In 2021, Saint Barnabas Hospital (SBH) and Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (BRAGG) launched a youth boxing program that has not only taught young men and women about the fundamentals of boxing, but has turned their lives around as well.
Good Shepherd Services’ B.R.A.G. is a nonprofit that works with young people, residents, community-based organizations and the public to promote safer streets.
The cohort, which began in 2021 at the SBH Healthplex Building, at 4507 Third Ave., teaches boys and girls ages 14 to 22 about boxing. There are 24 sessions in 12 weeks held from 5 to 6 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays.
While there is no contact and the kids do not spar, SBH Community Coordinator Amanda Martinez said the program has become quite popular within the community.
“We wanted to make sure they were practicing a healthy lifestyle and boxing was a good way to do that,” Martinez told the Bronx Times.
According to Martinez, SBH and BRAGG were not sure what to expect when they launched the pilot. The cohort started with just four kids, but not only have they all returned, but participation has increased to 12 students.
With Joel Castillo, a former professional boxer leading the class, the kids have grown as boxers and men and women, she said. Martinez said the class has gained momentum and the hope is to add more hours in the future.
“The program is mainly to give them a safe space to work on time management, learn a new skill, self-defense, become confident, learn how to express themselves in different ways and meet peers in a safe environment,” Martinez said. “I enjoy seeing the participants come again and again and watch their growth in seeing them stand up more for themselves.”
Castillo, a South Bronx native, started boxing at 10 years old. Not only did he win the bronze medal for boxing at the 2003 Pan American Games and go 9-0 professionally, he knows how important boxing was for him as a kid.
“Going to boxing I got into a lot of trouble, but coming from boxing I learned how to defend myself,” Castillo said.
Castillo has wanted a program like this for a long time, he said. Now three years in, he is quite proud of the cohort.
None of the participants had ever boxed before, but Castillo said some of them now look like real boxers.
“The science of boxing is an art; it’s not about being a bully,” he said.
He teaches them discipline and punctuality by keeping track of their attendance and tardiness. Castillo always checks in with the kids to see how things are at home and school.
Many of the youth call him often and they all checked in when he had a motorcycle accident in December 2023.
“It warms my heart,” he said. “The rapport that I’ve built with them is immaculate. The main thing for me is this program is to change their mindset.”
One participant who Castillo has impacted is David Helena, who calls him almost every day to thank him for changing his life. Helena, 19, of the South Bronx, got into trouble a couple years ago and a coach recommended the boxing program to him.
Helena had never boxed before and was nervous when he first came to the cohort. However, boxing has taught him how to be patient, calm and collective.
“Before I was more of a hot head,” he said. “It was really a lack of confidence. Now that I’m fully confident I really don’t care what someone says to me.”
Helena told the Bronx Times he thought the course would just help him beat more people up. In the beginning he was frustrated and ready to quit. But Castillo guided him and has become his “role model.”
“If you don’t feel confident in yourself or you feel too eager to quit I recommend giving this a try because it really pushes you,” Helena said.
