Fifteen-year-old Quinton Wadsworth and his big brother John may be young boxers but they're also prime examples of kids working at something they're passionate about.
Sean Sharkey and Dan Dorsett want to bring the Wadsworth brothers' mentality to other kids. They run the Feet First Foundation and they'll be teaming up with police and other organizations for National Night Out Tuesday in Martinez. Letting people know about their non-contact boxing program that is in several junior highs and high schools across the Bay Area, and will soon be expanding to Southern California.
You'd think that a punch would be the first thing they showed the kids but not the case. It's actually their footwork, going forward and sliding that foot, then going backward and sliding that front foot and then the combination of the two. Punches come later."Especially with the two-year run with COVID they disengaged and it's not that easy to get engaged again and that's really what we've done," said Sharkey.
The program happens during a period of the school day, with some kids who may be struggling in a part of their life, but anyone can join. And if you think it's all boys, think again."In some academies, it's half and half, and the girls seem to learn it quicker than the boys, don't tell them that," said Sharkey."I think he throws them faster, but I throw them harder," said John.