East Oakland Boxing Association - Smartmoves

As a youth growing up in Oakland, the sport of boxing helped keep EOBA Founder Mr. Stanley Garcia off the streets, engaged in positive activities, and to steer clear from drugs and alcohol. Through this personal experience, Stanley established the EOBA in 1987 because he felt strongly that the “tough” sport of boxing would coax otherwise hardened youth to explore the program. Similar to martial arts, boxing requires and teaches skills, discipline, and respect. Boys and girls alike learn how to manage and channel anger and fear through boxing. They then carry these learned behaviors and skills home and to the streets, where other alternatives are most likely extremely dangerous.

Past and current programming and scope of work

The EOBA/Smartmoves Program has been providing high quality programs in the East Oakland community since 1987 and has been funded by OFCY for nine years.  In FY 05-06, we were highlighted by OFCY’s Evaluation team, the Community Crime Prevention Associates (CCPA), for achieving the third highest of 81 OFCY funded programs for quality of service. In the 06-07 CCPA Final Evaluation Report, EOBA delivered 110% of its contracted services with a 98% youth satisfaction score, has exhibited satisfactory and excellent ratings from parents and youth participants, and has met all OFCY contracted services and targeted goals consistently for the last six years.

Past and continued programming includes academic tutoring, mentoring, arts and crafts including photography and pottery, music/theater, computer classes, organic gardening, health and nutrition education/cooking, violence prevention and anger management, YLU and YMU (Young Ladies United and Young Men’s United), cultural field trips, college and career training, paid and volunteer youth internships, and PE like daily calisthenics, boxing, capoeira, and yoga. Homework and academic-based activities including completing hands-on cross-curricular activities and reading groups are mandatory before youth can participate in any of the other activities. YLU and YMU curriculum was developed to assist girls and boys to appreciate and respect themselves and to understand other cultures and focuses on issues such as hygiene, sexuality, violence, substance abuse, and wellbeing. EOBA/Smart Moves will provide a total of 80,354 Units of Service.