From Columbia Rd. to Major League Baseball: Juan DeJesus cultivated skills at Bird Street Community Center.Juan De Jesus doesn’t get home much these days. The Uphams Corner native is on the road most of the year in Latin America, where he works for Major League Baseball (MLB) to recruit, cultivate, and streamline the entry of young ballplayers into the United States.

It’s a dream job for the 30-year-old De Jesus, a graduate of BC High and Boston College. His mom and dad emigrated to Dorchester from the Dominican Republic. Baseball is in his blood, to be sure. His father knew many pro ball players from his hometown in the D.R. — and DeJesus fancied himself a bit of Fenway Park “rat” — often getting special access to watch batting practice before games.

But it was through his involvement with the Bird Street Community Center on Columbia Road that he learned to play and love the game.  Read more

St. Peter's Boxing duo: Boxing coach and former DEA agent Paul Doyle, right, with 15 year-old Jose Pires. Photo by Eoin Cannon After almost disappearing from the youth sports landscape, boxing has made something of a comeback in Dorchester. More gyms are opening their doors to young people, whether they are looking for serious competition or just the skills boxing teaches: discipline, composure, self-defense.

In places where the youth need those skills the most, though, instead of commercial gyms it sometimes takes the old, familiar networks of priests, police, youth workers, and ex-fighters and the commitment they make to passing those values on.

Paul Doyle knows both the before and the after phases of this phenomenon.  Read more

Family that trains together: Maureen O’Brien and her father, John O’Brien. Photo by Bill Forry

With two Golden Gloves titles under her belt, Maureen O’Brien is flying high. The 30-year-old Dorchester native won the Lowell Golden Gloves on February 15 in the light welterweight division.

“It feels good,” she said. “It was exciting having all the hard work pay off.”  Read more

Still undefeated: Billy Traft lands one of his many punches on the face of Joe Powers on Saturday night at TD Garden. Photo by Emily Harney

Billy Traft heard the commotion while he was waiting to emerge from the tunnel beneath the TD Garden stands on Saturday night. At first, the 33 year-old Boston cop who chases down gang members for his 9 to 5 couldn’t put his wrapped finger on who— or what— it was making all that racket.

Then, someone pointed out that his face was splashed on the jumbo-tron above the ring. It seemed that the whole Garden was screaming his name. At least one whole side of the arena— dubbed the Traft section— was engulfed in ‘Billy’ chants.

Also see: Dot's Muniz wins undercard fight at Garden  Read more