I've been trying to find a decent boxing gym in my area, but none of them are quite what I'm looking for. I want something that has classes and instructors that really care about promoting boxing and training boxers. Not something that feels like a business. There was a PAL gym which was supposed to be phenomenal, but that apparently closed down. Every other gym I find charges a monthly fee, a far heftier fee if you want to participate in classes, and charge $60 an hour if you want to work one on one with a trainer. I've never been to a real boxing gym, but I always hear that boxing is so popular partially because it's inexpensive enough for everyone to afford. I'd love to know where the hell these people are training, because classes are about $130- 140 a month around here. That's not including any real individual attention. It can't be like this everywhere. I sincerely doubt that Mike Tyson walked into a boxing gym for the first time and had to pay fees like what I'm seeing. If anyone knows of a decent boxing gym on Long Island that won't rape me financially, please tell me about it. I'd really appreciate it.

Also, if anyone wants to tell me how boxing gyms are run by them, I'd love to hear it.

Almost every country in the world has a branch of the Amateur Boxing Association (ABA). ABA gyms are where you get the grass roots trainers and training. Do a search for the ABA of your country, and their site will list all acredited gyms, along with contact numbers/websites.

The cut-off point for competing or getting an amateur boxing license is 34, so if you are older, you wont be eligable for any competition, but as far as I am aware, you will be more than welcome to have coaching, train and spar in the club.

http://boxing.usoc.org/content/index/5190

Contact your local USA Boxing (governing body for amateur boxing in the USA) rep to find out about gyms/coaches in your area.

There was an Irish Boxer called Wayne McCullough who won a silver medal in the 1992 Olympics. He turned pro the following year in the USA. He came back to this part of the world quite a lot.

He said in the USA, some gyms train pros and amateurs together. A good example of this is Gleasons Gym in New York. Gyms like this are probably going to cost more, as coaches are more likely to be professional, plus they have the added overheads of running a gym full time.

Amateur clubs tend to train a few nights a week or at the weekends. They are usually pretty inexpensive. Amateur clubs are great places to learn the fundamentals of boxing. Although it is fair to say the rules of amateur boxing and pro boxing are different, the basics of boxing are the same.

I would look for a USA Boxing approved gym if I were you.