201105 Billy Walsh (master)
Mon, 12/7 9:46PM • 45:53
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
boxing, coach, team, ireland, billy, boxer, people, world, irish, ring, winning, year, usa, team usa, games, talk, big, athletes, started, crowd
SPEAKERS
Paul Barnett, Billy Walsh
Billy Walsh 00:00
Cool, I'm gonna do this. I had a brief look over your question or your questions, and I didn't write anything down, but I just I'll answer them as as like as a call. That's why I usually like to fork off the flavor. That's what I did look at them. And then, yeah, so anyway,
Paul Barnett 00:15
the other thing I'd say is that I'm not be Cindy's. I'm not like a lot of interviews, you know, where it's really not about me. So I might just let you talk a little bit and just nod along if that's okay with you.
Billy Walsh 00:26
Yeah, cool. Cool. But anyway to stop. Oh.
00:33
My mom was
Paul Barnett 00:34
my mom was texting I call my parents most mornings if I can on the way to work. And every time I interview someone from Ireland mom gets really excited because she thinks she know on my Irish roots more.
Billy Walsh 00:45
Yeah. And also guys over there. Yeah. I've been a male male. I've been, you know, the team, the Gaelic football team that can't win an all Ireland. It's been 50 odd years since the one, our own football title. Really, they've been so close with Jim Gavin's team, the Dublin team, they've drawn within the last and extra time to him. And Jim Gavin's team have won five in a row. Yeah, and this, this Mayo team could easily have won five in a row. But keep an eye. I talked to another guy. He's from there that obviously were involved with boxing. And we're talking about his long journey from Mayo to Dublin. You know, and, and then the long is a longer journey go back when you don't win. But you could really feel their payments and talk about may or may or lose, they lose. And they got to the stage where they have to not believe that they're gonna win. You know what I mean? Yeah, it keeps happening every year. It's heartbreaking.
Paul Barnett 01:47
I read the other day, there's 840 professional Australian Rules, footballers. And there's 40 Irish boys over there now.
Billy Walsh 01:56
40 Yeah, 40 that many over there. So there's a low I noticed there was a big was a big recruitment here. We I went to the few the Ozzy Ozzy rules, as we call them. Games. were fantastic games are like that was a hybrid game to have Arlen Golder. Every odd year.
Paul Barnett 02:16
That's right. Yeah. Yeah.
Billy Walsh 02:18
Yeah. Okay, though, so I used to love them because there's a spin of violence in it as well.
Paul Barnett 02:25
At the Irish and the Irish boys give as good as they get to.
Billy Walsh 02:29
We're used to
Paul Barnett 02:32
rob, we're gonna talk about that now. So it's okay with you. I'm gonna ask you a couple of questions. And I'm gonna sit here and listen attentively. Are you okay with that? Sir? Do you need a drink or anything? You
Billy Walsh 02:44
know, okay. All right. Um, cool.
Paul Barnett 02:49
So, Billy Walsh. Good evening, and welcome to the Great coach's podcast.
Billy Walsh 02:55
Thank you, Paul. It's a pleasure and honor.
Paul Barnett 02:57
Billy, the honor is all mine. Actually, I am so excited to talk to you about boxing. It's very close to my heart, as is Ireland. And we'll get into that later on. But Could I ask you something really simple to start with? Where are you in the world today? And what have you been up to?
Billy Walsh 03:15
I'm actually sitting in my sitting room and lecture town called Cornish Park, where I have been living since 1987. So I'm in my home place. I got home on Saturday, which is like four or five days ago. And I had been with the USA team, we did that. We got out of court. Well, we didn't get out of COVID. But we got a chance to get out and to try and compete. So we went to we went to Spain for a tournament for the bar exam tournament, and did pretty well. And then we had stayed there for a week for a training camp. And then we went from there to Paris, to the Institute of Sport for training camp. And then from there to not for a competition. And all the team went home last Saturday and to America and I came home to Ireland for a few weeks break is the first time I've been home and almost 10 months.
Paul Barnett 04:15
Billy on the amazed that you agreed to talk to us tonight, so I'm going to try my best to make it an interesting interview.
Billy Walsh 04:22
Okay, I'll try and help you if I can.
Paul Barnett 04:26
I want to ask Actually, I want to start by winding the clock back a little bit because when I was preparing for today, I was looking at some of the people you've had experience with, you know, Mick Dowling, Nicholas Cruz, you know, from Cuba and Xiao antiA. And you know, and there's many, many other great coaches that you've had experienced, and we were just talking a minute ago about Jim Gavin and some of the great GAA coaches but I want to just ask a really broad question to begin with, and
04:56
what is it
Paul Barnett 04:57
you think great coaches do differently from us? The people?
Billy Walsh 05:02
That's a very good question under mC mC darling. So there was a guy who I looked up to in boxing. And I remember, as a 14 year old when I was going up to my first national championships, my coach introduced me to him. And I was like search star choke. He was like, he was the man of the moment and winning medals at European Championships when Ireland weren't winning medals. And, and so Mick never actually caught me. But he was always there for advice. As then I as I became a senior boxer, elite boxer. And we always, we always had a good relationship. Yeah, Nicholas, I spent five years as his captain of the national team. And it was the great guy who came to Ireland with no English. And I think the bad English that he has was the western English of a party. And then czar antiA was phenomenal find, to become part of the team, myself and czar and Gary Keegan, and all the backroom staff that came together to produce those successes for Ireland in 2008 2012. It was with it was a was an ambu believe we'll link to that team and and, and his his skill and technique and absolutely crushed a team towards where we need to speak. What makes a good coach, you know, I think there's there's many, many hats you got to wear to become a good coach, I think for all those guys that that I know, one was, you know, personality, being able to relate to people and get on with them. And also then you have to have the background, the technical, I think of awareness of, of your sport, as sometimes you know, being a good relationship builder, I think and then having having respect of your players or your athletes is a key part of any coaching setup.
Paul Barnett 07:09
Billy, you started by boxing if my research is right, you started boxing as a seven year old at the Christian Brothers in New Mexico. And then you went on to represent Ireland at the 1988 Olympics and along the way, winning seven Irie, senior titles. But when was it on that journey that you realized you wanted to be a coach?
Billy Walsh 07:30
Yeah, no, I never actually taught a lot I really, I, I was fortunate enough to play quite a few sports, Gaelic games, in particular, hurling and football and soccer. And I made a choice probably at 18 to leave those other sports, because I wanted to go into the big games. And I never saw myself out of boxing. So it was never a piece where I'm going to retire. And then I'm going to give it up like I always felt there would be some part of my club to help out in some way. And it was a really enjoyed it. And in my early 20s or mid 20s I felt I was coaching at the time coaching somebody other at least any newcomers onto the national team. I was helping them along the way. So it just seemed a natural progression for me. And as soon as I retired from from boxing, I went straight back to the gym as to become a coach, just about the club never in my wildest dreams that I ever think that I would turn it into my profession. I taught you know, I was going to have boat as an amateur in my club three nights a week and a Sunday morning. You know, when sending up every night of the week, Sunday morning, but and yeah, and then every thought until maybe 2001. The opportunity came for that to assist Nicholas Cruz for actually was 1999 for the Sydney for the Sydney games. And I became assistant coach and eggs for that period of time working for myself. It was difficult to take time off and they get away as it was all finance forests. And so was typically the people that work for you and leave away from home or three young kids. And it was difficult, but I loved it that much. I was honored to do that. And then eventually in 2000 treated the position Campbell for head coach in Ireland and I was fortunate to is led by Gary Keegan to take that role.
Paul Barnett 09:37
I want to talk to you about Gary Kagan and why selected you But you just said that you loved it so much. Could I ask what is it you love about it so much?
Billy Walsh 09:51
I don't know. You know? So, you know for some of the heartbreak I've had and probably shouldn't you know, I've had more luck is done as ad wins, you know, and I just, I don't know what to give to me. I know, obviously, from my life as a seven year old has given me a lot of, you know, confidence, you know, self belief. You know, it's discipline structure, you know, all of those things that you need. And it's just the excitement of the game, the challenge of getting into the ring, and one guy is like, he's actually going to try and BJ is not going to score a goal or a point on you. He's actually going to try and pick your head up, right? And that, that piece, the combat combat of peace and intrigued me, and the adrenaline, the flu that came with that, you know, and so for me, that was the buzzer that really excited me. And then to be the best, you know, for me was trying to be the best. And working in circumstances who didn't probably lend to that as regards working in the job getting up at six in the morning to go for a run, or to work on a comment to the Gemini time. No sports science or medicine around, you know, nutrition. No, you know, you know, so in hindsight, all of that stuff, if you haven't had all that stuff, maybe things may have been different, but that desire that drive to be the best to be an Olympian, and obviously become Olympic medalists, which never happened, but a trade off and
Paul Barnett 11:31
you may not have been an Olympic medalist, but there was seven Irish championships along the way. So that was some consolation, I guess.
Billy Walsh 11:39
Yeah. Every year to become a national champion, my first title when I was 14, and then every year after that, for 12 years I was was champion, which was great. And while in the leaf, I fought in 10 finals in a row, and got got beaten, and three and one was one seven, which was, yeah, it was great. It was fantastic. It was, it was, you know, obviously the start. If you're if you're if you're not national champion, you aren't going to be on the national team. So you know, it was important to Windows.
Paul Barnett 12:16
Billy, the success in Irish boxing is just amazing. You know, when you started as head coach of Irish boxing, the team had qualified just won boxer for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. But in the 12 years following, you win seven Olympic medals, many, many European titles and World Championships, and those seven medals represented at the time 25% of all Olympic medals, Ireland and everyone.
12:47
Yeah, I'm really curious.
Paul Barnett 12:50
What did you do? What what what did you do when you took over that field? This result?
Billy Walsh 12:54
Well, I think you know, first of all, as I said, Yeah, Gary Keegan was director. I came in as a he actually, he hired an imposter. He hired me as head coach, but I wasn't the head coach. When he, when he hired me. I think eventually, somewhere down the line in my big I became one. But we all learned a group together. It was a fantastic group of people that Gary put together. Everybody was eager to learn how to scroll mindsets, mindset, we were we were challenging ourselves, to come up with a system come up with, you know, and then, you know, people forget, when we started, we had success early. You know, we started off going to these setting targets for ourselves going to these multi nation tournaments, of winning bronze medals. And we started to achieve that pretty quick. And then the team said, like, like, this is not like we started setting our target stand for golden silver. So we kept raising the bar. And then we started to achieve that. But going, you're talking about the Sydney put the games after it, which was Athens, when we were in place for 10 months previous to it. We only had one boxer qualified again, which was Andy Lee. And, you know, our heads were closed for, you know, in the first year. We had gone to the World Championships in Chicago in 2007. And we qualified one boxer, which is Penny barons, you know, sore heads will be in conference and the fewer cases. And you know, I think we always knew that it was the talent was in Ireland. I happen to be part of a team of very talented team when I was boxing over those 10 years. But you know, we had no system we had no structure we were all in our club is going to train together a couple of weeks before we went to a major championship. You know, all the other top teams in the world were full time athletes. You know, if we were going to compete at that level, we needed at least train at that level. And then of course was changing the mindset. You know from, from being being happy to be an Irish champion. To, to know, look at look towards becoming European or world champion. And so that was that was a big change changing the mindset. You know, as I said to you earlier, guys we're getting on the national team have been national champions, and that was it for the year, you couldn't get them often, you know, we bought in the system where that, you know, whoever's performing, we'd have the two and three in the gym widget, and then whoever's performing, the better, we will select them for tournament's. And we're looking for the best international boxer. And we're not not the best national. And so that's how we started, you know, we, at the very beginning, there were some issues that we saw, but half the team didn't make it to the first year either couldn't stick the intensity, or couldn't stick the discipline and the structure that we put around the team. But it was was amazing to see that girl over those over a period while I was there 1213 years. And for that period of time, it was it was amazing to see where I've gone to actually sit back sometimes sit back and look at the system operate without you being actually just taking a stroll around to see everybody doing their job, all that support stuff, working. And like clockwork, you know, everything was down to a tee. And at the end of the day, it's up to the athlete and to perform. But for us, we were creating the right environment for the, for those athletes to get your best performance.
Paul Barnett 16:31
Billy, could I just get you to check your microphone? I just keep just keep pulling on your collar there. That's it the perfect I want to hear perfectly.
Billy Walsh 16:41
Okay, no,
Paul Barnett 16:42
it's perfect. Thanks. You know, I read a quote where you say, people ask you they say, Billy, what happened? And you say highperformance happened? What is high performance? In a boxing sense?
Billy Walsh 16:56
I think it's all the things I just spoke about, you know, really, first of all, is figuring out what does work class look like? You know, what does good look like? You know, you got a template or a vision in your head what good looks like for a high performance boxer. But then you can obviously map those, what needs to be done to get them to that place. And then we went, you know, I probably I won't be too, too horrible. We traveled to some of the worst places in the world, and have a look at what the best in the world were doing. And, you know, we stole stuff from everybody, you know, and we came back and put it together in an Irish context. What would suit our culture, I remember going to Moscow is called check over, which is their training campus about an hour outside Moscow. And at the time, we were we were we were testing we actually became a bit angle about testing. We're testing everything. Our guys were on the jump bats seem, you know, again, they're getting their vertical jump. And we had your heart rate monitors on the window renderings firing. So you want to 10 sees that we're getting up to and the Russians were intrigued with this. And obviously it was there was a language barrier. But Tsar who spoke Russian was grant and we had him you know, because connections we never would have got into on the farm. But so we said okay, if you're interested, what we do is, we wire up to your boys tomorrow, we put them on the jump mat, one of them was ended up being twice Olympic gold medalist. And everyone was was world champion and Olympic gold medalists. So we word up, I said, we'll give you the data. So we gave him all the data. When we came back, we came back with her data for two guy who was twice Olympic gold medalist. So it was a little bit of the Irish has been I didn't realize that we were we were pulling one over on and But anyway, we got away with that. So so we're getting data from people, what the person or wherever they want, are then able to set our intensities and our styles and then you know, you can't beat international training partners. Whereas having your number two or number three, pushing, it isn't good enough, because they're not going to get up to that they're not going to get up to the level or the intensity is that someone that you're going to meet in the competition are going to get so yeah, we've learned learned a hell of a lot along the way. But if that in some way explains some of us, and again, as I said earlier, is creating that environment where the athletes can perform to their best, giving them all the tools psychologically, physically technically tactically, giving them all the tools so they can perform at an all instructions or they can do so. So that's been probably my performances, and any sport
Paul Barnett 19:58
you Irish program. Had a good mental skills component that focused on helping people adapt in stressful situations. And I'm really interested to know, how has this helped you? When you've been a coach in stressful situations?
Billy Walsh 20:14
Yeah, I actually had a conversation with that psychologists that are there. And in a fun way, it was Jerry Haas, he was a psychologist. And I was saying to him, you know, what, I say you did more work with me than he actually did with the team. Because I thought it needed more help than anybody else. And so, yeah, and I think, from what you guys were learning, you know, as you earn your own mental mental health, and not only in your mental health or mental performance, and I was learning as well, of simple things like staying in the moment, you know, and learning to control the controllables, all of this sort of stuff, which is key to me, because, you know, unfortunately, in your position as a head coach, and you know, there's always things going on around the background that may affect what's happening. And unless, unless they have, you know, a direct impact on improving our performance, I was able to manage it and keep it away from the team, and to allow them to perform. And without having too strong mental help, and tips. And I think I wouldn't have been able to do so.
Paul Barnett 21:32
Really, when you collected your first boxing coach of the year award, because there's, of course been to you said, I want to dedicate this award to a man that taught me everything my late father, Liam Walsh, and I'd like to ask you if it's not too personal, what elements from your light father are evident today in your coaching style and philosophy?
Billy Walsh 21:56
Yeah, I actually listen to people on that. It was very emotional because my dad wasn't too long had passed. And my coach, Eddie Byrne, who grew up in I grew up in the same street ism was my coach, he dedicated a ball to them, because he cost me since my dad never caught me. in boxing, he cost me in life, and never caught me in boxing. He was a ga player. And yeah, so that was, I bought them, I dedicated it to my dad, just his view on life. You know, obviously, he was, you know, a good disciplinarian, but he was a funny man. And he lived life, and I. And so we see what we every day, I live life to a life of a lens of having fun, and enjoying every moment. So I enjoy every moment today I was, you know, I was fine, the funny thing and everything that we do every day, and even in training, because I was fine with boxing, because it's such a tough sport. And as mentally it can be very draining and very tough, but there's half as much fun as we can, until we have to get really serious. And so that's where I really like enjoying what I do. And I think that's comes from fiber lean.
Paul Barnett 23:18
I want to talk about tough actually, because in 2013, you were reflecting on the success of the Irish team, and you said, and I'm going to quote this back to you if it's okay, you said our identity was crucial, how we look, how we talk, how we behave. Everything was intended to make us seem like warriors and winners before we entered the ring. And so I wanted to ask you about what I imagine is that very tough walk to the ring. And whether there was any routines, or methods that you used to just help people stay calm and focused in that moment.
Billy Walsh 23:59
You know, a lot of the time or most of the time, I would say all of the time, all of those guys had visualized that walk to the ring. I've had an like, slap on the wrist after training sessions. And we talk about being International. We talk again individualize the warmup like individualize the walk into the ring, the crowd, the expectation, all of that, what we're going to manage, so that that was after many, many training sessions, that was what I was planning and what we talked about, so they all they all visualize and under way out. Each of them. I will be whatever their triggers are. I was speaking to them, whatever their individual needs were at that as I felt as we felt at the time of the conversation we can even I'm telling them corny jokes. ram while at the same thing, you know, rare said to me, tell me tell me a joke. Tell me that joke. Tell me to joke. He said when I get to the ringside okay. So the joke was he heard about the two, the two mice that lives in the tire. He said they got a puncture. No, no, they live in the flat, right? So. And he used to break his heart laughing It was supposed to but his joke. And so they had to tell him that every time he got to the ring site, and that that was his trigger to go to work. So some funny were some funny things you have to do. But that was it was individually tailored towards each boxer as we went to the ring. And then as I said, you, all of them, I would lay them down, we go to a visualization, of being at the Olympic Games, the crowd, the lights, the cameras, you know, all of that stuff. So they get your heart rate up to you know, they could visualize what it was going to be like. So then when that happened, they knew what to expect. And we did it, we did a brilliant thing. Jerry hosi did a brilliant thing in. In London, when we walked out in London, the crowd, the noise of the crowd was unbelievable. Right? We were taking the back were behind the curtain and in the red corner. JOHN, john Evan right on the top to open the curtain and the whole class went ballistic, right? We couldn't believe it. And he got into the ring. And for the first round in the half. He's head was in the audience. He was looking out to the crowd, he was even he was finally go from Denmark who he should be but the fight was your man was level for the first round. And I'm I'm tune him in the corner. I said, What the hell are you doing get your head back in the ring here. So Jerry recorded this. And all the team together that night. And we planted. And we showed them that, you know, this keeper focus when we go in there, this crowd is going to distract you because the noise was phenomenal. And there was a massive big crowd there. Just to keep that, as you say walk to the ring, to keep them in focus for what the task was ahead.
Paul Barnett 27:13
So you leave Ireland Billy, let's move on. Let's get to the USA get over. I'm actually I don't want to really go into the reasons why he left Ireland, I went to the USA, I think that's been reported enough. So you get to the USA, you look around. And your first comment is where it's Team USA, there's a brand, but there's no team. They trained all over the place there. There are coaches, the whole thing was was quite disorganized. And so I'm really intrigued to know, what were the first things you did to pull that thing together.
Billy Walsh 27:48
And the first thing really, you know, instead of just all you know, and, and said, Well, you know, here's here's what the vision is, you know, for this team, we want to be Team USA, right? There's no I in team, all of that. cliches went to all of those. I said, we're here to be a team. I know we want to be one of the best teams in this games. And bottom altogether, we're training at this time, and we're training at this time, if everybody is not here, 15 minutes beforehand. You're live. Right? So we started out off. We had a couple of fell by the wayside, we ended up you know, and we've had a serious talk after maybe a month or two copies of the athletes caressa Clarissa shields, which is probably well documented shoe core Stevenson store. And then eventually, we got the message. And we started the train together as a team, and started to work together as a team and said, you can do this on your own. And they're all of them coming from probably professional gyms where it's all professional boxing oriented, which is pretty much singular and on your own. But my belief was, we're a team and without every part of this team, you're not going to achieve the goal that you want to achieve, for working together. So that's been a big piece of building the Team USA a brand again, and given him the sight of our division of Olympic Games, because USA boxing had gone away from the most of them are working on becoming a word professional champion. Instead of using the Olympic Games as a learning curve, and also a platform to launch your professional poker career, you know, so I was selling that to them, you know, you're going to get, you're going to fight the toughest guys, from all over from all over the world. Anyone who represents your country is the best in that country. And, you know, it's not like you're going to pick a bum month as a pro. You're going to find the best one and you're going to be tested every time. Go out. And you're going to be in a hostile environments all over the world. And that will stand you in good state as you go out to become a professional does nothing should faze you after that. So that was my main focus at that time. The biggest problem was a, nobody can understand my wife's reaction. I'd like them all up. And I said, y'all get that? And the Nagel. I taught we were supposed to speak fucking English. Do we not speak the same language? Come on, sir. So I had to learn to slow down a base and explain myself a little bit better, but
Paul Barnett 30:43
never really what I mean, I've never boxed. I'm a huge fan, obviously. But I've never boxed. And what I don't understand is, why is a team ethos so important when ultimately, it's a single individual that stands in the ring, and has to do with the opponent that's in front of them.
Billy Walsh 31:07
And again, as I say to you, it's very difficult to do it on your own, you need a team around you, you need a team to work with, you need sparring partners. And also for me, obviously, I was with Ireland for 10 years. As I said, five years I was captain. And we had a great team bond. And those some of those guys that are on that team are still my best mates. And something that I've always cherished, having that teammate to be able to bounce things off of that are going through the same motions, emotions that you're going through. And some difficulties, you know, someone that you can chat with, heavier, get your best performance, you know, and as I said, Here, it is Team USA, we're gonna go under the sand banner, sand flag, you know, and when all you know, all the victories are counted, and all the losses are counted, our team will then be recognized whatever level are going to be at in that tournament. So everybody win in that team, by winning a fight or winning two fights or winning five fights, adds to the score of the team as we strive to be one of the best teams in the world.
Paul Barnett 32:18
He talked about the Wexford accent a minute ago, and you were joking. But what I'd love to know is a interested bystanders when the when they're in the heat of battle. And the bell rings, and it's the end of the round and the boxer comes back to the corner. How do you structure your communication so that it's simple and easy enough to follow so the boxer can understand it and take action on it.
Billy Walsh 32:47
Yeah, and the 3d very, very simple, just one or two things the need to do. You don't need to overcomplicate it, then Calm down, try and bring your heart rate down first. And then it gets to the pitch of where we're going. What needs to be done one, maybe two things that's maximum. Like he was very clear. And I asked for feedback, you understand what I'm saying? What are we to do? Get him to repeat it, and then give him some water, get back in getting back into the ring. So it's pretty simple. It's pretty direct. As we see what's happening in the fight in front of us, the trying to judge the fight as well as what way the judges are saying, which is sometimes very, very difficult. Because it's hard to believe sometimes what they're saying, but and yeah, so we're trying to give, I mean, winning, are we losing? What do we need to do this round? You know, and then Suboxone you know, you got those three rounds. Right. And, you know, it's so fast, right? And the intensity is so high. You know, there's a well known fact out there 80% the guys that win the first round win the contest in amateur boxing. So for now on the ball from the first round, you know, and then you got to maintain it for the second round. Because if we lose Daniel Daniel down to the last round, you know, so it's Yeah, it is a high tense and high tension. sport for Australia. As I says it's a nine minute sprint. So we tested our guys are open, their heart rate is on When the bell goes to the last round. For nine minutes. It's we did it was 93 between 93 and 100% max for the full duration of the nine minutes. That is a nine minute sprint. So you're sprinting for nine minutes. So that's pretty high and you got to have a pretty good engine to work it out that intensity.
Paul Barnett 34:47
Really I love I love this quote from you. And I'm sorry to keep reading quotes back to you. But this is a this one that quite resonated with me. You said you teach one boxer. You teach one coach You teach. Sorry, I'm going to start again. I love this quote from you, Billy, you say you teach one boxer, you teach one boxer, you teach one coach, you teach 100 boxes. And I wanted to ask, how are you trying to change the situation in America by by this education program that you're helping to put in place?
Billy Walsh 35:21
Yeah, so that was, you know, you look at, you know, when I got her, I'm trying to look at, you know, I'm not sure how long I was gonna be here. And blame, I'm looking at Doom doing my best job that I can do for USA boxing. And what will your legacy be? So one of the leave some legacy whenever the day comes, leave if I ever do, right, and, and for me, you know, and we have similar situations in Ireland, you know, and there's no one perfect no system perfect, but we're coming in and some of the guys didn't have the basic fundamentals. And when they, when they become adults, it is very difficult. If they've been taught wrongly, or improperly, at an early age, it's very hard to change that. It should be done for so long. So that's where my focus when, you know we got, Chad Weigel became a coaching coordinator, and has done a really good job of pulling together all the pieces, we sat together and pulled together to four different levels of coaching coaching had not been touched in the USA since 1984. When there were kingpins of the world, and unfortunately, they had them because of the decline after the 80s. So we've now got a system up and running is only up and running, run to the silver level. They've got a green level, which was to get into it and he got a bronze level, then he got a silver level. And we're going to have a gold level. And we're on to the silver level at this stage. So what I'm hoping to come out of that, and obviously the next generation of kids will have sound fundamentals for the big side boxing. Were not so much focus on professional boxing.
Paul Barnett 37:15
And it's an amazing legacy, isn't it? Spinks, Cassius Clay, Delroy. You know, the list goes. George Wallace goes on and Joe Frazier, the list goes on and on.
Billy Walsh 37:25
John's got you got Yeah, it's got so many so many of their, their world professional champions that became stars all came through during a big program. Mike Tyson, Mike Tyson was out. He didn't make the team. That's right. Yeah, yeah, he didn't make the Olympic team he got beat. Yeah, he was 17 or 18 at the time, but yeah, so. And that's where we would like to be with the team, you know, we do, you know, we understand that they're gonna go on to the professional ranks, but we like to keep them for at least an Olympic cycle, you know, and then, obviously, then become a good alumni of USA boxing, and we send them off for good wishes, and good well, we can happen whenever we can. And at the moment, we've been bringing some of the guys that have been in the program that are now professional, we've bought those back in for sparring and stuff and, and their work to work with it within the squad squad, which is a different attitude. Before I was there,
Paul Barnett 38:27
Billy, I don't I didn't want to go into this interview by talking about all the gray boxes you've coached. Because I think that would be unfair to get you to compare them. But there is two boxes that you've been involved with that have. They've captured the imagination, I think of people around the world. And I'm talking about Katie Taylor, a violent and Clarissa shields of the USA. And they're amazing athletes. They're amazing representatives of this sport and the great role models. But I wanted to ask you as their coach, do you have a different way of coaching these super elite boxes that is different from everybody else?
Billy Walsh 39:12
Not really, I think the same principles apply, you know, discipline structure, you know, obviously, each individual have their own things that we need to work on. But in general, they're part of the team, you know, the train with the team. They work out with the team to help the team and the Coleman show for your teammates, you know, they do all the same things that all the rest of the team would do as part of Team USA, and what success what is expected of them is different times. You have different communications with them because of maybe we're drafting their level. But other ness, you know, and there's nobody bigger than the team and and they will be treated equally. You know, I have to say I both of them were our two, two legends legends in the game at this stage of female boxing. And Katie was probably the torch carrier for, for many, many years for women boxing, and she's an absolute legend in, in her stature, and then obviously, not only with her boxing skills, but as a person. And you know, caressa, then again, you know, I never seen anybody that was ever going to beat her, she never believed that anyone was going to beat her. And maybe that'll be hopefully that'll be the case since you finished your career.
Paul Barnett 40:42
Really, you've been really generous with Tom, I don't want to hold you up much longer. But I do want to ask you one last question if I could. And it's another quote, actually, because I was preparing for today. And I found this great quote from Michaela Mayer, who's now turned professional and I know she's left your program. But she said, when she was talking about us, she said, quote, there's just something about him, the way he talks to you the demands your respect, you want to impress him, you want to make him proud. Which leads me to ask Billy, what's the legacy that you want to leave? As a coach?
Billy Walsh 41:21
That's a difficult question. I haven't. I haven't thought that far ahead. But I don't know. Actually, Michaela lives in Colorado Springs, she moved there. And she comes in and trainers when we have camps that boast about the next generation. And what are my legacy will be I think it just the fact that, you know, I've left the place in a better place and better state and I found it. I left our put USA boxing back on track to be on the best nations in the world of amateur boxing, which I always felt it should be. And so really, that'll be my legacy, you know that I left the place in a better place than the phone.
Paul Barnett 42:05
Billy, I want to thank you so much for your time tonight. It's just such a special experience for me to chat with you is a proud pass Irish passport holder. I'm always happy to talk to Irish coaches, because it makes my mom proud. So thank you so much for your time tonight. It's been great.
Billy Walsh 42:23
It's been a pleasure, Paul. Thank you. Oh, really?
Paul Barnett 42:27
That was a master class. Thank you so much. Okay. You're happy with it?
Billy Walsh 42:32
Yeah, I don't know. I was talking. I wasn't listening. So can I ask you?
Paul Barnett 42:39
Can I ask you? And I don't mean to be disrespectful or who respectful? Are you famous in Ireland?
Billy Walsh 42:49
used to me before that five years ago? Yeah. Yeah, pretty well. Well, pleased to be well on. But it used to be.
42:56
Because when it made I saw the news, it made the news when Brits already Yeah,
Billy Walsh 42:59
we're waiting for me in Dublin Airport. As I left. The morning, I left the TV cameras there. She has lots of time to come over and year later did a documentary on me. And so I probably would be reasonably well known in my town, obviously. And yeah, there is a Yeah, I think so. Yeah. I just think it has been it's been a while. As long as you're aware. For too long. We're aware less people get annoyed. But
Paul Barnett 43:26
yeah, I was there's something. There's something about people from small countries going off and succeeding in big countries. And as an Australian Yeah, that's a whole thing. There's 23 million. Oh, yeah. Four or 5 million Rs. But there's just something about it. You know, when you can get you you flying the flag for so many other people in your country?
Billy Walsh 43:45
Yeah, absolutely. And it's all because quite a few, obviously, Ozzy's Irish are pretty successful all over the world, you know? Yeah. And it's like a spinner. Like since time began, we've been emigrating our best people, you know, to be traveling all over the world, you know, our numbers in a bad place back in the day were pretty true and all that everybody got out. And they got away from all that and would nourish have always done well, in America and Australia, New Zealand. Yeah, you know, the zone well all over the world. But I think our coaching I think it's our nature is more so than sir. It's our more culturally, you know, we're, we're, as a nation, we get on with people. Yeah. Better or easier than most people. I think that really helps in a coaching context, that you're able to make relationships pretty quickly with people and, you know, resonate with people and understand where they're coming from. And I think that's, that helps a lot of us in the world of coaching.
Paul Barnett 44:49
Where are you kids, Billy, are they still in Ireland? Or have they left and gone overseas?
Billy Walsh 44:52
Yeah, their hair, their hair, actually tumor in my house here. My daughter just came in and sat down there. She actually she actually wants to know He or she is in coaching as well coaching people wonder my understanding is that strength conditioning coach, is he and he was a boxer as well. And the other guy, there are guys that musician. Oh, you must be so proud of them. Yeah, undergrad. I gotta keep I gotta, I gotta keep them on because they're gonna choose my nursing home when I get
Paul Barnett 45:29
written on that note, I'm gonna say good night to you Thursday night Billy, it's just a privilege okay with you. Thank you so much. My mom will be proud of me for talking to you. So thank you so much.
Billy Walsh 45:41
Teller, male males they will come.
Paul Barnett 45:44
I'm going to take that stand grabbing tomorrow.
45:48
Cheers. Well, guys, really take care. Bye bye.