Introducing the Rec Sports Rocky
Zeke Pardo ‘24 leads weekly boxing classes at the Rec
Whether you’re a film enthusiast with a love for the recent Creed films or a mixed martial arts fan looking to learn self-defense, Boxing Bootcamp at Rec Sports is a fantastic opportunity to pick up some boxing gloves and hone your self-defense techniques. Guiding the way for many students is graduate student and boxing coach Zeke Pardo ‘24.
Over the past five years with the Fitness & Wellness program, Pardo has served as a fitness instructor in many different formats, teaching yoga, cycle, kickboxing, and rowing, among others, each class refining his teaching abilities and expanding his understanding of fitness. Each of these avenues funneled into boxing and enriched his communication skills over time.
“Whenever I first started as a sophomore, I often was more of a quiet coach…Throughout my fitness career here, I’ve definitely grown in my presentation skills, being more eloquent with the words I say as well as being more direct and being a little bit louder.”
He continued, “In my third year of coaching, I definitely saw a change in the way I coach and the way I was a leader. I was able to coach different classes, different formats, integrate the different skills I learned here and not be shy about who’s in the room, who’s going to attend the classes, the format of the class — so I feel that I just developed a lot more confidence as a coach.”
Today, you can often find Pardo in room 1132 at the Rec, aptly nicknamed “the boxing room”.
Here, Pardo teaches his students basic punches and combinations that go into boxing workouts. Participants use punching bags, speed bags, and one-on-one sparring to build their skills. Agility training is also a core function of the class, ensuring that participants walk away with better conditioning and boxing expertise once they complete the program.
Pardo’s work ethic, leadership, and reputation within the Fitness & Wellness program has afforded him some great opportunities to make a name for himself beyond Texas A&M, too. In February, Pardo gave a presentation at the University of Texas as part of the annual TexFit conference, dedicated to the improvement of fitness programs and professionals across the state of Texas.
Now that his master’s program nears its end, Pardo looks to future opportunities to grow as a full-time professional and leverage his skills in the next stage of his career.
“I’m a master’s of Sport Management [student], and so my goal is to have a leadership position in fitness, whether it’s in recreation and wellness or some sort of management position at a different gym,” Pardo said.
In reflection of his time at Texas A&M, Pardo said:
“What I’m going to miss the most is the people, not only my coworkers, but also my bosses, too, and the participants. Some of my coworkers are literally the best friends I’ve had.”
With half a decade invested into developing the community of Texas A&M through his fitness classes and especially his boxing program, Zeke Pardo is proud to have coached Aggies, with Aggies, in the attributes of personal fitness. He graduates in May with a Master of Science in Sport Management from Texas A&M University.
