Yakima, Wash. — A boxing gym in Yakima says its focused-on building confidence and discipline for kids both inside and outside the ring.
509 Boxing recently moved into a new Yakima location, giving the gym more room for its youth and adult programs. Co-founder and coach Emmerscyn Grigsby explained that coaches challenged students on purpose as they learn the skill they need both for boxing and real life adversity.
Grigsby said the goal is to help kids learn they can handle hard situations. She also said the gym worked with beginners and people returning to fitness at a pace that fit their needs.
“We really want to instill confidence that, you know, they can do hard things. They can come in here, they can learn boxing, they can spar with each other, they can take a hit, they can give a hit. They can stand up for themselves. So, that’s really an important part about what we do is giving kids confidence and discipline,” said Emmerscyn Grigsby.
The youth classes are open to kids ages 8 to 15. They ran Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5 to 6 p.m. With adult classes immediately following.
For Grigsby, the bigger goal is for students to use what they learned at the gym in everyday life. She said she wants them to carry that confidence with them when they are faced with challenges outside the gym.