From the outside it looks like an old warehouse, but the minute you open the door, you enter a very different world. Long the dream of founder Josh Mercado, No Limits Academy is a world in and of itself. The evening that I visited, the interior was abuzz with the sounds of 106 seven-to-19-year-old students plus a group of adult coaches and helpers.
Added to that were the sounds of a gym – loud music, weights being placed on the floor and, most astonishingly, the sounds of kids hitting boxing dummies! Welcome to the one and only Boxing and Youth Development Center in Cape May County. According to Mercado, himself a National Collegiate boxing champion at Lock Haven University, boxing brings the kids in, and then the real work begins.
This is truly a place where the students are completely involved in the entire process, from the actual renovation of the once-abandoned warehouse to the day-to-day maintenance of all of the space. Each afternoon, 365 days a year, the building is open to young people who want to be a part of the community.
Their time is structured to include some downtime for them to socialize and play some games in the teen center. This is followed by supervised homework time. Then the real work begins as the kids put on their boxing gloves and begin their practice.
To quote Coach Mercado; “Everyone has to box; not everyone has to get in the ring.” The hard work and discipline create an atmosphere of pride and self-assuredness that kids crave. Through physical activity, in this case boxing, kids learn how to exhaust the body to relax the mind.
During the summer months, when school is not in session, they maintain the after-school hours. Mercado believes in consistency for the kids, hence the need to be a reliable constant in their lives 365 days a year.
During summer break, older kids are encouraged to work, preferably during the day, so they can continue their engagement with the Academy community. There are also enrichment excursions provided during the summer. Paddle boarding, surfing, zip lining and sailing all help to teach life skills. There is also an overnight trip to Hershey Park.
Service to the community is a key ingredient at the Academy, and it takes on a variety of forms. The senior boxers, age 11 to 19 years, act as coaching assistants for the junior boxers, helping them practice good technique and encouraging them as they pound away at the bag.
But it doesn’t stop there. Every student has a responsibility to keep the space clean, maintain order and yes, even clean the bathrooms. The entire facility was designed to enable the kids to be able to actively participate in every aspect of daily life. A laundry space is available for those who might need to wash some clothes. A learning center with volunteer tutors is available to help kids academically. Even better, there is dinner served every night.
And all of this is free. The Academy is funded through sponsorships, donations and fundraisers. Three or four times a year they hold a boxing show, The Battle in Rio, that helps bring in extra funds as well as showcase young and up-and-coming boxers. The entire program is volunteer-based; there are only three paid employees. Everyone else, including 30 coaches, mentors, counselors and dinner-providers, are there because they want to be there.
There has been strong community support for the program. Government officials, private benefactors, local business sponsorships and community law enforcement have all contributed to the success of the Academy. Mondays and Thursdays, police officers are invited to come into the gym and work out with the kids, building relationships and serving as mentors.
An important philosophy of the Academy is that through discipline and love, kids begin to develop trust and rise to the level of expectation. Emphasis is placed on building relationships. To do that, they need to know that they are in a safe place.
The Academy is a place that puts kids first. In the words of Josh Mercado, “NLA is more than a boxing gym. The boxing is the bait. We want the kids to be successful in all aspects of their life.”
For more information or to donate to No Limits Academy, check out its website at nolimitsboxingacademy.org.
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