The Community Organization Making Boxing Alternatives Today for Tomorrow, Inc. (C.O.M.B.A.T.T.) mission is to provide an environment for at risk youth that promotes positive, healthy physical fitness development, educational and recreational activities, and social and behavioral skills to equip participants with the tools necessary to build solid careers, improved decision-making and critical thinking.
About the Founder
Larry Hazzard, Sr. is a retired professional boxing championship referee. In 1985, he retired as the third man in the ring, left his professional career as a high school principal, and became commissioner of the New
Jersey State Athletic Control Board - a position he held for more than two decades.
A former three-time New Jersey State Golden Glove Champion, a black belt Ju-Jitsu martial artist and former instructor, former New Jersey Chief Referee with 50 years invested in the business, Hazzard has rightfully claimed his international recognition as an expert in the field of combative sports. As commissioner, Hazzard is most recognized for his efforts to establish rules and regulations that maximize safety during competitions, as well as the successful author of the nationally recognized Unified Championship Rules for Professional Boxing and Unified Rules for Professional Mixed Martial Arts. He has also been responsible for world-class boxing officiating changes, including the development and implementation of the 10-Point Majority Scoring System. Hazzard's involvement in the sport of boxing has taken him well beyond the ring. The author of two publications, "A Conceptual Approach to Refereeing" and "The Ringleader: A Boxing Referee's Guide to Greatness", Hazzard also played his hand at acting on the big screen. His debut role came in 1987 in the film, "Homeboys", starring Mickey Rourke. His portrayal of the late referee, Zachary Clayton, in the major motion picture film, "Ali" starring Will Smith and Jaime Foxx, has been his most memorable role. Hazzard also appeared in the HBO television series, "Oz", and in the HBO television movie, "Undefeated", starring John Leguizamo. In 1998, Hazzard founded the amateur boxing non-profit organization, Community Organization Making Boxing Alternatives Today for Tomorrow, (C.O.M.B.A.T.T., Inc.), and incorporated the organization in May 2002. This youth organization provides a safe haven for inner-city youths interested in boxing, offers assistance in education, physical fitness development, social services, health, nutrition, recreation, and job-readiness skills building and makes appropriate referrals for participants. A native of Newark, New Jersey, Hazzard received his Associate of Science degree from Essex County College, a Bachelor of Arts degree from Montclair State University Panzer School of Physical Education and Health, and a Master of Arts degree from Montclair State University. Hazzard and his wife, Patricia, have three children and six grandchildren. They reside in Northern New Jersey.
Physical Training Programs, include workshops and seminars, operate Monday through Friday from 10:00am - 8:30 pm & Saturday from 10:00am - 2:00pm at the Clubhouse, 205 Spruce Street, Newark, NJ, and Monday through Friday from 5:30pm to 8:30pm at Chris Gatling Recreation Center, Irvington, NJ.
Founder's Message
Annually, to help keep the doors of C.O.M.B.A.T.T. open for young people throughout Newark and Irvington, New Jersey, C.O.M.B.A.T.T., Inc. hosts its Awards Dinner honoring those who have demonstrated their commitment to excellence in their crafts, contributed to the sport of boxing, their communities and/or mankind in general, and selflessly strive to help improve the lives of young people. However, our dinner is not only a fund raising event, but it is also a celebration of achieving our mission to provide a safe and conducive environment for the positive interaction of at-risk youth amongst their peers and the community at large.
C.O.M.B.A.T.T., in part, is modeled after the former Newark Dukers Athletic Club. In the 50's and 60's, the Dukers A.C provided me and others with the opportunity to direct our aggressions through boxing, as it is a socially acceptable activity for what many might perceive as brutal beatings. We were in the streets fighting each another, anyway. However, boxing became a vehicle by which we could release our physical energies as well as be respected in our community for our display of strength and discipline as young boxing champions. We also possessed great potential to be more than just "fighters", and to achieve professional skills outside of the ring given the proper guidance and opportunities. Some of us made it, and some of us did not.
My purpose for establishing C.O.M.B.A.T.T as a non-profit youth organization rests on the fundamental belief that certain young men and women in society possess a natural primitive urge for physical competition, whether it be fighting or other means of physical contact. Many fighters, during and after their professional careers, have difficulties facing what most of us consider as ordinary everyday challenges in life, because they have not been provided with the essential tools necessary to survive; particularly once their careers peek or culminate. My concern is for the future fighter who gets to the edge of fame and fortune, but has it all taken away by injury, the champion who is fortunate enough to have the fame and fortune, but never possesses the adequate "skills" to increase or maintain his fame and fortune, the fighter who never had either situation and takes a negative path in life due to low self-esteem, poverty and frustration, and most importantly the kid on the street right now, who needs someone to extend their hand to them and make a difference in their life, by merely talking and caring about who they are and potentially who they can become in the future.
As a former amateur boxer, I can attest to the many positive effects that result from mastering the disciplines of sports in general, and boxing in particular. We are all aware of the strenuous physical training it takes to become a champion fighter, but what many are not aware of are the mental strategic challenges a champion boxer must possess from the moment he meets face to face with his challenger in the center of the ring until the match is ended. The champion fighter must be able to draw on these mental strategies to win a bout, even when his/her body physically has been battered and bruised into fatigue, exhaustion and dehydration. Even the smartest and most strategic of fighters, someday, meet their physical match early in a bout, and must know when to alter his/her plan of action and muster up the will to persevere. C.O.M.B.A.T.T. goes that extra step to help the young boxer to be able to transfer that same strategic skill, determination and tenacity in their daily life and living to build a bright future for themselves and their families.
If none of our program participants ever step one foot inside of a boxing ring professionally or at the amateur level, their participation will forever remain an invaluable tool for future success. Boxing skills training is a health and well-ness program that totally feeds the body and mind through mental, physical, educational and nutritional conditioning. It helps to keep our youngsters off the streets and away from negative activities that can ruin, not only their lives, but their families, friends, local community, nation and the world in general. If we save one youth by putting him/her on a positive structured healthy path of life, we have done our job.
Thank you all for your continued support of our mission and our youth. We can only survive with your help.
