Piling 50 or so at-risk youth into a mixed martial arts fighting cage may not seem, at first blush, the most astute decision if you’re running a mentorship program.
However, when it affords you the chance to look those teenagers in the eye and impact them with tales of dedication, sacrifice and success, then it’s 60 precious minutes well spent.
That was the motivation behind Richmond’s former Olympic wrestler turned MMA fighter Arjan Bhullar and former Olympic boxer Manny Sobral’s move on Monday to bring the youth to Ryan’s MMA gym on Alderbridge Way near No. 3 Road.
Sobral — who helps run the Vancouver-based Boys Club Network; a mentorship program for at-risk youth — asked Bhullar and MMA teammates Mike Hill and Rodney Wallace to share their life stories with the kids.
“I told them my story and all about my journey and how I got to where I am now,” said Bhullar, who’s also involved with KidsPlay, an organization that uses structured, physical activities to help keep youngsters on the straight and narrow.
“Manny has been working with them for years, but this was my first time with them.
“If I can do anything to help these kids, I will always try to give back. If you look them in the eyeball and talk to them, I know how powerful that can be for a child.
“And to hear life lessons; about how to make sacrifices; how to work hard; dedication and how to surround yourself with successful people, is very important for these kids.”
After a question and answer session with the kids, the guys took them into the MMA cage inside the gym, so they could witness some wrestling moves and get a feel for what it’s like to be in there.
“We talked a lot about who you hang out with is who you eventually become,” said Sobral, now a high school teacher in Burnaby.
“I’ve been with the kids for a few summers now and we do this kind of thing with mentors quite a lot. Next week, they’ll be meeting Trevor Linden.”
Founded by two Vancouver secondary school educators, The Boys Club Network seeks to mentor boys that have been deemed at-risk of treading the wrong path in their lives and in society for various reasons.
Bhullar gets back into the cage next week, with a fight against Ariel Gandulla on Saturday, July 25 at the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam.
