Local Olympian and Ex-Heavyweight Boxing Champion Teaching Lessons in Life
By Paul Slomski, WSC Contributor
Its 3 p.m. at Fredrick Douglass Academy on Chicago’s west side, a number of kids are lingering after school in the halls, while others are rushing off to baseball or track practice on the first warm and sunny afternoon of 2010. But Junior, Lashean Ledel Gibbons, can be found inside diligently putting himself through a series of stretching and footwork exercises in preparation for today’s boxing lesson. This past November, World Sport Chicago and Youth Guidance launched and the a new program, Becoming a Man (BAM) – Sports Edition, that is designed to help boys avoid conflict and succeed in school and life. The program will be watched closely by the University of Chicago Crime Lab and rigorously evaluated over the coming years for its effectiveness at curbing risk-factors for violent behavior.
BAM is providing hundreds of adolescent boys in Chicago a combination of small group work with a trained counselor and access to non-traditional sport opportunities with trained coaches. The hope is to demonstrate an effective strategy for addressing the unique challenges facing many of the city’s male youth and encouraging their social development and emotional awareness. World Sport Chicago has been responsible for providing the sports programming and has lined up 1992 Olympian Boxer and former IBO Heavyweight champion Danell ‘Doc’ Nicholson to conduct boxing lessons and provide mentoring to Douglass Academy boys. One of five Olympians offering their time to Chicago's youth, Doc is a former standout basketball player at Chicago’s Dunbar High School, Doc got interested in boxing when he saw local trainer Matt Ortiz hitting a speed bag, he asked Ortiz if he could show him how to do that and Ortiz told him if he stuck with it, he could make him a champion someday. Doc went on to compete in Barcelona, Spain in the 1992 Olympic games, turning pro shortly after and going onto become a champion.
Doc is “happy for the opportunity” to spend four afternoons a week exposing kids to a sport he loves and “just tries to relate to the kids” offering his stories, experiences and lessons to help them improve and become more productive young adults. He shows them all respect and “in turn, it becomes mutual.” Doc provides “mental aspects of boxing that translates to life, kids need life skills developed in sports to help them through other issues in their life.” Lashean Ledel Gibbons started boxing as a kid and appreciates the attention he gets from Doc, and listens intently to Doc’s instruction and stories. “He’s the best coach I have ever had,” exclaims Gibbons.
During a break, Doc pulls out a bag of M&M’s and Gummy Bears to share “for some energy,” it draws a crowd of kids and Doc takes the opportunity to talk with each and every one of them, telling them about his Olympic experience and his gold medal fight. Stacy Scott, on-site BAM coordinator, teacher and defensive co-coordinator for the Douglass Academy football team thinks the program is a great opportunity for the students, “it teaches them responsibility. As they continue to come to class, it builds on itself and they improve.” Scott also believes the boxing lessons will benefit Gibbons this Fall when football season comes around, “I plug Gibbons in anywhere, middle linebacker, half-back, fullback, his footwork and stamina will all be improved.”
Doc is hoping the program will continue next Fall, as long as there is funding and enough interest from the kids. Gibbons also hopes he can continue working with Doc, “I’ll follow him anywhere.” The sparring and teaching continues and Doc tells Gibbons to “step into the punch,” it goes against his instinct, but Gibbon’s respect and trust in Doc propels him forward and he takes a step.