Knock Out Dog Fighting Presentation at the Santa Clara County Juvenile Detention Center
On Wednesday January 6, 2010, the Knock Out Dog Fighting crew was at the Santa Clara County Juvenile Detention Center again, this time talking to a large group of young men and women about the American Pit Bull Terrier, dog fighting, animal abuse and choosing to fight for what is right. The presentaion was by Knock Out Dog Fighting members Kris Crawford, Tahoe the pit bull, and Olympic Gold Medalist and WBA Super Middleweight Boxing World Champion Andre Ward.
Kris and Tahoe began the presentation talking about the history of the pit bull - once known as "America's dog" - and how the public views the breed today. Pit bulls are strong and powerful dogs and Kris spoke about how she had a choice how to use that strength and power, just as many of the youth in attendance do, and that she chose to use that strength and power to save lives. She then turned the floor over to Andre, who is a little bit more well-known for his strength and power!
Andre was nothing short of inspirational as he eloquently spoke about himself, his struggles, his successes and his thoughts about dog fighting.
Studies show that one of the fastest growing groups of dog fighters are 13 to 17 year old inner city youth. They saw role models like Michael Vick and DMX involved and think "If Vick does it, it's cool." The fact that DMX and Vick got caught doesn't matter to these kids.
Dog fighting is a form of animal abuse and there is a direct correlation between those who abuse animals and those who go on to commit violent crimes against people. That's why the Knock Out Dog Fighting program is so important...it stops the cycle of violence.
Knock Out Dog Fighting members are positive role models who are standing up and speaking out to show these kids that abusing and fighting animals is not cool and never will be.
And who better to influence these kids than Andre Ward, one of the toughest men on the planet, a man who himself has overcome adversity to become a world champion...both inside and outside of the ring.
Kris and Tahoe
Andre and Tahoe
Kris, Nick Muyo, Andre and Tahoe
 |
Andre Ward - Beyond Boxing
By Thomas Gerbasi
Contrary to popular belief, WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward was not born as a 25-year old with the type of maturity that dwarves that of people 20 years his senior. Like all of us, he was a teenager once, subject to all the ups and downs that come during that period.
He’s well aware that it’s a time when anyone - regardless of race, sex, creed, or economic standing - can make the wrong turn down a wrong path, setting themselves on a downward spiral that could end up in jail or the grave. On Wednesday, Ward spoke to teenagers who made that wrong turn at the Santa Clara County Juvenile Detention Center in California’s Bay Area.
This was more than just one of those celebrity appearances where a champion shows off his shiny title belt and says ‘with hard work, you can be like me.’ That all starts with Ward, who isn’t one for trivialities or publicity stunts. The Oakland product shatters all preconceptions of how a successful professional athlete acts these days, and in many ways, he makes you think of an era when athletes like Muhammad Ali, Bill Russell, Jim Brown, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were not only socially aware, but willing to talk about their views and take a stand for them.
Ward is taking a stand against dog fighting and animal abuse in conjunction with the Knock Out Dog Fighting program. " I’m blessed to be in the position that I’m in, and I feel that it’s my duty to stand up and to make a difference." says Ward.
Ward is not one to sugar coat things; he will tell you the way he sees it, and that no nonsense approach was a big hit during Wednesday's Knock Out Dog Fighting presentation.
“It was unbelievable,” he said. “It far exceeded what I thought it was gonna be. Sometimes, not just young men and women who are in juvenile hall, but young men and women in that age group, it’s hard for them to focus for any kind of event, especially because they’re locked up and have other things on their minds. I thought I’d get a warm reception, but it was awesome, and once I had finished, as the young men walked out, they just told me that they were inspired. And for those kids to say that to me, it just inspired me to keep doing what I’m doing.”
The interaction also served to keep Ward grounded. He knows that one bad decision years ago could have altered his world irrevocably, and though his family and faith kept him on the right path, it never hurts to be thankful for having navigated that minefield unscathed.
Ward, a young man who is on top of his game, mentally and physically, one who silenced a legion of critics with his one-sided drubbing of Kessler, and one who may become that rarest of boxers – one who can transcend the game and make as big a difference outside the ring as he does inside of it.
"Along the way, I’m gonna meet a lot of people, people in prominent positions, and even young men in juvenile hall, and I feel like I can say something, so something, or live in such a way that could possibly impact them, and that excites me. The money is part of it, winning titles is part of it, but at the same time, who have you touched along the way? When you hang up those gloves, stop shooting that basketball, running that football, or whatever it is that you do, who have you touched, who have you impacted? That’s my motivation.”
