Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Boxing classes help bullied teens build self-esteem

The new Fight Club classes at Title Boxing Club in Prairie Village, Kan., are free to teens who are being bullied, teens wanting to stand up for friends being bullied and any teen needing to let off a little steam.
These teens don't spar with each other. They spar with their feelings.
"People tried to get me to change the name to make it more accessible, but I was very determined," Reynolds said. "That was the name that came to my head, because growing up is a fight. You've got to fight to be heard, you've got to fight to be understood. Some of these kids have to fight to get themselves out of bed in the morning and drag themselves to school. It's a constant struggle.
"I thought it would give her a sense of empowerment in case she would ever need to defend herself," Beurman said. "Because part of dealing with someone who is bothering you is just knowing that you can."
"So I know from experience that … there's a better way to go rather than internalizing those emotions. It makes you mad at the world, really. And it doesn't have to be that way. There are people who care."
Bullying is such a huge problem that "we're not hoping to change the world," Reynolds said.

"Just at least create that spark."

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