By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see,” reads a quote that was once stated by the arguably (and self-proclaimed) greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali. The quote is a part of a photo collage, comprised of inspirational words by professional boxers, that hangs on a back wall, on the second floor, of the Don Hatch Youth Center. Tables and chairs that once occupied this space were cleared, and two punching bags were added to the second floor lounging area.
Boxing is a combat sport that has been popular for centuries and can be traced back to the early days of Ancient Greece. Over time, boxing has improved. With safety in mind, weight classes were added and rules were set. Many legends such as such as Ali, Tyson and both Sugar Ray’s have inspired young adults all over the world to step into the ring. In the nineties, Native American World Heavyweight Champion Joe “The Boss” Hipp, inspired many tribes to start boxing programs on their reservations.
Training for the sport is no small feat and is a great way to get into shape. Boxing matches require focus and endurance which is the reason the training includes conditioning and strength training. Aside from exercise, there are many benefits to boxing including self-defense, discipline, and confidence; as well as healthy stress and anger management.
“I thought it would be a good idea because I see that some of our tribal kids have a tough time controlling their anger, or channeling it in a good way,” states Tulalip Youth Services Boxing Coach, Seiya Kitchens. Seiya also teaches within the Marysville School District and has been training for about seven years. With a background in karate and amateur boxing experience, Seiya has been training the youth, between the sixth and twelfth grade, of the Tulalip community for the past three months.
Youth Boxing is held on each Thursday and Friday of the week and Seiya invites all youth of any fitness level to participate. Beginners learn all of the fundamental techniques, such as their jab and stance, before moving on to speed and bag drills.
In today’s social media society, fights in high school are a spectacle that is often recorded and shared across Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. This is a popular trend that Seiya is well aware of and has made his stance on fighting outside of the ring clear, warning his students, if they wish to continue to train, then fighting is not permitted.
In the future, Seiya envisions Youth Services incorporating live inter-tribal boxing matches (e.g., Tulalip vs. Lummi) into the program. He believes the matches would generate revenue by means of food concessions and vendors, and would be a great way to bring communities together.
“I just want to help the kids. I think [the program] promotes healthy exercise and teaches discipline, but most importantly I think it prepares them for life. They show up every week ready to go. They love it and it shows through their hard work,” states Seiya.
For more information about Youth Boxing please contact Youth Services at (360) 716-4909.
