MENTOR, Ohio — A boxing coach in northeast Ohio is helping children become well-rounded adults both in and out of the ring.

What You Need To Know

  • A boxing coach in northeast Ohio said his goal is to give kids in his community a leg up
  • The boxing gym offers financial literacy lessons to its members
  • The coach teaches the lessons using an educational board game he created

Ivan Inspires, the founder and coach at Boxing 2 Inspire in Mentor, teaches boxing lessons with a twist to all members of his gym.

Four days a week, Inspires teaches financial literacy classes in a room that's located inside of his boxing gym. He uses a board game he invented called Headstart2riches.

“It’s a family game, so there is really not an age restriction,” Inspires said. “You just play the game and they learn how to build wealth indirectly. There is a real wealth building strategy factored into the game.”

He said although boxing and financial literacy might seem like they are at opposite ends of the spectrum; he believes the two subjects actually go hand in hand.

“All those skills of being a good boxer are transferable into adulthood, especially entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is lonely and entrepreneurship requires self discipline, confidence and just everything that boxers need,” he explained. “I realized that if a child is going to spend a lot of time learning a sport, let it be a sport that is more transferable to adulthood, and that’s why I chose boxing.”

Related Stories