Inglewood boxing program targets at-risk youth
Amanda Smith | 4-20-2010 | Comments |
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On a weekday afternoon in March, Olajuwon Ashley walked into the boxing room at Rogers Park in Inglewood and picked up a pair of boxing gloves. He wanted to get involved. He wanted to learn self-defense. But most of all, he wanted sanctuary.The 18-year-old high school senior had just moved with his family to Inglewood, and the pressure from gang members to join their ranks began almost immediately. The gym was the one place he knew they would not follow him.
“I wanted to come here rather then end up on the streets or dead,” Ashley said. “I didn’t want to be with no gang, I wanted to be myself. I want to be somebody.”
On a recent afternoon the gym was filled with the echoing slaps of punches hitting their target. Every station in the two-room gym was taken up by sweating boxers working on punching bags, speed bags, sparring in the ring or doing a bout of one-on-one with a trainer.
The 15-year-old, year 'round boxing program is funded and run through a partnership between the non-profit Inglewood Police Activities League, also known as IPAL, and the Inglewood Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department.
Mariano Salcedo, a Senior Lead Officer at the Inglewood Police Department, works directly with the children by frequently attending the boxing training. "When I was a youngster, I was a boxer...and this is my way of giving back to the community," said Salcedo. "I like working with at-risk kids because it has such an impact on them. They look at you like, 'Who's this guy? An authority figure?' But once they get to know you, they start to get comfortable and start telling you their stories."
The city supplies the venue, main coordinator, and equipment for the program. IPAL contributes additional equipment paid for with grants and community and corporate donations. The program serves an average of 17 youths per day — mainly boys — ranging in age from 7 to 18. "We talk to them one-on-one and the first thing we do is we teach them responsible boxing," said Salcedo. "We don't teach them to fight, we teach them to keep it here, it doesn't leave the gym."
“It’s a friendly place to come to that helps keep me focused and active,” said Julio Herrera, 12. “It keeps my head positive.”
The program pays for one staff member, Hector Morales, who brings in his own volunteers to assist with the children.
“I’m here because I love being here and being a part of the community,” Morales said. “When I get to teach a kid something and I can see that they understand it, and they get that sparkle in their eye, that’s what I love. I love making an impact on peoples’ lives. It’s such a blessing.”
Morales checks the students’ grades and makes sure a parent is present before they are permitted to leave. If they don’t have a ride he arranges one for them to avoid any confrontations they might encounter walking alone. He encourages his charges, who are mainly either Latino or African American, to set aside the racial animosity of the street and engage with one another.
“We’re all really comfortable here,” said Morales. “We’re like a family. We all respect each other, we all encourage each other and we all help each other. These are just human beings interacting and it really is a wonderful thing.” John Robertson is grateful for both the tolerance and discipline his 10-year-old son Jalen is learning. Boxing helps to “keep him from drifting to the streets and to learn how to communicate with other races and learn to get along with everyone,” Robertson said as he watched Jalen spar in the ring. “It keeps him humble.”
For Ashley, each school day he knows that from 5:30 to 8 p.m. he can escape from the streets and box. He considers the gym is a great start to whatever may lie ahead of him.
“I see all these little kids training, doing what they got to do and I realize it’s not just about self-defense, it’s about getting somewhere in life, like trying to reach a goal,” he said. “We’re all here just trying to do something with our life."
Go to the Inglewood Police Activities League website to find a donation and volunteer registration link.
Tags: boxing gym hector morales inglewood inglewood inglewood parks, recreation and community services department inglewood police activities league ipal julio herrera mariano salcedo olajuwon ashley rogers park sports training