The Top Glove Boxing Academy is about far more than just boxing.

It's a message that long-time head coach and general manager Gord Apolloni has focused on circulating.

It's a message that new chairman of the board of directors Andrew Olivier now understands more fully.

And it's a message that the group is hoping gains traction, locally, through the work of a student internship position funded by the NOHFC (Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation) - a position, which at this particular time, remains unfilled.

While it was a shared interest in politics which first united Apolloni and Olivier, their relationship has expanded to a whole new level in the past two years.

"Once I got involved, seeing all of the great things that the club does, well, it's been pretty awesome," said Olivier, who has always prided himself on remaining an active volunteer in the Sudbury basin.

"You look at the Rock Steady program for Parkinson's - when he (Apolloni) got that going, I was floored," Olivier continued. "I have come to realize that it's not just about people going there to learn how to box."

"There's a whole element of socializing, discipline, responsibility, accountability. All of these attributes that are just as important as learning to box. It isn't just a boxing club, it's a community."

In fact, it's a community that is very much reflective of the Sudbury community, welcoming the entire gamut of the population. "The fact that Gord is so versatile in terms of training an eight year old, a twenty year old or a seventy year old is critical," said Olivier.

"The work ethic that he has is incomparable. The heart and soul that he puts into it, well, I was unaware of that until I became involved with the board."

They might well draw on very different backgrounds, but the truth is that this talented tandem very much share a common vision for the role and the goals of the new intern position.

"This type of grant is a little new to me, but what I envision, and what Gord does as well, is for someone to come in and learn all of the aspects of this facility, how the programs can help all sorts of people in various ways and not just teaching them how to box," said Olivier.

"It's taking all of that information and then tying that in with the business side of things."

Duties outlined in the job description include leading both pre-developed and newly developed fitness programs, researching and developing new training and fitness programs, and identifying areas of need within the fitness programs for seniors, relating to boxing training.

Applicants must be a university or college graduate who has graduated in the last three years, with the NOHFC funding covering a full-time position for a period of one year.

"We need to find some new ways to get our name out there, to do some marketing - those are all expectations that we have," said Olivier. "Any intern should take advantage of the full realm of this knowledge, understanding how a club runs."

In that sense, both Olivier and Apolloni, and all those affiliated with Top Glove boxing, are more than a littler appreciative of any kind of support that they receive.

"Keeping the lights on is a really important aspect of the club," said Olivier. "Having warm bodies in the building, doing the things that they do, is how the club runs."

"We have been able to take advantage of some government support, which is helpful."

Interested applicants should submit their resume to Gord Apolloni at ontcboxing@live.com.