Media
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The streets offer little forgiveness for life’s mistakes. Second chances often vanish like a distant echo of gunfire.
Consider the research that ranks guns as the number one cause of death among children and teens.
But behind the doors of the Gladiator School Boxing Club in Newport News, young people are fighting to stay out of trouble.
“Every kid that we bring in here is one less kid that’s gettin’ shot or shooting somebody,” said Thomas Kearney, who also uses the first name Spirit. He is the force behind non-profit Phoenix Reborn, where young people get a new start in the ring
“I use boxing as the entry point to explain the process, that life has processes.”
Martial Arts School Starts Non Profit Youth Program
Phoenix Reborn is founded through a collaboration of FAMM project, Gladiator School of Boxing, and CCS Martial Arts School, which aims for the betterment of our communities through teaching youth valuable life skills and self-improvement.
With youth violence and substance abuse continually on the rise among youth, Phoenix Reborn is dedicated to helping children combat juvenile delinquency through building respect, self-control, good work ethic, and strong communication skills for the betterment of themselves and our communities.
Using mixed martial arts and combat sports, along with educational classes, helps children to develop these positive skills that they’ll carry with them throughout their lives, while promoting continuous self-improvement.
A major problem we see our youth facing is lack of structure, especially in situations where parents are absent due to facing their own hardships. These children are then often unable to afford opportunities for improvement and a better education. Phoenix Reborn is about giving these children a path to better themselves, and their community, through sponsorship and charitable fundraising.
“We do not want finances to be an obstacle for students to have access to a high-quality, year- round program.” – Thomas Kearney, founder
At Phoenix Reborn, the staff are held to strict standards so that they are positive leaders and role models for students in the program. Every staff member must pass a background check before joining Phoenix Reborn and are expected to participate in ongoing education and professional development.
The Phoenix Reborn program is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with several fundraising opportunities in place to help cover costs such as combat sports events, donations, sponsorship, and community discounted women’s self-defense classes. A GoFundMe is setup where individuals and businesses can support this program to help youth in our communities.
