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09-16-09
Valhalla, NY
Boxing legend Acunto inspires students as head coach
of boxing at Westchester Community College in Valhalla
Mt. Vernon resident Steve Acunto was
inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1988
Westchester Community College in Valhalla has been offering
a course in boxing for 30 years, led by legendary boxing
head coach, Steve Acunto, a longtime Mount Vernon resident.
When new students commence class every year at the
college, many are surprised to learn that the college offers
boxing instruction for those interested in improving their
conditioning through boxing.
For many years, Westchester Community College in
Valhalla was the only college in existence offering a boxing
class for credit, developed and taught by Acunto since the
very beginning.
Although students are no longer granted credit for
attending the boxing class, the college continues to support
the program, and the class is still part of the college's
athletic curriculum.
Acunto has also taught pugilism at Fairfield
University, Concordia College and at Sarah Lawrence College,
at YMCA´s and Purchase Community House. In addition, he has
traveled the country conducting hundreds of clinics and
seminars on the "sweet science" of boxing.
Recently, Westchester Community College installed an
impressive boxing showcase near their trophy exhibits,
exhibiting many autographed pictures and posters of boxing
champions like Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, Willy Pep, and
others, supplied by Acunto.
For more than 50 years, Acunto has continued to
idealistically live the boxing life. Even in his later
years, former professional boxer Acunto has been in ring
demonstrations with the likes of Muhammad Ali, Rocky
Marciano and Willie Pep in the production of a video
cassette and other mediums. And throughout those 50 years,
Acunto has been one of the foremost boxing instructors in
the world.
Articles about Acunto and his activities have appeared
in SPORT Magazine, Sports Illustrated, the New York Times,
the San Francisco Chronicle, the Philadelphia Inquirer,
Boxing Illustrated and a host of other publications.
What remains more important to pugilistic professor
Acunto than personal plaudits is his continuing role as a
person who imparts boxing knowledge in the most classic of
ways: he teaches boxing at the college as a way for students
to learn the art of self-defense, gain confidence, develop
cardio vascular fitness, develop muscular strength, and the
development of increased discipline through his highly
structured proven program. When students finish his class,
they walk away with some incredible life-enriching skills.
"A properly trained boxing coach often becomes a
surrogate father for kids," says coach Acunto. "The
discipline and the skills learned in a quality program make
boxing students become better human beings."
In
1988, Acunto was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame
and in 1998, he was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall
of Fame. To date, he has taught the fistic way to over 8,000
young men. Of these students one became a world champion,
several have been leading contenders and many have been
amateur champions.
Acunto's wife of 57 years,
Mercedes, worked for the Mount Vernon public schools as an
educator and passed away six years ago. "She was my
inspiration and I miss her," said Acunto.
Acunto is also an author and has written “Ring, Rhyme
and Reason,” a boxing column, for 36years. He is also the
author of the book “Champions Boxing Guide."
The legendary boxing legend
and
his wife had
four children: Stephen H.; Stephanie Thompson; Donna
D’Angelo; and Laura Markevic.
For boxing questions you can call Steve Acunto at:
914-699-4521, or 914-644.4571. Students interested in
enrolling in the boxing class can call the college at:
914-606-6830.
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