Just east of the Capital Beltway in Prince George’s County, at the end of a winding, tree-lined road and surrounded by acres of near-empty parking lots sits Rosecroft Raceway.  Once a fixture of Maryland’s thriving horse racing circuit, the track now only shows simulcasts of races happening elsewhere.  On an average weeknight, a few dozen middle-aged regulars are scattered around tables, heads craned toward the televised action.

But if the racing fans got up from their tables and walked past the snack bar, they would discover a live sport beyond the chatter of the race announcers.

Old School Boxing, a small gym operated by former amateur boxer Buddy Harrison, has found a home at the struggling racetrack.  Boxers train and coaches shout in a large room formerly used for placing race bets, with a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooks the empty racing oval.  Signed photos of famous fighters are taped to the walls.

A team of volunteer coaches is there every weeknight from 5-9 p.m. and Saturday mornings.  They view their positions as a vocation, working to keep kids off the street and in the gym, acting as a strong male role model that many of the youngsters lack.  (Each one of the trainers lit up when they saw me use my left hand to scribble notes – “A southpaw!”)

“Buddy’s one of the few owners who lets them all in, and gives them all an opportunity,” said Douglas Avery, one of Old School’s coaches, who also volunteers in group homes on the weekends.  Avery “pops up at the school” on his young boxers, showing up to make sure they’re taking care of their studies.

An average night at the gym finds 4 and 5 year olds nearly outweighed by their gloves, teenagers eager to turn it loose in the ring, and self-assured veterans who flow smoothly through their workouts and pose for pictures with the kids.

The pride of Old School Boxing is 15-year-old Dusty Harrison, Buddy’s son.  The unassuming 138 pounder has been fighting since he was a kindergardener.  Harrison has won the national championship for his age group and weight for the past five years.  His resume includes 193 fights, with a record of 162-31. On a recent fight night, the crowd scattered at tables throughout the room crept closer to the ring as Harrison stepped through the ropes to take on a 152 lb., challenger a few years older.  Dusty often has trouble getting other boxers his age to step in the ring with him.  He conducts himself like a fighter twice his age, sizing up his opponent, memorizing his tendencies and picking apart his weaknesses.  He moves with preternatural speed, seemingly aware of each punch before it arrives.

“A lot of people like to do the same thing over and over,” Harrison said.  ”I like to counter, see what works, see what doesn’t.”

A Sampling of Places Boxing Has Taken Dusty Harrison

View Dusty’s Fights in a larger map

The sports of boxing and horseracing are long past their respective glory years.  Racetracks have seen profits erode at the hands of online gambling and the sports book at casinos.  Boxing lost its target audience to the flashy and comparitively violent world of Mixed Martial Arts.  At Rosecroft, the two struggling sports are propping each other up.

Lisa Watts is the vice president of operations at Rosecroft – and the unofficial treasurer for Old School Boxing.  The race track prints promotional posters for the weekly fights, featuring photos of the kids.  Watts has embraced the role of part-time boxing promoter, saying that the weekly fight nights held in the grandstand lead to increased foot traffic for the track.

“It creates opportunities for the kids to get experience, and for us to have another kind of show here,” Watts said.

Rosecroft is facing dire financial problems. The track filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last June and recently announced that it would be closing its doors on April 19, only to be granted an 11th hour reprieve by $350,000 from area developer Mark Vogel, who is hoping to buy the track.  The infusion of cash will keep the track open until July.  The track is trying to bring back live racing and introduce card table gaming -measures that would bring in sorely needed revenue and preserve jobs for track workers.  So far, state legislators have voted against or ignored such efforts.

Harrison recently testified on behalf of Rosecroft in Annapolis state house, appealing for state funding to save the track. He caused something of a stir in the chambers, causing legislators to abandon the issue at hand and ask him questions about boxing.  Several politicians promised him money.  So far, he hasn’t seen any of it.

Harrison charges gym dues, but many of the kids can’t afford them.  He struggles to make the rent for his gym, even though Rosecroft has given him a significant break on costs, occasionally selling one of his beloved old cars to make ends meet.

“These people at Rosecroft helped me,” Harrison said.  ”If it wasn’t for them, I would have nowhere to go right now.  They’re talking about shutting down on July 1st, but I’ll figure out something.”