- Kris Crawford
Knock Out Dog Fighting Helps Girls at Boys & Girls Club Find Their Inner Strength
On Monday May 3rd, the ladies of Knock Out Dog Fighting took time out of their day to speak to the young girls at a San Jose Boys & Girls Club. Knock Out Dog Fighting volunteers Kris Crawford with her pit bull Tahoe, Sharon Sanghera and Tania Motlagh Hyatt spoke to the young girls about self-esteem issues, embracing their greatness, and finding their inner-strength and purpose.
Studies show that while girls and boys experience a decrease in self-esteem during junior high school years, girls' self-esteem tends to drop more over time. The key years before and during adolescence are critical in girls' development, since many carry behaviors and beliefs from this time into adulthood.
Unfortunately, strong, intelligent, positive female role models seem to be lacking in our society which is resulting in some startling trends: The average age range when girls develop eating disorders has declined from 13 - 17 to 9 - 12; by age 14, girls are twice as likely to suffer from depression as boys; 1 in 6 girls is obese or overweight compared to 1 in 21 in 1970; an increasing number of girls are joining street gangs; and girls are more often than boys to be the victims of violence.
Sharon and Tania possess the qualities that young women can aspire to because they meet their challenges head on and take leadership on issues they believe in, including giving a voice to those who have none.
They talked about their struggles in life and how martial arts helped them gain the confidence and both the outer and inner strength to be who they are today. "It's okay to be who you are," they assured the girls. "It's okay to be strong, confident, athletic and female."
Tania and Tahoe at the Boys & Girls Club
Kris at the Boys & Girls Club
Knock Out Dog Fighting at the Boys & Girls Club
Kris and Tahoe at the Boys & Girls Club
Tania at the Boys & Girls Club
Tania showing her Muay Thai equipment at the Boys & Girls Club
Tania showing her Muay Thai equipment at the Boys & Girls Club
Sharon at the Boys & Girls Club
Sharon showing her Kali sticks at the Boys & Girls Club
Sharon talking about her clothing line at the Boys & Girls Club
Sharon talking about Vincit, her magazine company, at the Boys & Girls Club
Tahoe at the Boys & Girls Club
Sharon, Tahoe and Tania at the Boys & Girls Club
Kris, Tania, Sharon, and Tahoe at the Boys & Girls Club
"My highest praises for Knock Out Dog Fighting (K.O.D.F) and all that their program does for our kids and our Club. I feel that this was a very positive and uplifting moment that was shared here at our Club. The team at K.O.D.F. went above and beyond our expectations and cannot be thanked enough for what they are doing with us." -- Gabe, Boys and Girls Club of America - Silicon Valley
