Goulburn's young boxers have been put on hiatus, after the PCYC announced it was shutting down all services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Local boxing trainer Glenn Oag said the decision to halt the club's programs was "definitely" the right one.
"We had to cut it out because boxing is a high intensity sport and there's a lot of contact with it," Oag said.
"For the health of everyone concerned, I had no problems."
The students at the PCYC take up boxing for a variety of reasons. Some do it for fitness, some want to be part of a community, and some need a physical and mental outlet.
For all who take part, Oag said, there was a "release" which came as a part of training.
"Even though it's only training, it's also a mental outlet for them," he said.
"Coming to training and hanging out with everyone else [relieves pressure]."
The students who are most likely to feel the absence of such opportunities are those who also took part in the club's Fit for Life program.
Designed as an early intervention program for kids between the ages of 10-17 who were "at risk of poor choices and anti-social behaviour" according to the club's website, many of the Fit for Life participants also boxed.
"A lot of those kids were following on and coming to boxing because it was a mental and physical outlet as well," Oag said.
"Mandy [Thornthwaite, who ran the Fit for Life program] is still working during the day at the club, and she's trying to talk to those kids as they need it."
When the club was closed, Oag and his students were in the midst of preparing for the upcoming Fight Night in May, which has since been scrapped.
He hopes to be able to continue with the next scheduled Fight Night, which is currently set for September this year.
"As far as we know, we're hoping for an announcement in June or July to know if we're going to go ahead training for 2020 or whether it's been postponed until 2021," Oag said.
The earlier the PCYC receives notice as to the fate of September's event, the easier it will be to re-train the boxers after several months away from the sport.
"It's going to take us six to eight weeks to get those boys and girls back to where they were in a condition to fight," Oag said.
"We've told them what we'd like them to do, and we're trying to get them the gear and equipment they need to train at home."
Oag also hopes to hold the September Fight Night to shore up the club's finances.
These Fight Nights act as major fundraisers for the PCYC, and after the club was forced to cancel the November 2019 event due to an administrative error, it has been eager to make amends.
"[The shutdown is] a huge financial burden on the club," Oag said.
"That [income has] all stopped, to turn the lights on and off for the club manager and the police unit there. It's difficult to cover those costs."
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