AKRON, Ohio — A new program in Akron hits hard and is striving to connect with the city's youth.
On Friday, Don't Blink Boxing Clinic hosted kids ages 7 to 17 to teach them to put their hands and feet in the right positions and box.
Kids like 14-year-old James Gordon are taking in the techniques and giving it their all.
"It feels good. It feels like you're alive," Gordon said.
The boxing clinic, offered free by Jontel Garrett and professional boxer Kingdamon Antoine, took place on a day when kids were free from school.
"It's spring break. We want the kids to utilize their time on something positive," Garrett said.
Antoine said in some way, boxing mirrors life.
"My message is just being able to take the things that boxing shows here and take it in real life: patience, self-control," Antoine said.
With each jab, the boxing clinic organizers hope to land a powerful message about discipline, focus and physical fitness, as well as ways to potentially stay out of trouble.
Garrett and Antoine understand the importance of providing alternatives to the pitfalls of violence.
Just last summer, a shootout erupted after a large group of young people gathered outside of Mason Elementary School in Akron. Five people between the ages of 14 and 21 were injured from the hail of bullets.
"My messaging would be just to stay out of trouble. You've got positive men in this community that you can actually count on and rely on," Garrett said.
He has his own story to back up his message. In 2017, he was shot in the chest after a crowd gathered at an Akron gas station, saying he was hanging around the wrong people.
"I was just wrong, wrong time... That's one of my motivations now to try to tell people we don't need that type of nonsense in our city," Garrett said.
To further build a community connection, several police officers also attended the clinic, and at the end of the day, the hope was that Don't Blink Boxing reached the kids, not only teaching them boxing skills, but life skills as well.
"Everything earned, man. Stay focused, grind hard. If you put your mind to it, you can do it," Antoine said.
Bob Jones is the Summit, Stark and Tuscarawas counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @BobjonesTV, or email him at BJones@wews.com.
