About Us
Coach Rick
Coach James Ricky Coward (April 29, 1966 - August 27, 2020) was an American former amateur boxer and fitness trainer. Coward, who goes by the nickname Coach Rick, had conducted padwork with and worked with a number professional boxers as well as professional MMA fighters: Most notably Bob Sapp, Bernard Hopkins, Amir Khan, Raymond Serrano, Derrick Webster, Ty Brunson, Max Alexander, and 12-time US National Female Amateur Boxing Champion, Sacred Downing.
On Season 12 episode 31 of MTV's MADE Coach Rick was hired in 2012 by Clear Channel for their network Emmy Award-winning Reality TV show Derek Frazier is the youngest son of Smokin' Joe Frazier. In 2013 Coach Rick was hired as a padman / assistant trainer for Amir Khan and in the same year did a 5-week internship with Khan's head trainer, 2012 BWAA Trainer of the Year, Virgil Hunter. During that time Coach Rick under the guidance of Hunter, covered sparring sessions and worked pads with various fighters in Hunter's stable and most notably was given the opportunity to conduct a padwork session with undefeated super middleweight champion and 2004 Olympic Gold medalist, Andre Ward.
In 2015 India's Olympic Gold Quest sent two of their National Team Boxers Shiva Thapa (AIBA #3 Ranked Bantamweight) and Sumit Sangwan (AIBA #10 Ranked Light Heavyweight) who are also both 2012 Olympians to train with Coach Rick in preparation for the 2016 Olympic Qualifiers.
Mittology
In 2006 James Ricky Coward aka Coach Rick first saw former boxing champion and top rated trainer, Roger Mayweather conducting mittwork while watching an old John Brown boxing training dvd called "Mastering the Mitts". After seeing the amazing mittwork Mayweather was conducting he decided to teach himself the system by watching and taking notes, practicing it in his gym. After several years of trial and error, Coach Rick began to become extremely proficient at it.
In 2008, after retiring from a decorated Law enforcement career, Coach Rick participated and won the 2008 Guns 'n' Hoses New Jersey State amateur boxing tournament "Masters Open Class Division". During that same year Coach Rick started training amateur boxer Jessica Maldonado (119 lb Open) who went on to win the 2008 & 2009 Philadelphia Golden Gloves Championship, as well as the 2009 Eastern Regional and PA State Championship. In 2009 Coach Rick developed the Mittology Training System, a combination of certain aspects of the Roger Mayweather pad work style and his own style of technical pad work. He adapted the style along with adding various techniques from personal knowledge as well as comprehensive study of the Art of mitt work. Coach Rick was then able to "systemize" his training style naming it "Mittology Training".
What Coach Rick had learned through using this non - traditional system of mittwork training is that it has proven not only to be beneficial to competitive athletes, but also to general fitness clients as well. It has proven to be a unique way of training for men, women, children, and athletes starting at the age of 4 all the way to the age of 75. It has proven to develop agility, dexterity, endurance, stamina, coordination, toning and muscle strength, weight loss and overall conditioning in their fitness training.
