We are a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization opening the only free, youth-focused boxing gym in the Bronx
Our mission is to provide a safe and supportive environment for underserved youth in the South Bronx to learn and practice boxing, as well as develop valuable life skills such as discipline, respect, and self-confidence.
Empowering the Bronx’s next generation of success
Our free boxing gym will offer structured training and mentorship from experienced coaches, as well as access to fitness equipment and educational resources. By empowering underserved youth with the physical and mental tools necessary to succeed in and out of the ring, we aim to create a healthier, stronger, and more connected community.
Background & The Problem
Prior to 2009, each NYC borough had at least one free boxing gym run by the PAL. These gyms offered NYC youth a place to get off the streets and train. For some, the gyms gave them a real shot at a career in the sport, and for others, these gyms were simply a safe place to go after school. In 2009 the PAL shut down the boxing program due to funder preferences.
Today, the Bronx remains entirely unserved, with no free boxing gym for youth.
A Proven Solution
In 2009 Sergent Pat Russo, a director of the PAL boxing program, started a new program in Brooklyn, Cops & Kids, to fill some portion of the resulting void. In the intervening years, Cops & Kids has provided thousands of NYC youth structure, purpose, and a place to train. It has connected them with role models and has produced 3 Olympian boxers, 9 national champions, and several professional stars. It has been featured in articles published by the NY Daily News, DNA Info, CBS NY, and an Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary. PRESS
Our Solution for the Bronx
Working with the support and guidance of Cops and Kids Boxing and local community stakeholders, the Bronx Legends Boxing team has leased a 3,000-square-foot space a few blocks from Yankees Stadium where they will open a free, boxing after-school program. Construction has begun. Everlast, which was founded in the Bronx in 1939, has so kindly generated its equipment and services. The gym has a target opening in the fall os 2023.