Trainers

Justin Foster

Justin Foster is a founding member and the president of Dream Believe Become Inc. He has been involved in the world of amateur boxing, as both a fighter and trainer, since 2003. In addition to his role at DBB, Justin has taught classes at both World Gym in Palatine, IL, and Equinox in Lincoln Park, Chicago. He believes that boxing can play an important role in the lives of young men and women: “Teenagers everywhere need a structure,” he says. “It doesn’t matter if you have two parents or zero parents.” Boxing, according to Justin, is uniquely positioned to offer that structure and the rewards that come along with it: “The tough part is staying in it; there’s no off-season so you’re training year-round. It’s real taxing. You see kids out having fun and you want to go do that. But if you can stick to it for a couple years, all those other kids who couldn’t stick with it are gone. The pack weeds out. If you just stay in it, you’ll be somebody.”

Luis Antonio Linares Jr.

Luis Antonio Linares Jr. started at Dream Believe Become in 2010 with the intention of training for his own fights, but soon found that he was a natural teacher to others as well. A boxer since the age of 13, Luis has been a trainer at DBB since 2012 and is now preparing his own 13 year-old son, Antonio, to step into the ring. “He started when he was six,” says Luis, “and now he’s sparring in Chicago and Milwaukee, always shadowboxing at home… he’s very dedicated. He never wants to stop.” While the skills and techniques of boxing can be hard to master, Luis believes that dedication and conditioning must come first: “You can have the best skills in the world, be fast, hit hard, but if you don’t have the conditioning, some other guy who doesn’t have the best skills can beat you in those three rounds.” Boxing is hard, he acknowledges, but he still considers being a part of DBB the best thing in the world. “It’s like a medicine. You relieve stress, you work out, and you get to help people. You become family.”

Sergio Soto

Sergio Soto began boxing at the age of 18 and won the 2003 Wisconsin Golden Gloves. He is a founding member of Dream Believe Become and has been training students since DBB started offering classes in 2011. Sergio never imagined himself as a teacher, but soon found it becoming a passion for him. “First it was training, being a fighter,” he says, “but now it’s being a boxing coach and a leader.” His students know they can approach him with any problem, whether in the ring, at school, or at home, and “that’s what really gets me right here in the heart.” He stresses the importance of the discipline boxing offers, and loves seeing how his students become more committed to their health, more energetic in their lifestyles, and more aware of the impact of their decisions. He wants everyone who enters DBB to know that they are welcome: “I know a lot of people get timid coming into a place like this because I was, too, but we’re accepting of everyone. You’re going to leave here feeling good mentally and physically.”