Leland Snell is looking forward to running his boxing station Saturday at the 7th Annual Hoop for Coop Youth Health Fair and Sports Clinic. He plans on teaching proper punching techniques as well as footing, spacing and even how to block.
As long as participants first understand and embrace his definition of calm.
C — Communicate how you feel
A — Ask questions to understand others
L — Listen to hear (not just respond)
M — Meditate before reacting
“I’ve had very positive responses from the kids,” said Snell, a local boxing and fitness instructor who has served at the annual event in previous years.
He’s one of several fitness and youth advocates scheduled to participate at the health fair and sports clinic at Ed Davis Community Center (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), located at 730 Perkins Park Dr. in Akron. Register for the event here. Each station leader will share their own inspirational message and fitness activity.
Free physicals will take place from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The sports clinic will follow from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
The annual event is hosted by Guys & Gals Community Partnership Inc. Co-founders Jerome Moss and Denico Buckley-Knight were good friends with Kimyata “Coop” Cooper Jr., who in 2016 lost his life at age 34 due to heart failure while playing basketball.
His friends organized events that seek to end health disparities among men, with an emphasis on the Black community — the men’s health fair and basketball tournament (early summer 2026) and Saturday’s youth health fair and sports clinic.
Moss said this weekend’s youth sports clinic will engage young people mentally and physically — two-minute pep talks followed by five-minute sports drills.
Motivational pep talks:
- Self-confidence and intrinsic self-worth
- The importance of health (“Health is Wealth”)
- Academic success and commitment to doing well in school
- Hard work, effort and being present
- Kindness and treating others with respect
- Effective communication and using your voice
- Nutrition and positive thinking — fueling both body and mind
Activities that promote teamwork, movement and fun:
- Warm-ups and calisthenics
- Wiffle ball
- Relay races
- Hula hoop toss
- Boxing fundamentals
- Ladder drills and body movement exercises
- Basketball skill drills
Moss, the organization’s executive director, said the youth event supports both physical health and social development.
“Youth in our community need to understand how to meet other people,” Moss said, “befriend other people and play with other people.”
Other clinic facilitators include Johnny Adams (former Buchtel and Michigan State great who played in the NFL and Canadian Football League); Bryce Harris (education leader, author, speaker, former athlete and founder of the Always Climbing Project); Romeo Travis (former St. Vincent-St. Mary and University of Akron great); and Bryan Williams (football coach and athletic director at Buchtel Community Learning Center).
