SAN ANTONIO — Juan Cardona loves that sweet science, from the sounds of the speed bags getting hit, to the loud echo from the boxing gloves connecting with a heavy bag.

That’s why Cardona runs and operates Cardona’s Boxing Gym on San Antonio’s West Side, in a neighborhood plagued by homelessness and poverty.

“I grew up on the West Side and I just wanted to give something back to them [the kids,]” Cardona says. “Have a place for them to come train, hangout and stay out of trouble.”

Juan Cardona at his gym (Jose Arredondo/Spectrum News)

Cardona patrols the same streets he grew up in as a San Antonio park police officer, but as a teen he didn’t have the best experiences with law enforcement living in the barrio.

“My grandfather was killed by an officer, but not here, it was in Mexico,” Cardona says. “Just like in any job, there’s good and bad. You just got to be that light to make a change.”

Cardona says he wants to be that light as a cop, boxing coach and mentor. Boxing is a sport that can come with a hefty price tag, but Cardona says he wants to give the West Side youth a fighting chance by relieving them of the financial burden.

“I mean only charge $40 a month and so it’s just to make it, you know, reasonable for some parents,” Cardona says. “Especially if they have more than one kid, we’ll help them out as well with different payment plans, family plans as well.

Boxing gloves (Jose Arredondo/Spectrum News)

The gym’s toughest opponent right now is COVID-19 and Cardona does not want to put his fighters at risk.

“Well I mean it’s sad to close down the gym on these kids. I mean especially giving them the news, but I mean we got to follow the rules and it’s for their safety,” Juan said as his fighters were running.

This is a dilemma many safe spaces in low-income areas are facing this summer.

“It doesn’t mean we are gone forever. It’s just until the numbers go down. Hopefully it won’t take too long,” Cardona says. “And we will reopen soon and we’ll be stronger than ever.”