Metropolitan Students Take a Jab at Boxing

A senior student tells me, “I am losing all the weight now that I gained by not participating in anything physical. The exercise I get in boxing - cardio, push-ups, sit-ups and foot work - has helped me to lose it. I feel great! Not to mention, it is a lot of fun!"

Elephant in the Room Boxing (EIR) has expanded out of their gym and into two of New Haven’s Boost! schools – Metropolitan Business Academy (MBA) and Clinton Avenue School. MBA has welcomed EIR since October of this year and has assembled thirty-five students from freshmen to seniors to participate in the program after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Despite the pictures looking rough, this is a non-contact sport.  It delivers lessons of commitment, concentration and strategy, while providing a great workout. One student says, “We are only required to attend one year of gym class. So for three years we do not participate in anything that helps our physical health. It is great that more is being offered."

Physical health is one of the four Boost! domains identified in the school's needs assesment. The domains include physical health, social and behavioral health, family support and engagement, and extended learning opportunities. Through this identification, we were able to develop after school activities to include programs that focus on health and wellness.