DTD Brother Founds the Largest Club Sport Currently at UIUC

How He Brings That Same Passion to DTD

In The Boxing Ring

When Brother Michael McDonough ’16 discovered in his freshman year that UIUC didn’t have a boxing club, he immediately jumped at the chance to make one. A boxing champion in high school, Michael saw it as the perfect chance to stand out amongst UIUC’s 45,000 students while also continuing to play his favorite sport. In just a handful of years, he managed to take that club from nonexistent to a national competitor and the largest club sport at UIUC.

The club started out as just an RSO (registered student organization) with about 10 members.

“Along the way, I made relationships with great people and was able to capture loyal members who shared a similar vision,” says Michael.

Within two years, the boxing club had grown to 50 members. It became recognized as an official Club Sport in Fall 2014, now named Illini Boxing. By spring of that school year, it had over 70 members and joined the United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association (USIBA). The club competed in USIBA’s college boxing championships with more than 30 other participating schools, including Michigan, Florida State, Syracuse, and more.

The team that participated in this year’s Championships

By Fall 2015, Michael’s senior year, Illini Boxing had grown to more than 100 members—making it the largest club sport at UIUC by far. Michael believes that one of the reasons for the club’s success was because it had one of the most inviting environments you could find.

“Our members varied all across the spectrum—from freshman to faculty members, girls to guys, beginners to experienced, workout enthusiasts to boxing enthusiasts,” he says.

Today, the club has over 130 active members, and their next goal is to host the 2018 USIBA National Championships next spring. Michael could not be more proud of how far things have come. His love for the sport has given him much of the motivation and confidence to set his sights high.

“Boxing resembles life,” he says. “You get knocked down, but you eventually get back better than ever, improving the things you were missing. Experiencing defeat in boxing is a blessing in disguise.”

An Unmistakable Passion for DTD

But believe it or not, Illini Boxing hasn’t been Michael’s only passion the past five years. He pledged Delta Tau Delta in his freshman year, and is dedicated to Beta Upsilon with the same ferocity he brings to boxing.

“My experience as a member of Delta Tau Delta Beta Upsilon Chapter has been nothing short of amazing,” says Michael. “I will always cherish the memories and bonds I’ve created with my brothers.”

The past two semesters, while earning his master’s in Accountancy, Michael served as a Graduate Resident Advisor for Beta Upsilon. He has loved being able to provide the same guidance he received from previous GRAs as an undergrad, giving the brothers all kinds of advice on school, careers, and life.

Now, as Michael leaves UIUC, he looks forward to staying involved as an alum of both organizations that mean so much to him. He will be one of the main facilitators of the USIBA championship tournament next spring, which he strongly encourages DTD alumni to attend to help cheer on the UIUC boxers. And after knowing firsthand how ecstatic the active DTD brothers get when alumni visit, he’s excited to be on the other side.

“Beta Upsilon is truly special because no matter the year of your pledge class, you truly feel close to every single member,” he says. “Some of my favorite memories as an undergraduate come from Brotherhood events.”

Michael says that belonging to Delta Tau Delta has impacted every part of his life, including helping him through the career recruitment process. But what he is most thankful for is the lifetime of friendships that’s to come.

“I’ve gained brothers that I can call lifetime friends,” he says. “I look forward to the days when we are older and we can reminisce about our crazy stories.”