DENVER — Next to Valverde Park in Denver stands Life-Line Colorado, a non-profit organization that focuses on addiction treatment, relapse, and re-entry.
The organization that aims to give people of all ages the time necessary for another chance is expanding its work in a new direction - boxing.
Within a garage and behind two white doors lies a room surrounded by equipment.
The program is based around the boxing ring at the center of the room.
Led by former boxer Robert “Red-Hot” Allen and Steve Mestas, a promoter and coach, the program is meant to teach kids more than what it takes to throw a punch.
“They say boxing takes lives, but it saves lives more than it’d ever taken,” says Mestas. “It’s a dangerous sport but it teaches discipline.”
Allen, a local boxer who was once ranked sixth in the world, says boxing is attractive for the people they’re trying to support within the program.
“If we can make it attractive in a way that’s positive and healthy and help them grow, you know, I’ve seen it happen,” says Allen.
Coached by Red-Hot within the program is Noah Erlbacher, a 16 year old looking to change his life for the better. With eyes brightened behind a passion for the sport, Noah comes to Life-Line to train with Coach Red-Hot before school and after work.
“Boxing,” the young man said as he took a breath and looked down in thought. A smile stretched on his face before he continued.
“I love boxing,” Erlbacher says. “I love the contact in the sport, I love the training, I love hard work, it takes dedication.”
Noah goes to the gym as much as he can and is supported by his mother, Andrea Erlbacher, who is typically seen sitting beside the ring during practice. Andrea agrees with how Noah feels about starting this program.
“He has found something that feeds his soul,” says Andrea. “He loves it here.”
In 2022, Noah was charged with aggravated motor vehicle Theft in Jefferson County and was assigned to a probation officer for a minimum of one year. Andrea was thankful that her son was given a chance outside of jail.
“He got very very lucky that they saw that there was potential in him and this path that he was on just wasn’t who he was," Andrea Erlbacher says.
In between sparring, Noah recalls how he got his feet planted in Lifeline.
“It ended up catching up to me and I ended up going to [juvenile detention] for a little bit,” Noah Erlbacher.
He’s catching his breath while his coach teaches another newcomer to the gym.
“They put me on probation, I started doing better for myself and here we are now, boxing," Erlbacher said.
His new passion is just one addition to a life being turned around at Life-Line.
“I’m doing good in every aspect of my life when it comes to school,” says Erlbacher. “The only thing I’m really struggling with is like maybe getting everything together with like work boxing and school but other than that I’m doing amazing.”
While boxing helped create discipline around Noah’s life, Andrea understands that it is him and only him who will be able to determine his future.
“It’s going to be more about what he wants for himself,” Andrea Erlbacher says. “It’s going to be about where he wants to be and I think boxing is going to take him there.”
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