Soft spoken yet filled with passion, Kolmarge Harris's eyes lit up when speaking about the pride he held for the kids of the Lansing Spartans Youth Organization and its association with Isabella Sports Youth Organization. Harris has taught children how to box and provided a sanctuary for youths across Michigan. He now plans to do even more for their communities.

A retired professional boxer and trainer, Harris established the Lansing Spartans Youth Organization to help at-risk, underserved youth lead healthier lives while improving their confidence and overall well being. With plans to form a Boys and Girls Club in Mount Pleasant, Harris wants to give kids access to resources that could change their lives.

Harris said he is using his life experiences to provide a supportive and educational community for the youth of Mount Pleasant through the sport of boxing. Though a highly accomplished and inspiring individual himself, Harris holds the success of the kids in his organizations far above his own.

“My story doesn't mean nothing," Harris said. "To me, it don't mean nothing, because I've been through it. I know my story, I know everything. But these young kids, when they'll have a story, get their story.”

Kolmarge Harris poses for a photo in his gym on Wednesday, Oct. 23, at the Isabella Sports Youth Organization. (CM Life | Mia Kerner)

Harris grew up in Chicago and moved to Lansing at an early age. According to a previous interview with the Lansing State Journal, he struggled with attention deficit disorder, dyslexia and other difficulties.

Harris said he was bullied for his struggles as a child and found himself getting into trouble frequently in an attempt to fit in with other kids. He ultimately adopted the role of the class clown to avoid being picked on. It was then that his father introduced him to boxing.

“I was five years old when I really started, and people really took time to work with me, and I just loved it,” Harris said.

After working hard to get into the boxing world, attending numerous conventions and making endless connections, Harris found a home with his new community.

“When you get in there, that's a whole 'nother family,” he said.

Spending summers at the renowned Windy City Boxing Club in Chicago, Harris had the opportunity to meet and train with prominent boxing figures such as Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and Joe Frazier. Harris recalled being inspired by hearing their stories and where they came from.

Ali once offered him a choice that has stuck with him to this day.

“Ali asked me, ‘Do you really want to live or die, son?’,” Harris said.

Harris explained that he was taught living meant following the path to what one does and not looking back, while dying meant not getting killed, but giving up.

Though he did not initially plan on becoming a professional fighter, Harris found the opportunity to travel the world and support his family, win or lose, too good to pass up.

Following years in the ring, Harris decided to use his retirement for the betterment of the Lansing Community. He started his nonprofit, the Lansing Spartans Youth Organization (LSYO), in 2013 and expanded LSYO to Mount Pleasant in 2022 after recognizing the need for such a program in the area. Formerly known as Mount Pleasant Boxing and Fitness, Isabella Sports Youth Organization (ISYO) is the only establishment of its kind in Mount Pleasant.

Kolmarge Harris displays various awards in his gym on Wednesday, Oct. 23, at the Isabella Sports Youth Organization. (CM Life | Mia Kerner)

Harris primarily credits his ability to develop and maintain the association with ISYO to his many supporters in the city.

“They help me, motivate me and keep me going, because I almost gave up sometimes," he said. "It's not really about the money, it's about the support."

Harris said he did not start the LSYO for fame or fortune of any kind, but rather to make a real difference in children’s lives. He takes great pride in the organization’s kids and would rather focus on their accomplishments than his own.

“I don't put up a lot of stuff," he said. "I don't talk about it. I want to talk about these kids."

Harris uses his training and professional experience to teach kids about boxing specifically for the benefits that the sport produces.

“It's a good sport for your mind, your conditioning, your eye level, getting in shape, (it) helps you with all different types of sports, especially with defense and offense,” he said.

The LSYO and ISYO is also dedicated to providing kids with an environment to develop valuable social and life skills. Harris said that youths from all backgrounds can interact and build relationships in his organization while working through personal issues that they may be facing.

“I want to specifically let people know I'm here to work with kids, with anti-bullying, obesity, weight loss, help build weight, help build confidence," Harris said. "Boxing is just one of the avenues of it."

Harris said he has big plans for the future, hoping to one day put down permanent roots in Mount Pleasant and leave a legacy for generations to come.

“My dream is to open a Boys and Girls Club," he said. "I want to make it the Isabella community center. That's my goal, because they don't have a community center. They’ve got community centers here, but they don't have it like Lansing has it."

Harris believes that a Boys and Girls Club would not only benefit the youth of Mount Pleasant, but help entire families. He said that the organization would provide free time for parents with the piece of mind that their children are being taken care of.

Harris plans to renovate and add to ISYO, providing a positive place for youths to have fun, be active, work on their academics and have the community that he found solace in as a child himself.

“If I can help a couple kids, get them off the streets and make them better, better men or better women, I'm happy with that,” he said.

Residents who want to learn more about the LSYO and ISYO can visit the organizations’ website or Facebook page for more information.