DO Boxing Academy: At-risk kids have professional boxer in their corner with youth enrichment program ...Saudi Arabia

As a sophomore in high school, professional boxer Danny O’Connor won a Division I state championship in wrestling.

Nearly six months later, his plans to wrestle in college ended when he failed out of high school.

Today, O’Connor fights for the children like him — the ones who fall through the cracks — to ensure “no kid gets left behind” through the DO Boxing Academy.

DO Boxing Academy blends non-contact fitness boxing, mindfulness methodologies and yoga to help youth “develop self-discipline, emotional regulation and overall well-being,” O’Connor said. The youth enrichment program combines an elite fitness experience with a structured approach for mental, social and emotional development that involves expert input from a doctor of psychology.

“This is more than just a program — it’s a movement to empower youth in our community,” O’Connor said.

Their efforts to spark change among at-risk youth populations began in 2015 when O’Connor and his wife, who leads yoga lessons for the program, launched DO Boxing Academy in Boston. O’Connor dreams of expanding to have a worldwide reach, ensuring all children from different backgrounds and demographics have access to his program.

However, his community — where he raises his four kids — comes first. The family’s move to Loveland in 2018 brought his transformative mission to Northern Colorado, but he’s ready to see his efforts take off, particularly in the Greeley area.

“I know Greeley is a perfect market for this,” O’Connor said in reference to the high at-risk youth demographics.

Saved by the bell

Before a successful boxing career took off, O’Connor was an at-risk kid living in Boston, a high school dropout who experienced homelessness and entered the criminal justice system. He saw himself heading down a path he was worried he couldn’t come back from: dysfunction, jail or death.

But he refused to go down without a fight. Two years later, he became a United States Olympic boxing team member.

“It changed my whole existence on this planet,” O’Connor said about the sport. “Boxing became my lifeline, providing the discipline, structure and personal growth that reshaped my future.”

O’Connor went on to accomplish 31 professional boxing victories. His achievements include securing the titles of two-time national champion and a WBC International Champion under his belt. His boxing career has also been highlighted on platforms like HBO, Showtime Sports and ESPN.

Mentors like the Boston punk band the Dropkick Murphys guided O’Connor on his journey to boxing success when he fought for “Murphy’s Boxing,” founded by band member Ken Casey. Now, he put himself in the “role model” mentor position through his organization to act as a pillar of support for youth in his community.

But O’Connor’s lessons aren’t meant to turn the next generation into fighters. Instead, he’s teaching them to find the “fighting spirit” within themselves.

“We took the brutality out of it,” O’Connor said. “I am trying to create well-rounded kids … to support them in success in real life, whatever that looks like to them.”

To reach the children who can benefit the most from this program, DO Boxing Academy operates as a mobile service that relies on strong community partners. O’Connor’s company contracts with organizations like adolescent sober living facilities, school districts, youth residential lock-down facilities, mental health facilities and nonprofits that service at-risk youth.

Kevin Clark, the director of activities and athletics in the Thompson School District, heard about DO Boxing Academy from community conversations. Once he saw O’Connor’s heart, he knew the professional boxer’s “genuine and authentic” personality would be contagious for middle schoolers to be around.

Two middle schools in the Thompson School District will implement the DO Boxing Academy this month. Although starting small, Clark has a “big vision” for how the academy will help students in the school district, particularly in attracting student populations who are less engaged in school.

“I think it is a way to potentially catch some kids who might slip under the radar or maybe there’s not an activity or a sport that is currently connecting a student to school,” Clark said. “If we can connect our students to school, then you’ve got a better chance of them coming to school. And if the attendance goes up, then the grades go up. And if the grades go up, then we can keep them on track for graduation. Our mission and vision is just to try to reach every student.”

Under the shared vision and collaboration between O’Connor and Clark, DO Boxing Academy will not only track a student’s fitness but also academics, attendance, involvement and behavior. O’Connor said children — no matter what environment they come from — exit the academy with life lessons that set them up for success.

Knocking out the mental health crisis

Transforming lives — one punch at a time — through fitness boxing, mindfulness, mentorship and academic support ultimately saves youth lives during a time of skyrocketing mental health struggles, according to O’Connor.

Starting at age 10, suicide is a leading cause of death for Colorado children, according to Children’s Hospital Colorado. The hospital reported 44% of teens indicated feeling “persistently sad or hopeless.”

“Every kid is at-risk now,” O’Connor said. “In today’s world, where mental health struggles are rising among young people, where anxiety, depression and the adverse effects of excessive screen time and poor diet are taking a toll, our youth need real solutions. DO Boxing Academy is that solution.”

O’Connor pairs his boxing experience with his training in trust-based relational intervention, a therapeutic model developed “to meet the complex needs of children who have experienced trauma, abuse, or neglect,” he said. He also incorporates his expertise in Bikram Yoga and mindfulness stress reduction from the University of Massachusetts Medical School for a holistic approach to youth development.

“So many kids don’t want to go to therapy these days,” he said. “This is a non-traditional self help type of program”

The academy concludes with a “competition day” where participants can showcase what they learned in the ring to their parents, teachers and community members. The transformed kids have all eyes on them during three rounds of a one-way spar with O’Connor, meaning he doesn’t hit back.

These young competitors walk out of the ring with a sense of pride in themselves, abundantly clear by the expressions on their faces, a “priceless” experience O’Connor says he’s fortunate to witness.

O’Connor encourages organizations throughout Northern Colorado to inquire about bringing the youth enrichment program into their community. Organizations can also hire him as a keynote speaker to share his inspirational journey from at-risk kid to professional boxer.

For more information on DO Boxing Academy or to sign up for the program, go to doboxingacademy.com or email [email protected].

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