Teens learn to box at South Salt Lake after-school program

Teens learn to box at South Salt Lake after-school program

(YouTube/mwpena22)


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SOUTH SALT LAKE — Due to after-school programs, juvenile crime is down in South Salt Lake, according to officer Jerry Silva with the South Salt Lake Police Department.

In 2010, the South Salt Lake Police Department and the city turned an old school into one of South Salt Lake’s first after-school programs, Silva said.

The Police Athletic/Activities League, or the PAL, offers help with homework and boxing lessons, among other things.

“It’s a partnership with our Promise South Salt Lake initiative and programs,” Silva said.

The after-school program takes place Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to around 7:30 p.m. Junior high and high school students go in around 3 p.m. and get help with their homework, and the elementary school students go in around 4 p.m. That’s when the older students go from the classroom to recreational activities, including a boxing program, according to Silva.

“Not every kid wants to do boxing, so we have probably about 20 kids a day that go into the boxing, and then probably another 25 that just go into the rec side ... which can consist of anything from arts and crafts to some other activity: volleyball, kickball, soccer, chess, it just depends what they’re doing that day,” Silva said.

Boxing was one of the first programs that PAL had nationwide, and the late Sen. Pete Suazo wanted there to be a traditional PAL gym in Utah. After he died, his sister approached Silva, and they agreed to create a boxing gym in honor of Sen. Suazo, according to Silva.

(Photo: YouTube/mwpena22)
(Photo: YouTube/mwpena22)

“So that’s what we started doing, and we just found a niche in our community, because we have such a huge ethnic background here with our Hispanic population, our refugee population, and they just they attracted to it,” Silva said. “It was just something that worked for us here in South Salt Lake.”

The boxing students have even competed in national tournaments, Silva said.

The after-school program has helped students achieve higher grades. Silva said kids in the program are more proactive in the community.

PAL takes place at the Central Park Community Center at 2779 S. 200 East in South Salt Lake. To learn more about PAL, visit the website.

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