Boxing is not just a competitive sport to area trainers and athletes, but can be a solution to many problems emerging in today's society.

David Sheehi, a co-owner at Champion Boxing Fitness in Rockville, Md., said  boxing could be used for professional growth outside the realm of competitive sports.

"I saw the workouts that boxing and kickboxing can do and produce to the members," he said."It was phenomenal, the results were so quickly established."

He thinks that boxing and kickboxing can provide fun workout environment, whichincludes “hitting bags, relieving stress," he said. 

"Most of the population is all about stress now. So this really has been a plus [for] somebody coming in who has that high[ly] stressful environment that they work in or live in, they can come in and hit the bags and then lose weight at the same time."

Coach Robert Crawford, from Crawford Training and Fitness, a specialty gym training facility two blocks from Main Street at the Laurel Boys and Girls Club, said he is working to start an anti-bullying program at his facility.

The program will educate children and parents "the psychology and environment that creates bullying" as well as teach intervention, self-defense and social awareness skills to help the youth avoid becoming victims or perpetrators of bullying, according to his website. 

William Joppy, a retired middle-weight world champion boxer and now a trainer at Champion Boxing Fitness, thinks boxing is a good way for children to get regular exercise and prevent obesity.

"Nowadays you got 14, 15, and 13 year-olds weighing 250, almost 300 pounds," he said. "We're trying to target those children and get them back into athletics and sports."