By Bernardo "BMikeA" Miguel
"Chicago has had a rich history with boxing. From The Battle Of The Long Count pitting Gene Tunney against Jack Dempsey (September 22, 1927) to the continuing annual event that is Chicago's Golden Gloves, the relationship between boxing and Chicago is always evolving. Today, Chicago has an opportunity to utilize boxing as a tool to help the youth in this city with an alternative path to harness their youthful energy and need for attention and guidance.
"Chicago has had a rich history with boxing. From The Battle Of The Long Count pitting Gene Tunney against Jack Dempsey (September 22, 1927) to the continuing annual event that is Chicago's Golden Gloves, the relationship between boxing and Chicago is always evolving. Today, Chicago has an opportunity to utilize boxing as a tool to help the youth in this city with an alternative path to harness their youthful energy and need for attention and guidance.
Our challenges on the streets of Chicago are many. We are constantly bombarded by stories of crime and brutality reaching new levels of viciousness and spreading to all areas of the city. Perhaps it may be that the "all seeing" 24 hour media cycle is now able to present these stories at ever faster and faster rates? Some say that is just an evolution of the challenges we face in all sectors of our society as people struggle with the economic challenges of the day. Whatever the case may be, there is no denying that it seems like things are desperately out of control. The ever constant struggle with harnessing the youthful energy on the streets for positive endeavors versus those that are gang-related or utilized in acts of aggression and crime in general, seems to be ever more crucial in winning the war for the positive.
Quite a few people think that boxing is only about danger and potential harm to the combatants. The truth is that at the youth level of boxing fitness programs, we do not have data supporting that this is the case. Another thing to remember is that the young like to "rumble" and mix it up. They need to get out their frustrations and express themselves PHYSICALLY. We should give them the opportunities to do this in a gym. Let's also give them a chance to build friendships through sweat and effort in an environment that supports it in a positive way.
Chicago's park district system offers boxing programs but they can surely benefit from more funding. Yes, everyone seems to be clamoring for funds in this day and age but this investment in our youth, providing a physical outlet inside a controlled and supportive environment is something those in the position of providing funds should not look at lightly. Boxing offers a chance for these kids to establish a goal, offers a place to get off the couch and work out, a place where they learn the true meaning of rooting for a brother or sister who is putting their best efforts towards excelling at something. Boxing will offer a lot of these kids their first opportunity at goal setting. A process by which they can learn to focus and take their energies out on heavy bags and not people out on the street. They will learn to appreciate the physical fitness aspects of the sport and how they can control how strong they will get, how sharp their reflexes can be. They will shake hands at the end of a competition in the ring and respect their opponent because they will know how hard they worked to climb through the ropes also.
Chicago has an opportunity to push the limit in the area of funding of these programs. Let's mention these programs in our schools too. We need to push the awareness of the positive attributes that boxing brings to the table and we need to do it today. Lives can be changed for the better bur if we continue to ignore the obvious, we risk continuing down a road where the young don't have adequately funded alternatives. The price we pay for that is a continued escalation of aimless kids that are never shown alternatives. We cannot afford to turn our heads any longer.
Let's take action now.
No comments:
Post a Comment