said he didn’t expect it but that he was “super honored” because he loves the time and effort he’s put into this organization. Taking the position was a “no brainer,” he said. “[It’s] incredibly fulfilling when helping and coaching. When they get their hand raised is the best feeling I ever.”
Nilsen has seen how much impact Bengal Bouts has had through the donations it raises, with this year the goal being “north of $300,000, around $350,000.” Nilsen said he hopes the popularity of the club continues to grow even after he graduates.
