For Edgar Gonzalez Anaheim has the potential to be an absolutely great place. Unfortunately, it is one that is strongly driven by money as well and the gap between rich and poor is tremendous. As a result, a lot of young people find themselves going off the rails and turning to drugs and other illicit activities. Through the Who’s Next Boxing Academy, Edgar Gonzalez aims to reach out to children in Anaheim and Santa Ana through baseball and other sports. Specifically, he works with young people who have dropped out of school and uses sports motivation to get them on the straight and narrow.
Edgar Gonzalez Anaheim on Sports Drug Prevention
Drug prevention strategies based on sports have existed for a very long time. In 1998, a global forum took place that demonstrated how positive the impact of sports is on young people who are struggling with school and life. What was found was that, if children are involved in the design and implementation of sports projects, it would have a particularly positive impact. This is exactly what Edgar Gonzalez achieves through the Who’s Next project.
Sports has long been seen as an important resource for overall human development. This is why humans have always participated in sports. Simple games developed into huge sports, be they informally organized, team sports, individual sports, elite sports, and so on. All of them have been found to positively effect individuals, participants, and entire societies. Taking part in sports means:
- To have fun through play.
- To take part in competitions.
- To stop being bored, thereby ensuring free time is used in a positive manner.
- To socialize while being bound by rules of the game and of mutual respect and common courtesy and politeness.
- To work together with peers in order to reach goals.
- To be able to push your limits.
- To measure your own capacities and capabilities.
- To overcome risks.
- To discover your own limits.
- To build relationships and make friends.
- To become more body aware.
- To earn money.
- To feel a sense of pride.
- To express your own talents and gifts.
- To foster local, national, and international peace and cooperation.
- To gain or lose weight and generally develop a healthy body.
- To develop excellent mental health.
- To learn how to be respectful of others.
- To share common interests and goals.
- To develop perseverance, commitments, and goals.
- To promote individual and cultural values.
- To reduce stress.
These are just some of the benefits that taking part in sports offer, all of which have been scientifically measures. By engaging young people in sports, Edward Gonzalez is making a real difference to the lives of young people in Anaheim and Santa Ana, and, thereby, is helping to improve the community as a whole.
It is also for this reason that what Gonzalez does is so respected in the community as a whole. When working with young people, everybody benefits. While it may sound corny, young people are the future as they are the ones who will keep the community going eventually.
