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Home > The Swing > Amanda Worman Holmgaard explains how boxing serves as a vessel for life skills at La Crosse’s The Good Fight


	Podcast:		The Swing
	Episode:		Amanda Worman Holmgaard explains how boxing serves as a vessel for life skills at La Crosse’s The Good Fight
	Category:		Sports & Recreation
	Duration:		00:00:00
	Publish Date:		2026-01-13 09:48:07
	Description:		Sending a child to a boxing gym to keep them from getting into fights might sound a bit backwards. That, however, is exactly the proven strategy at The Good Fight Community Center in downtown La Crosse. Executive Director Amanda Worman Holmgaard joined WIZM’s La Crosse Talk last week and said the discipline learned in the ring actually de-escalates conflict because students no longer feel the need to prove themselves to others by fighting. “It’s not just about teaching kids to fight,” Worman Holmgaard said. “In fact, what we experience is if kids come to us and they’ve been having problems at school getting into fights, once they start learning boxing — because boxing requires discipline — and they gain that confidence, the fights actually start to go down because they don’t have anything to prove anymore”. Holmgaard noted that “kids that are confident and capable, are not victims” and learn to walk with their heads up because they know what they are worth. The Good Fight will celebrate its 10th anniversary in August. The facility on 6th Street serves as a “third space” for kids 10 to 18 years old. It provides a safe environment outside of home or school, where education, mentorship and relationships are the priority. “It’s really about building relationships with those kids,” Worman Holmgaard said, “because when any of us, but especially kids, when they feel safe and loved, then they’re in a place where they can learn and grow.” La Crosse Talk PM airs weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Find the show on Spotify, Apple Podcast or here. Tune in on the WIZM app or on air at 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska) Along with boxing, the 6,800-square-foot facility — that Worman Holmgaard calls a big family room — offers gaming computers, daily meals, ping pong, plus tutoring. The boxing ring, though, is still the primary tool for teaching resilience. Worman Holmgaard views the training as a metaphor for the real-world hardships her students often face. “Honestly, the boxing is about teaching kids self-control,” she said. “And it’s about learning life skills, because when we talk about life and facing hardship in life, we’ll even use metaphorical language about fighting … so it’s really a vessel for teaching kids about resilience, about how to take those punches that will come in life”. To keep the center accessible, The Good Fight utilizes a robust subsidy program. While there is a $25 monthly subscription, fees are waived for over 60 percent of families to ensure cost is never a barrier to participation. “We never want price to be a barrier for a kid to be able to access the programs and services that we provide,” Worman Holmgaard said. TOP PHOTO: FILE – Children spar at the Good Fight Community Center in La Crosse (PHOTO: @goodfightcommunitycenter on Facebook)
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