Christine Hochkeppel

Picture Stories: Putting his Mind to the Gloves

This picture story is a window into a young athlete's life. The images explore how a meek, mild-mannered person transforms into an aggressive talent in the ring. Maurice Cole, 23, of East Providence, has now won two New England Golden Glove championships, five Southern New England Golden Glove championships, and two Rocky Marciano Tournament belts. Maurice has aspirations to travel to the Pan-American Games or the Olympics and plans to turn pro in the near future. The story, however, is less about his impressive record and more about his unique persona, quiet and humble, with an extraordinary level of discipline.  

The story won second place in the "photo series" category of the 2007 Rhode Island Press Association Editorial Awards. To watch the award-winning audio slideshow please visit the "Multimedia" section. 

  • Amateur boxer Maurice Cole, 23, takes a break from shadowboxing at Manfredo's Gym. Cole, a heavyweight, trains five days out of the week in preparation for the Rocky Marciano Tournament of Champions and the Golden Gloves Championship.
  • Maurice Cole takes the number 34 bus to his place of work, Brown University Dining Services, at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 28, 2007. Cole works early shifts, full-time so that he can get to the gym everyday in the afternoon.
  • Coach Orlando Valles helps Maurice Cole take off his gloves after working the bag at Manfredo's Gym on Tuesday, July 3, 2007. Valles volunteers his time training 16 other young boxers, but says he gives special attention to Cole because of his talent and discipline.
  • Maurice Cole pulls out a tray of calzones from the warmer just before the dinner rush at the Sharpe Refectory dining hall on the Brown University campus on Thursday, April 19, 2007.
  • Maurice Cole spars with his friend and boxing peer, Vladine Biosse, at Manfredo's Gym on Thursday, May 3, 2007. {quote}Boxing is like a chess game...it's just, the war of the minds. You know they've got the same thing that you've got, in chess, they've got the same pieces. It's all about how you use your pieces. It's all about how we use our hands.{quote}
  • Maurice Cole (standing) hangs out with his friends on a break between trips helping a friend's aunt move from Pawtucket to Providence on Saturday, August 18, 2007.
  • Maurice stretches during his workout at Manfredo's Gym on Thursday, May 3, 2007. {quote}Sometimes I get tired, or I had a bad day.{quote} Maurice Cole said of sticking to his strict schedule even though it can be easy to fall into a habit of making excuses.
  • Maurice Cole wins his fight with Pedro Gonzales  during the Rocky Marciano Tournament of Champions on Sunday, October 21, 2007. {quote}It was easy.{quote} Cole said of the fight. {quote}He didn't even try.{quote}
  • {quote}They're my angel wings. I guess they just represent me being free.{quote} Maurice Cole said of the tattoos on his fists. Cole grew up in Springfield, Mass. and now resides in East Providence, R.I. He moved away from Springfield to help take care of his younger half sister when she and her father moved to Providence.
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