Pico Union Boxing Coach Steers Los Angeles Teens Away From Juvenile Hall

For Daysi Garcia, boxing has never been only about throwing punches. A Pico Union native who coaches at gang intervention programs across Los Angeles, she says the sport changes the course of young lives. "When people say boxing saves lives, we don't mean that superficially," she said. "We literally see boxing save people's lives."

One example is Elijah Rivera, now 17. His father, Daniel Lopez, said the teen avoided a return to juvenile hall after Garcia spoke up for him in court and brought him into her boxing program. "She showed up on his behalf as a third-party program," Lopez said, adding that her involvement helped with his son's case. Rivera completed probation while taking part in the program. "It was a real good diversion for him to be able to focus on boxing instead of the streets," Lopez said.

Garcia, 35, built the program from her own experience. Born and raised in Pico Union to Mexican immigrant parents, she discovered boxing at about age 20 through a gang intervention program tied to the University of Southern California boxing team. She said she was struggling to find direction at the time. Training in a neighborhood gym beside collegiate boxers, she said, helped put her on a path back to college, and within six months she was enrolled.

She went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Mount Saint Mary's University and later enrolled at Southwestern Law School. She finished her first year before taking time off during the pandemic. In that period she began working at PUC Excel Charter Academy in Lincoln Heights, where COVID-19 restrictions kept students from playing traditional sports. Garcia proposed a boxing fundamentals program to keep them engaged after school and off the streets. Between 20 and 30 students signed up in the first week, and she said some of them are still training with her five or six years later.

The program has since grown from Lincoln Heights to El Centro del Pueblo in Echo Park, and it is expected to also operate at the Graff Lab in Pico Union, the same gym where Garcia once trained. "If my neighborhood didn't invest in me, I wouldn't be who I am today," she said. "So being able to pay it forward is a big deal for me."

Her programs now include mentorship, a boxing-themed book club for literacy support, court support for youth in the juvenile justice system, college guidance, emotional support, and discussions of the school-to-prison pipeline and students' rights. Garcia said she and team members often attend court hearings to show judges that a young person has a community behind them.

Participants and families describe the effects. Silvia Martinez, an 18-year-old immigrant from Michoacán, Mexico, joined the Echo Park program to build discipline, with plans to enter the army. She said she was scared of getting hit at first but that it now feels normal, and that Garcia and the other coaches "make you feel safe and supported." Marcela Sanchez, whose grandchildren take part in boxing classes and in art, sewing and tutoring activities, said they "talk more, they understand more, they listen more."

This week, Los Angeles City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez recognized Garcia at City Hall, an honor she said was emotional because many of her students stood beside her. Garcia also helped create the first World Boxing Council collegiate amateur belt with the USC boxing team, allowing collegiate boxers to compete for a WBC-recognized title. She said she also started the Los Angeles Collegiate Boxing Scholarship initiative, which has helped students in the program receive scholarships.

Garcia said the hardest parts of the work are not the students or the courts but securing funding, transportation and safe spaces for young people. She still hopes to finish her law degree, motivated by her interest in juvenile justice. She describes her coaching as disciplined but trauma-informed. "We're all in this together, we want to see our students succeed," she said. "And we want to see more boxing gyms in L.A."