Programs will Provide Fitness Training, Mentoring, Career Development in Boxing and Law Enforcement, and Life Skills to Youth Participants

TRENTON — Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (SACB) Commissioner Larry Hazzard, Sr. today announced a new round of funding for a Trenton boxing gym and mentoring program and a youth boxing program in Atlantic City.

The Ike Williams Boxing Academy in Trenton will receive $65,000 to continue its program that launched last year which provides participants with boxing knowledge and physical fitness training, as well as instruction on nutrition, wellness, and life skills. The yearlong program is expected to reach 20 youth participants who will attend sessions three days per week, with each session lasting three hours. These participants take part in boxing fitness training as well as monthly workshops and field trips. The monthly life skills workshops are open to program participants and their family members and area residents, meaning those seminars will benefit the larger community.

Another $65,000 grant is being provided to the Atlantic City Police Athletic League (AC PAL) to continue a youth boxing program that had started in July 2019 with support from the Attorney General’s Office but was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. AC PAL expects to have 20 youth participants in the program — some referred by schools, community-based organizations, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Youth Services Commission, and the courts.

“These programs transcend boxing and can have an impact far beyond the ring,” said Attorney General Platkin. “The participants learn how to interact with others and explore an array of potential career paths, while developing and maintaining physical fitness through sports and healthy eating habits. The opportunities that are made available to participants give them a chance to better their own futures.”

“The Ike Williams program was selected after several Trenton police officers, former Department of Corrections officers, and firefighters committed to participating in this program, offering the potential for positive interactions between young participants and first responders in a non-threatening environment, which could go far in changing preconceptions, strengthening police-community relations, and improving public safety in the city of Trenton,” said State Athletic Control Board Commissioner Larry Hazzard, Sr.

The grant recipients in Trenton also highlighted how participants interact regularly with first responders to gain a better understanding of them, their work, their backgrounds, and possible future career paths.

Ike Williams Boxing Academy operators expect most of the participants will see an array of benefits from the overall experience, improving their interactive skills, physical fitness, awareness of different career options, and their understanding of healthy eating habits. The program aims to both keep youth out of the criminal justice system and reduce the recidivism of those who have had prior contact with it.

The program in Trenton also is expected to help students achieve academic success. Participants provide a copy of their school report card to the program facilitator, who maintains regular contact with school personnel should the participant have issues with classwork or behavior. Assessments are conducted regularly to identify participants’ needs and direction to services to assist them.

In Atlantic City, AC PAL used previous funding to launch an after-school boxing program to serve youth from the city between the ages of 11 and 18, with the goal of building self-esteem, providing a safe space to enjoy positive activities, and propelling participants toward success. With this latest round of funding, the yearlong program operates out of the AC PAL Recreation Facility and will be providing daily weekday activities from 3 to 6:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In addition to being trained in physical fitness and learning the business aspects of boxing, participants are expected to acquire life skills, attend career development workshops, assist in hosting an amateur boxing exhibition, and compete in amateur boxing events.

The programs being funded today both in Trenton and Atlantic City will enroll participants who are between the ages of 11 and 18 and who reside and attend school in disadvantaged and high-crime neighborhoods. The programs will offer healthy and safe alternatives and mentorship during after-school hours.

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