When Hickory Dickory Dock General Manager Eddie Mitchell saw that Hickory's young people are being drawn into gang activity, he decided to get involved by introducing them to a sport he's loved his entire life — boxing.
"We want to get them off the street and give them some structure to their lives," he said. "They'll get structure and it will be disciplined."
Mitchell encountered Hickory's gangs about four months ago when he created something fun and free to do for area teens.
He began to keep Hickory Dickory Dock open Friday nights for teens to come in and hang out, play laser tag and ride the mechanical bull from 9 p.m. to midnight.
The events were well attended and there were no problems ... at first.
"One week we had some gangs show up. They caused some problems and we had to close down at 10:30," Mitchell said. "I decided we had to do something about it.
"I thought, how about a boxing club for these kids," he said.
He met with Hickory Police Department's Gang of One Coordinator Cindy Rickman and suggested a program to give prospective gang members a more disciplined way to spend their time.
He was met with a favorable response, and he's determined to get under way quickly.
"We're going to get this up and running by the first of October," he said.
Mitchell said he's been a lifelong boxing fan. "I went to all the big fights. I saw all the great fighters," he said.
Muhammad Ali was, and is, his all-time favorite fighter.
"I saw him fight twice in London," Mitchell said. "I've never seen anybody so fast — he was just unbelievable."
Born in England, Mitchell moved to America in 1983 and came to Hickory about two years ago.
Since then, he's been running Hickory Dickory Dock and working to reach out to his community.
Community members have volunteered to tutor youths who come to the boxing club to help get their grades up and improve their schoolwork. Others have volunteered to help coach.
After weeks of looking for a suitable location for the club, he decided to establish it on the grounds of Hickory Dickory Dock. The building has unused space for classrooms and workout rooms where Mitchell plans to position the donated equipment he's received.
Some donations have begun coming in and will be used to buy punching bags, speed bags and other equipment.
He's planning to set up a boxing ring outside — once he gets his hands on one.
Mitchell said he's pleased with the response so far, but he's looking for more adult volunteers to help him establish the club and contribute to the purchase of equipment.
The boxing club's focus will be on helping the area's school-aged children find a sense of purpose and discipline in their lives so they can lift themselves from poverty like Mitchell did when he went from humble origins to become a professional soccer player.
"To do it you've got to have a passion in life and they don't," Mitchell said. "You've got to be your own man but they follow these 'leaders' and that's sad."
He'd like to start with about a dozen children and expand it from there.
For more information on the Hickory boxing club, contact Mitchell at 228-3824 or londonman11@aol.com.
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