Free NYPD boxing gym in Mount Hope aims to empower Bronx youth
The program connects young athletes with NYPD officers who serve as mentors and role models.
A new opportunity is on the horizon for Bronx students this fall, a free boxing gym is set to open in Mount Hope.
Luilly Gomez, a teen boxer training for his second amateur match, has practiced with NYC Cops & Kids for over a year now and says boxing is making a difference in his life.
“For years, I’ve kind of been a problem child,” Gomez said. “I’ve been trying to stay calm and not get too aggressive. Then I found boxing, and I just started really enjoying it.”
Gomez use to take the train over an hour to Brooklyn to go the Cops & Kids gym there.
But now, with the new location opening just five minutes from his home, his routine is about to get easier — and more impactful.
The program connects young athletes with NYPD officers who serve as mentors and role models. For Gomez, the officers have become like family.
“There’s a lot of stuff I can’t really tell my parents,” he said. “So I go to Anthony (Police officer Santos), and he helps me out the best he can. I appreciate him so much for that.”
Officer Santos, who was raised in The Bronx and now serves the same community, said the new gym on Walton Avenue will offer more than just boxing. It’s about giving kids a positive alternative to street life.
“We’re teaching them more than just how to fight,” Santos said. “We’re teaching them life skills. There’s more to life than the streets.”
Inspired by the officers who have guided him, Gomez says he now hopes to become a police officer himself.
“Passion, drive, courage, they all have that,” Gomez said. “Having a lot of heart, that’s what really inspires me.”
The gym is set to open Sept. 4 and will be the first free boxing gym in the Bronx. It will serve students ages 12 to 21.
For more information on how to register, visit https://www.copsandkidsboxing.com.
