Ben Smith is using his talents in the squared circle to help motivate youth on the Coast.
Smith is starting up an after-school boxing program later this month.
Smith, who works and trains at Coast of Sunshine Fitness, started the program in October 2004. The program stopped last April when Smith moved off-Coast for a brief period. But now that he's back on the Coast, many youth who were in the program encouraged him to get the program back on track.
"I got lots of requests from youth and also from youth outreach workers in the community to start the program again," said Smith. "This is a two day a week program that uses boxing training as a tool to empower kids with some of the skills needed to deal with issues that youth of the community are having to face."
Smith hopes to restart the program on Jan. 17, running sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. The program will be held at the Alternative School.
"I'll make myself available both days from 3 to 5 p.m. I'm also an outreach worker. I think it's important to be there to teach the program and to act as a mentor, someone the kids can talk to about anything," he said.
Smith said issues of bullying are confronted head on with a no tolerance to violence approach.
"Kids are taught to work together as a team to develop the skills of the sport of boxing," Smith said. "By working together to help each other progress in a supervised setting, youth learn empathy and teamwork. By working closely together in a controlled environment, they learn about each other, which inevitably leads to mutual respect."
Smith works as a fitness trainer at Coast of Sunshine Fitness. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge in the ring. He's fought as an amateur and a pro, but hasn't fought in high-level competition since 2001, choosing to focus more on coaching.
"My work as an outreach worker entails making myself available to kids within and around the community as an adult who is available to talk to or provide positive guidance and mentorship, especially for those kids who are feeling disconnected from their peers and the adult figures in their lives," he said. "Boxing is a great sport. Boxing in some ways saved me. I have a lot of respect for what life lessons the sport taught me and helped shape my life. My intention with this program is to use the experiences of my life as a bouncer and boxer to help empower kids and provide mentorship to help dissolve incidents of violence and bullying."
Those wishing to get involved with the program can call Smith, 604-741-1191.
