The Boxer Boys

Karen Slaughter is based primarily at the Gregg/Klice center and has started some amazing programs for regulars at the center. Every Tuesday, Karen meets with a group of young people that have been calling themselves The Boxer Boys. It started when several young people wandered into the CCR room at Gregg/Klice and started talking with Karen, eventually filling out surveys in return for some snacks.

The boxing program at Gregg/Klice meets every Tuesday and Thursday, but the The Boxer Boys meet after their session on Tuesdays.

During their meetings on Tuesdays, Karen and The Boxer Boys have a circle where they check in about their days and share their “temperature,” or what they are experiencing that day, from a one through ten, ten being magnificent and one being not as great. The circle allows these young people to start talking about some issues they’re going through outside of boxing and allows for Karen to have conversations about how to handle conflict differently.

And, while The Boxer Boys only meet once a week, the boxing coaches now open their sessions each time with a temperature check in. Knowing someone’s temperature can change the whole way people interact because we can be more sensitive when someone is having a bad day or a good day.

Karen says, “I really enjoy these circles! They started simply when I asked some kiddos what they would like to see happen at the Gregg/Klice center as it relates to CCR’s services. It’s exciting to see that they’re enjoying the circles as much as I do, because they’re actively recruiting more of their friends to come and join the circles. At our next meeting, we’re going to be voting on a name change from The Boxer Boys so the name of our group is more inclusive, because we’ve expanded to having girls come to our circle!”

The Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR) has partnered with several agencies to create a conflict resolution hub at the Gregg/Klice center. We started programming there in June 2019, and host weekly and monthly events in addition to having mediations, trainings and community outreach. CCR has a consistent presence at Gregg/Klice and has a staff member there 5 days a week between 2-8 PM.