ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the case study of a Nick. It explores the manner in which Nick understands boxing as a part of his personal development. The cultural heritage of boxing as a ‘hard man’s sport' precedes and acts to cast a conceptual shadow over the nuanced and often paradoxical realities of life inside most gyms. Like many boys, Nick had been drawn to boxing from an early age. Nick interpreted his success as a direct outcome of the lessons he had learned through boxing. Nick's reflections on the process of ‘becoming’ and growing up through his involvement in boxing are shaped by his relatively positive disposition to the sport. Boxing provided Nick with a way of understanding the process of becoming a ‘decent man’. Embedded within Nick's story of becoming a ‘decent man’ is a detailed case study of how participation in boxing can lead some people to experience important life lessons and develop a positive disposition toward learning.
