PHOTO BY SCOTT EISEN
Aidi Domenech of Lynn Classical High School boxes at Title Boxing in Saugus.
By GAYLA CAWLEY
SAUGUS — About 40 Lynn Classical High School students took a brief reprieve from classes on Monday to roll with the punches at Title Boxing Club.
The physical education/health students ranged from ninth- to 12th-graders, and from all different fitness levels. When they arrived at the gym in Saugus for their one-hour boxing class, the teenagers had their hands wrapped to prep for the punching bag.
Colleen Peterson, a PE/Health teacher at Classical, said she thought the class would be a hit because there’s interest in boxing at the school, and it’s becoming a trend.
“We do a lot of fitness-based curriculum in our PE classes, so I feel like this is going to really complement it,” Peterson said. “It’s really for lifetime fitness, them seeing this as teenagers, because not everyone that’s in PE right now is an athlete, so I feel like it’s really going to give them exposure to life after high school sports and keeping in shape.”
Peterson said she and the other PE teachers decided to put the idea out there and see if 50 kids would sign up. Forty signed up by the deadline last Friday. Title was doing the class for free, and students only had to pay for their hand wraps. The $10 sign-up fee included transportation by bus. Peterson said it was the first time she and the other PE teachers have done a field trip similar to the boxing class, and she was hoping to do it every semester if it went well.
“It gives them a great cross-training experience,” said Joan Wiendczak, a PE teacher. “We don’t want them to do the same exercise everyday because your body gets used to that. Enabling them to do something like this will cross-train them and use new muscles that perhaps they weren’t using before, and get them out and doing something that would interest them that they otherwise wouldn’t be exposed to.”
https://newitemlive.wpengine.com/lifestyle/goudreau-keeps-rockin-in-swampscott/
Wiendczak said the boxing class takes on all fitness levels. She said the whole idea was to get the students to move around and strengthen, so their fitness level continues to go up.
“I just thought it was interesting,” said Eric Lluveres, 18, a senior, about why he wanted to take the class. “I used to box before and I thought it was a good opportunity to get back into it.”
Eric Lopez, 18, a senior, said he came for the experience. He said he has boxed a little bit before, but nothing too serious.
When asked if it provided a nice break from the school day, he said, “It’s not every day you get to come to the gym like this and box.”
Senior Gilley Kabamba, 18, also thought the class would be interesting and was hoping to learn.
Junior Julie Mejia, 18, signed up because she thought the class looked exciting and to get a good workout.
Shakia Warner, 17, a junior, said she usually boxes at home.
“I box all the time with my dad, so I guess I just like boxing,” Warner said.
Lucky Henry, a fitness instructor at Title Boxing Club, said before the class that the students would be taken through a warm-up and then would be shown how to punch. They would engage in shadow boxing and would go through a full-body workout.
After eight rounds of punching and combinations, he said they would do 15 minutes of ab and core work. He said everything in boxing is generated through the core. Kicking, punching, all of it comes from balance, Henry added.
Henry said anyone can take the class.
“It’s not a competition with anybody,” he said. “It’s all based on yourself. What can you do with the amount of time you’re given?”
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.
