Today is RBC Sports Day and we want to highlight a unique recreational program for young people at Eva’s: boxing. It’s offered at Eva’s Satellite by Volunteer Instructor Earl “Nicky” Campbell.

Boxing is an art form that offers young people a chance to be physically active and turn difficult or negative energies into positive energy. It is offered in the morning at Eva’s Satellite so young people can begin their day with an incredible cardio and strength-based workout.

Dion, the Recreation Coordinator at Eva’s Satellite, sees how young people benefit from this. He says they feel energized and start their day right. If they have appointments or commitments to fill, they appear more focused to take on their responsibilities.

“Some of the key benefits of boxing are discipline and learning to anticipate life as you would your opponent’s movements in the ring” – Nicky

When Nicky started running the program, he was amazed at how well participants took it and how it gave him an opportunity to connect and provide mentorship. “I have received respect from the young people in the program,” he says.

Many young people may want to try boxing, but they don’t always have the means to join a gym or take a class and end up missing out on the benefits. “It’s a total body workout,” he says. “It works to calm one down and provide a particular ability to see through seemingly difficult situations.” Working with Nicky also opens the door to different ideas about what career path a young person might want to take.

“As their abilities sharpen through practice so does their confidence.” – Dion

Recreation is a huge part of human well-being and development. For residents at Eva’s, it’s particularly important, and developing interests like boxing gives young people something to be excited about as they work toward exiting the shelter system for good.

Special thanks to Nicky for volunteering his time and expertise to give youth at Eva’s the opportunity to try something new and build confidence.

If you’re interested in volunteering at Eva’s, you can check out our volunteer opportunities here.