New Orleans — The New Orleans Recreation Development Commission along with the Spartan Boxing Club hosted a boxing event Saturday called “Gloves Not Guns.” The event featured nearly 20 fights, to promote the sport among the youth of New Orleans. The mission of their boxing club, as stated on their website is “to attract area youth to the sport of boxing and to use the consistent work out regiment and the competition participation involved in boxing to build and strengthen their bodies, minds, and character.”
“Most of the time youth boxing leads to better things,” said Spartan Boxing Club Head Coach William Montgomery. “We makes sure that kids that are boxing are not fighting. Boxing is an art. We teach them to love each other and get along with each other instead of getting in trouble with guns and stuff. My mantra is gloves not guns.”
“Boxing has brought so much joy to my life,” said Spartan Boxing Club boxer Deron Isom. “Peaceful for the most part. It has brought purpose to my life. Every day I wake up I have a reason to be better and want to be better.”
“It came together because we’ve got so many young kids out there turning to violence and turning to the streets because they don’t have direction,” said Spartan Boxing Club Head Trainer Isaac Knapper. “Even the ones that have direction at home, the get the wrong attitude in the streets. They get these negative vibes from other people associating with the wrong people. So with all this violence going on– especially in this state here. We know what’s going on in New Orleans in general. We’re trying to stop that. We’re trying to change it.”
