"giving back to the kids and to the community is what motivates on a daily basis."
Because of the onset of Covid-19, the boxing program at the Boys and Girls Club of Coachella Valley ceased.
Joel and Antonio Diaz are world renown professional boxing trainers. They train professionals and have trained many top fighters and world champions including Timothy Bradley, Dmitry Bivol, Ruslan Provodnikov, Julio Díaz, Diego De La Hoya to name a few.
They have trained and currently train numerous amateur youths in the sport of boxing, and currently organize amateur tournaments, attend tournaments, and support and mentor underprivileged kids by giving them an outlet in the boxing gym.
The time spent in the gym, the coaching, the discipline and the training given to these kids gives them a sense of identity and a place to stay out of trouble and off the streets.
Both of these coaches have organized and implemented training programs and classes for youth amateur boxers and currently have a successful group of about 75 kids who regularly attend. There currently is an extensive waiting list. Many of these kids can compete at the national level. Given this level of commitment, and the success they were seeing, Joel and Antonio Diaz feel confident in the direction of the program.
The Mission & Purpose
Diaz Brothers Boxing Foundation is an organization in Indio, California, focused on the instruction, teaching and mentoring of underprivileged youth through the sport of boxing.
The Foundation seeks to provide great boxing teaching and experience while helping young athletes develop skills that will benefit them throughout their lives, such as work ethic, resilience, grit, integrity, self-awareness, control, and strong communication skills.
Joel Diaz
Founder & Professional Boxing Coach
Joel Diaz was born in Michoacan, Mexico. He grew up there with his grandparents until the age of 11. Joel then moved to Coachella, California with his two brothers, Jesus and Antonio, who were also in Mexico. They reunited with their parents after years of being apart. Joel was always trying to do something besides school and started delivering newspapers as a job. While wandering around, he found a boxing gym and started training. He loved it so much that he never stopped.
A few weeks later, he brought his younger brothers to the gym, and they all stuck with it. Joel did so well that he reached the Olympic competition level. However, there was one problem: he was not an American citizen and was disqualified from representing the USA.
At the age of 18, he turned to professional boxing and worked his way up. In 1995, he became the IBF Intercontinental champion. Joel was trying to reach bigger dreams and kept winning fights. He was getting ready for a world championship fight when he started having problems with his vision. He managed to pass his vision test before his fight in Johannesburg, South Africa. He fought a 12-round fight with no vision in his right eye, which ended in a loss for him. He came back to the US to got surgery, but it was too late to repair his detached retina.
He went through a rough depression and without knowing what to do, a few months later, he just started working and training with his younger brothers. He worked harder because people doubted he could become a trainer, however his brothers trusted him, and he delivered.
His brother Antonio became a world champion, and Julio became a 2-time IBF world champion. Boxers started to notice Joel as a respected trainer and reached out to him to be trained. He trained Timothy Bradley from the beginning of his professional career, and Bradley became a 5-time world champion in 2 divisions.
Other notable fighters he worked with include Abner Mares, Omar Figueroa, Vicente Escobedo, Ruslan Provodnikov, and Cub Swanson. Currently, Joel trains kids and professional fighters alongside his brother Antonio. They have been working together for many years now. Kids have been growing up in the gym and becoming professional fighters or moving on to different careers but always coming back to the gym on their time off because of the impact boxing has had on them. They make lifelong friends and learn discipline and respect.
Antonio Diaz
Co-Founder & Professional Boxing Coach
Antonio Díaz (“Toño”) is a former professional boxer. He's the former International Boxing Association light welterweight and WBO Latino light middleweight champion. Antonio is the brother of boxing trainer Joel Díaz and former IBF lightweight champion Julio Díaz. Today, his primary responsibility is coaching youth who attend the boxing gym he and his brother Joel operate in Indio, CA.
Antonio Diaz was born in Mexico, but lived in and fought out of Coachella, California. Toño was one of the IBA's greatest champions, and always a favorite with boxing fans who tuned in to his televised and live bouts. He represented his fighting family very well. He finished his pro career with an outstanding final tally of 47 wins, 6 losses, 1 draw, and won 30 of those by knockout.
Today, Toño is in charge of youth coaching at the Joel Diaz Training Camp gym in Indio, CA. His extensive experience in the sport of boxing allows him to train and mentor young athletes with a particular focus on discipline, dedication, fitness and respect for oneself and others. Similar to his brother Joel, Toño’s passion is to see kids learn, develop and persevere both in and out of the ring.
An Incredible Team
Joel Diaz
Founder & Leader
Professional Boxing Coach
Antonio Diaz
Co-Founder & Leader
Professional Boxing Coach
Linda Diaz
Co-Founder & Leader
President
The members of our board of directors are opinion leaders who have made a significant contribution to our society. Each and every one of them brings a unique set of skills and knowledge to our organization.
As part of our efforts to give back to the community, we decided to manage a boxing foundation that provides training and support to young athletes in underprivileged areas.
Through this foundation, we seek to inspire and empower the next generation of champions.
