Fit Kids: Future Boxing
By: Bob Metcalfe
Updated: July 7, 2010
Phil Greene opened Future Boxing 10 years ago with one thing in mind: To help get kids off the streets of Rochester and to keep them out of trouble.
But there's another benefit of boxing: An extreme level of fitness.
"We had a kid that couldn't go 30 seconds without using his albuterol pump. Now, the kids ranked #1 in the country 3 years in a row and he doesn't use his pump as often," said Greene.
So how does a kid with major asthma get to a ranking of first in the nation?
"With the boxing, a kid has to be in shape from head to toe. That's a lot of running, that's a lot of cardio, it's a lot of hard work," said Greene.
Fitness isn't the only requirement to be a successful young boxer. You also need to maintain strict eating habits.
"I go through eating salads all day, eating vegetables, cutting out all the fats," said Nick Dovidio. "It's pretty hard, because you're tempted to eat all the sweets and the bad stuff, but you've just gotta stick to your diet if you want to win and be good."
And if you're wondering whether or not boxing is too violent, or too dangerous for your kid:
"The question is boxing safe? Boxing is ranked 71st amongst sports injuries. You've got wrestling with broken arms and legs, football, even diving has a lot of broken ligaments," said Greene.
