Canales dreamed of a better life for young men
Community leaders and official in the city of Bryan are to be commended for the support and continuous improvement of the Newman-Adam Boys and Girls Club of the Brazos Valley.
The new and expanded Newman-Adam facility on Beck Street will provide our youth with greater opportunities to grow and develop character by learning to play and compete together.
No one wanted this more than Robert Morales Canales, the man who took the time and initiative to get it done in the late ’50s. Canales, the reigning flyweight boxing champion at Fort Hood, had a passion to help boys.
My recollections are stated best in the following account by The Eagle on Aug. 23, 1959.
“It’s really inconceivable to think of the Boys Club without Canales. If any one man is responsible for making this dream come true, its him. It all began last March with Canales accompanied a group of boys to Waco to the Regional Golden Gloves tournament and they made such a showing that his value as a coach was immediately recognized.
“Canales who never exhibited the tamale temperature of a young man of his ancestry, talked softy around Cowtown of Bryan’s need for some type of clubhouse where boys could come after school and at night to compete with each other in sports and games.
“His talk fell on the right ears — a director of the Boy’s Club of America — and before long the first wheels were in motion to see what could be done to make Canales’ dream come true.
“Canales spent many long winter nights in the chilly (pole barn) the Brazos County Farmer’s Market, teaching the techniques of boxing to skinny bandy-legged little boys who had never seen a punching bag or a boxing glove in their life. His spirits never sagged.
“There were some nights where he had to baby-sit his own little boys with a cheerless gas heater as he carefully tutored two fledglings in the ring nearby.
“What made him do it? He loved boys. He likes to see boys defend themselves. He wanted to keep boys out of trouble. He cared nothing about the personal sacrifice it involved.”
When the Boys Club in Bryan was finally opened, Ronnie Hale, from New York, was hired at the first director. Hale was a fine director and moved on to become a successful banker.
As one of Canales’ lightweight Golden Glove trainees, I witnessed — and greatly admired — his patience and commitment; clearly driven by his selfless love for boys.
I clearly recall Canales diligently working to complete the lengthy application for a Boys Club. From the meager beginnings at the old Farmer’s Market, Canales, now deceased, saw the progression to a facility on North Main, to the William Joel Bryan Street location. He will never see the new facility on Beck Street.
Canales graduated from Bryan High School in 1955 and went on to receive his associates degree from Allen Academy and a Bachelor of Science degree from Sam Houston State University. He earned his Administrative Certificate at New York University.
Canales dedicated his life to helping others and shaping the lives of the youth — always believing in his saying, “No boy is born bad.”
After moving from Bryan, Canales worked with the Guadalupe Community Council and was the director of Education on Drug and Alcohol for MHMR in Bexar County and surrounding areas. He was founder of the Bryan Boys Club and director of the Seguin Boys Club and was instrumental in creating Boys Clubs in the Valley through the Model Cities programs in Edinburg, Donna, San Juan and McAllen.
Canales was instrumental in getting Edinburg declared as an All-American City and promoting the construction of the present Guadalupe Church in Seguin. He was a grass root civil rights activist in the city of Seguin, while serving on the Committee of Human Relations under Gov. Preston Smith.
Canales was considered a pillar for the city of Seguin. He served as chairman of the Community Council Board for the five years, served on the Guadalupe Appraisal Board, member of the GI Forum, the Jaycees, Holy Name Society, the Knights of Columbus, American Legion and South Texas Coaches Association.
Canales was recognized by Hispanic Who’s Who first publication for his work towards contributing to the development of Mexican American people.
Canales passed away Oct. 8, 2003. As a final act of compassion, the Canales family requested in lieu of flowers, a donation could be sent to Gridiron Heroes Spinal Cord Injury Organization in his memory.
For such a man of such vision and lifelong commitment to youth, a tribute in Canales’ honor, in the form of a plaque and picture, should be prominently displayed in the new Newman-Adam Boys Club for the Bryan Boys.
Glenn Dowling grew up in and lives in Bryan.
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