Rochford Young People Take Up Boxing Challenge
For the past eight weeks young people between 16 and 19 that are not in employment, education or training (NEET) have been attending boxing sessions at St Marks Hall, Rochford for an hour and a half on Wednesday evenings.
The sessions focussed on footwork, movement, straight shots to the head and body and defence work but just as importantly on how to conduct themselves in a boxing environment. The young people have a risk of becoming offenders, re-offenders, unemployed or single teenage parents. In the first week the NEET young people were asked to fill out questionnaires, which ultimately showed that their self esteem and aspirations were not as high as they could be.
Over the 8 weeks some 40 different young NEET people from Rochford attended and took part in boxing activities with the aim of getting two NEET young people onto a boxing leaders/tutors course. After the eighth week participants completed follow up questionnaires and it was evident that as well as improving their boxing skills and fitness that they also grew in confidence, motivation, discipline and punctuality.
Jackie Pope St Marks Parish Hall Manager and Rochford Citizen of the year said “It is brilliant to see my angels with dirty faces to be so motivated towards something and enjoy this project so much, they really have all grown in confidence.”
The Rochford NEET programme will run for another 8 weeks with 2 NEETs attending the next leader/tutor course and continuing the boxing sessions as an ongoing activity delivering it themselves.
We are now trying to get role models from the boxing world to come down and talk to the young people to inspire them even further. Such projects are now being planned for Basildon, Thurrock, Southend and Castlepoint.
If you would like to find out more about this story or get involved in projects like this then please contact the Essex Boxing Development Officer, Af Panjalizadeh at afsheenp@essexboysandgirlsclubs.org
