Hand wraps, boxing gloves, and shin guards. To those looking in from the outside looking in, Northglenn's Grinders He might look like a typical afternoon at fitness, but the reality was anything but. Vinny Lopez, a former professional mixed martial artist and founder of Vital Training Systems, has pursued his passion for mixed martial arts by working with a special group of students: physical education and health teacher Todd Meredith at Thornton High School. He was preparing to surprise his students.
Photo above: Vinny Lopez demonstrates batting techniques to students at Thornton High School.
What started as a simple request for coaching and practice space has turned into a true community collaboration between students, Thornton High School staff, former MMA fighters, local gyms, and the MMA community.
community champion
After the students approached him, Meredith reached out to a contact from his professional fighting days. Two helping hands returned. Shannon Sinn and Bill Vaughn of Grinders Fitness will donate their gym time so students can train for free, and Jeff Cisneros of Sparta Sports Entertainment will cover the cost of liability insurance for these students to train. did. While this gave students a place to release their pent-up energy in a safe, respectful and productive way, other problems quickly arose. Students could not afford the proper equipment.
So Meredith brought in more community partners and school district leaders. School Resource Officer Sean Tikota and the Thornton Police Department worked with Lyle Reed, the district's Whole Child Initiative Coordinator, to provide the students with the necessary supplies. Working with Dick's Sporting Goods, Tikota was able to secure a large amount of donated supplies for the students, and Reed helped the group find funding available through grants for additional equipment that had not yet been secured. I was able to assist.
“I really hope that my kids understand not only what I do, but what other people are doing, the legacy they have, and the connections they have made. '' Meredith said. “[Vinny Lopez and Jason Lee]both had tough backgrounds and talked about how MMA and martial arts helped them. They are both great people and have done great things. And this really helped them find their path in life. We had them come and talk to the kids about it and show off some of their work, but (for the students). I think that was really good.”
Pictured above: Thornton High School students can experience watching a live fight card hosted by Sparta Sports & Entertainment at the Blue Sports Stables in Superior, thanks to Todd Meredith, Jeff Cisneros and other community partners.
capture the moment
After demonstrating dedication through months of hard work and practice, these students learn techniques from Lopez and benefit from his years of experience as a fighter and trainer of high-level strikers. I got a once in a lifetime opportunity. He taught his students footwork, technique, and combinations to hone their form.
Students recently had the opportunity to train for free with Meredith's longtime friend Matt Sierra at NEW ERA Jiu-Jitsu in Northglenn. This allowed students to improve their Jiu-Jitsu skills and incorporate this training into their grappling strategies. Another friend of Meredith’s who has invested his time and energy into this work to help shape the future of his students is Jason “The Dragon” Lee, a former mixed martial artist who competed against Meredith in real life. Lee is happy to help these students because he understands the challenges they face and wants to pass on lessons that will help them both inside and outside of the ring.
Photo above: Vinny Lopez observes Thornton High School students working on a lesson on batting techniques.
Photo above: Vinny Lopez observes Thornton High School students as they work on striking and breathing exercises as a safe and respectful training partner.
“Like brothers.”
“(We) were able to train and learn MMA with some great MMA practitioners like Jason “The Dragon” Lee, Vinny Lopez, and other big names,” Thornton High School Sophomore Rex Ready said.
“Our group is really solid and we're all like brothers.”
As students work through Lopez's lesson plans, you can see the camaraderie they feel toward each other. They are safe and respectful partners who encourage and have fun with each other. These students not only got to learn more about the sport, but they also built relationships that could last a lifetime.
“I learned how to be part of a team. This sport is more of a solo sport, but when you train with the same players consistently, you form a kind of brotherhood,” said Elijah, a sophomore at Thornton High School. Espinoza said.
Pictured above: Jason “The Dragon” Lee gives advice to two Thornton High School students about their classes.
dreams are released
At 5pm, class ended. Lopez and Meredith sat down with the students and concluded their lesson plan with a sharing of life experiences, words of encouragement, and a respectful farewell. While the equipment was being wiped down and packed into bags, Meredith asked for a group photo of all the students and Lopez. Everyone gathered on the mat and posed together. This opportunity would not have been possible without the amazing people and generous partners who donate to this work. The students are grateful for that.
Sophomore Aidan Landsville said, “This means a lot to me because I don't have a lot of money. So it feels great to go to the gym, which is completely free, and come home after work.” . “Honestly, without these people, I probably wouldn't have had this opportunity.”
Photo above: Vinny Lopez ends his class with motivational words and life lessons for Thornton High School students.
A special thank you to the Thornton High School community for submitting this Five Star Story.
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