While the collegiate season has been over for a few weeks, the Penn State boxing club has entered another season: the summer.

With numerous members of this year's squad set to make their amateur debuts, team leaders and coaches like the way next year's squad is shaping up.

"I recommended who ever could do [an amateur bout], they should," Penn State boxing club president elect Chris Picerni said. "The NCBA allows up to five amateur, outside of collegiate boxing, bouts per year. I recommended that every guy, to stay in shape, go to a local gym and try to get one, two, maybe three fights to stay in shape."

Penn State boxing coach William Bolar also likes the idea of the team taking on bouts this summer.

"It's easier to stay in shape, than to get out and get back in," he said.

The team recognized what it was able to do with the shortened season. In particular, its performance at the late-season Mansfield University Invitational shows this, as it posted an 8-2 10-fighter record. The young, talented squad realizes the success it could have if it uses this summer to get a leg up on its competition.

"Boxing is a sport where you have to constantly keep at it. Unless you've been doing it years upon years, you get rusty real quick," Picerni said. "Your technique and timing really suffer. If we stay active, not just hitting the bag, but fighting over the summer, by the time we get back here next fall, we should be ready to go."

Even though the school year is still ticking away, Mory Diane, one of the team leaders, has already enjoyed his amateur debut, at Heinz Field, and found out staying active isn't the only thing an amateur bout can offer.

"It was nice, Heinz Field, that's where the Steelers play and all," Diane said, "There was a pretty big crowd, and they had the [ring] girls and stuff. They had the Rocky song when you came in. Everybody was pumped up."

In addition to experiencing a different environment from that of collegiate boxing, Diane was able to face off against a different type of fighter and experience a different corner. Even though he fell just short of winning his debut, he came away with a positive learning experience.

"When I fought those guys at regionals, they had like 15 fights, and I only had three," Diane said. "The more fights you have, the more experience you have. The more comfortable you'll feel in the ring."

Diane is just one of many Penn State boxers using this summer as a springboard to bigger and better things next year.

"I don't see why we can't be the best in the country," Picerni said, "I'm not just saying that. The things we did, the guys we took to nationals, had no more than a few fights each. They were fighting guys that had over 20 fights, and they were competing and they were winning. And most of them were just starting. If they get a couple fights under their belts, and they've been training for a year, we're such a talented team; the sky's the limit. We could have several guys take national titles, no doubt."