Fall River is giving kids $2M worth of fitness, dance and music classes. Here's how.

FALL RIVER — The COVID-19 pandemic was more than a respiratory sickness — it had a profound, lingering effect on children’s social lives, one that the city's new For Youth Initiative is attempting to help cure.

“Depression is on the rise; suicide is on the rise," said City Councilor Laura Washington. “We know that community connectedness, having a sense of pride in your community and connection — it stops all that.”

Washington spearheaded the council’s move to spend $2 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding on the program, which will pay for kids across Fall River to join any of a number of extracurricular activities at participating small businesses in Fall River. Kids can sign up for dance classes, music, martial arts and combat sports, fitness classes, summer camps and much more.

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Washington joined Council Vice President Linda Pereira, Councilor Andrew Raposo, Mayor Paul Coogan and several of the program’s vendors to announce the program at the Kennedy Park basketball courts on Thursday afternoon. Under the warm summer sun, signups were being held for the Fall River Sports Network’s basketball league — also participating.

“This funds programs that are related to boxing, dance, sports, anything you can do to get kids engaged in positive activities throughout the summer in the city,” said Coogan. “We want them engaged and active throughout the summer.”

Program aims to help kids, parents and local businesses hurt by COVID pandemic

The For Youth Initiative addresses several concerns related to the yearslong COVID pandemic, including the financial fallout to Fall River residents.

“A lot of people can’t afford to get their kids into a dance class, into a boxing class, into a theater group," said Pereira. "Parents are struggling, and we just felt that we would do it for the children.”

It also helps deliver a financial boost to local businesses that suffered greatly. While restaurants were able to adapt, social distancing was harder for studios and gyms and martial arts schools like Regiment Training Center — you can’t spar over Zoom.

Co-owners and head coaches Brian Raposo and Tommy Teixeira said they train kids as young as 4 to keep fit and learn kickboxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling and other sports. It’s about self-confidence, team-building and goal-setting. Raposo, also principal at Talbot Innovation Middle School, said he's seen how kids without some kind of outlet can flounder.

“We see that impact at the school level. When kids are struggling, they’re lacking some sort of connection," Raposo said, adding that this changes immediately once kids find what works for them.

Mike Bryant, co-owner of Love’s Boxing and Fitness, said he opened his gym in 2021 at the height of the pandemic “with the specific goal in mind of catering to young folks,” especially in the South End. He’s seen how the years of COVID isolation affected kids, and the positives when they returned.

“Just seeing the social connectedness that these kids have, this re-integration of social connection — the talking, the high-fiving, the giving of pound, and developing that team,” Bryant said. “Boxing is a lonely sport when you’re in there, but only 10% of our membership actually compete. All the rest of our membership just goes there for a safe haven.”

Bryant's gym is a registered nonprofit. He said he keeps tabs on the kids who participate, making sure they keep their grades up, stay healthy, maintain a good diet. His boxing philosophy involves building not just physical but emotional strength.

“It gives them purpose. It gives them self-efficacy and discipline. It develops camaraderie,” Bryant said. “A lot of these young folks don’t get a lot of discipline, so it aids in that.”

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Who is lined up to participate

Besides Regiment and Love’s Boxing, among the vendors participating are Artistic Dance Studio, Bernardo Boxing, Fall River Sports Network, Infinite Fitness, and the Boys & Girls Club of Fall River.

Washington said everyone is eligible to take advantage of the FYI program.

“We know the pandemic hit every single person,” she said.

The Coogan administration stated that the Boys and Girls Club is administering the program and approving vendors.

"Once vendors have been approved, a listing of these vendors will be compiled and distributed to Fall River families, as well as listed at www.fallriverma.org, and will be available at the Boys and Girls Club," a release stated. "Fall River families will then be able to sign their youth up for a scholarship spot at an approved vendor."

Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Fall River ARPA program to aid businesses, give free classes to kids