Boxing gym to keep DMV youth out of trouble

Dave Leval
·2 min read

CAPITOL HEIGHTS, Md. (DC News Now) — The NoXcuse Boxing Gym has extra money to help youth around the DMV.

Sen. Nick Charles presented the gym with a $150,000 check from the state of Maryland to help expand the boxing program created to keep young adults, and young children off the street and away from trouble.

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“These children are not on the streets committing the carjackings that’s taking place,” Charles said. “These children are not out here committing armed robberies.”

The gym started in 2006.

“We do a lot of work with getting youth off the streets and had them tear some of that negative energy to a positive energy,” Lamont Roach, Sr. said.

Roach is the gym’s head trainer, and created the gym with his late cousin, a firefighter.

“He was tired of seeing kids die,” Roach said. “He’d go to the scene and seeing certain things that he said he’s going to do something.”

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NoXcuse has been housed in an old barn at Walker Mill Baptist Church. It’s pastor called it a “natural fit.”

“Having a place where the kids could come in, be safe, nothing to worry about, and stop the crime, hoping and praying and not only stopping the crime, we prevent crime,” said Pastor Vandy Kennedy.

Boxers are glad they have the gym.

“I don’t [know] what I’d be doing,” said D.C.’s Asaad Jenkins. “I got this program, it’s keeping my head on straight.”

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Organizers claim they often pick up the tab for youth who can’t afford the program. Some of the money from the state will be used to cover those expenses, along with necessary renovations to the building that is at least 40 years old. Some of the repairs needed include stopping leaks in the building when it rains and improved heating.

Organizers want to build two more gyms like this to help more youth around the DMV.

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