Our mission is to build resiliency
Our Mission is to Support Our Youth
Utilizing the sport of boxing as the catalyst of change
About Nomis Youth Network
NOMIS Youth Network provides physical health and sports programming services, health and wellness guidance, and counseling and mentoring to at-risk youth in D.C. Operating since 2004, NOMIS moved into the new Boxing Community Center in Ward 7, PSA 507, in January 2015. Those who attend the NOMIS programs come from all over D.C., but predominantly from Wards 5, 6, 7, and 8, and Capitol Hill.
NOMIS Youth Network programs include an After-School Boxing Academy, Elite Boxing Team, and two summer camps. Our students are welcome to visit the facility anytime to workout, hangout, and socialize with their peers.
Meeting the needs of our youth
The youth who participate at NOMIS Youth Network have many needs and we are committed to helping meet them.
- To feel safe and secure and have a sense of belonging to a family or community
- To be valued and to feel they are valuable
- To have the opportunity to sublimate anger in a socially acceptable manner
- To be able to express themselves without being ridiculed
- To develop healthy habits to maintain their ideal weight
We also provide family members with skills for a healthy lifestyle, parenting guidance, and access to support systems for child developmental life transitions.
Nomis Youth Network achievements
Based on past outcomes, NOMIS Youth Network anticipates our participants will achieve these results:
- 80% will not get involved in the criminal justice system
- 80% will not become teenage parents
- 80% will graduate from high school or attain a GED
- 70% that are referred through a court diversion program will not recommit or become involved in the criminal justice system again
- Grow in strength and endurance and in their boxing skills
- Come closer to their ideal weight
- Expand their communication skills
NOMIS Youth Network Leadership and Governance
Robert Simon, III, founder, president, and executive director oversees day-to-day leadership and management for all NOMIS Youth Network programs and activities. He also provides leadership, direction, and training for the staff, including youth workers, and coaches. Governance of NOMIS is provided by a five-member Board of Directors.
Robert Simon III, M.A.
NOMIS Founder, President, Executive Director
Robert has a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of the District of Columbia and a Bachelor Degree in Behavioral Science from Midland Lutheran College and more than 30 years of experience in leadership and direct services to at-risk children and youth. He directs the NOMIS programs and trains the staff to provide the services, be role models, and support the needs of the youth participants.
James Faltz, Jr.
NOMIS Youth Worker Coach
James started working at NOMIS as a janitor and worked his way up to coach. Today he has extensive experience in outreach, recruitment, and sports training.
NOMIS Youth Network Board of Directors
Governance of NOMIS is provided by a five-member Board of Directors.
Townsend Eugene Hunt III
Chairman
Logistics Director, Spinning Chicken Studios
William King Jr.
Vice Chariman
CEO, Omaha Community Broadcasting
Robert Simon III, M.A.
Secretary
Executive Director, NOMIS Youth Network
L. Kenneth Hamilton
Board of Directors, Emeritus
Retired, Teamsters Union
“NOMIS is the Culmination of My Lifelong Dream”
A note from Robert Simon, III, Founder, President, and Executive Director
“I had the idea for NOMIS at college. Having grown up in the northeast D.C. area, I wanted to create a program that helped D.C. youth stay out of the prison system. It took me 18 years and many struggles to realize my dream, which had evolved into a Boxing Community Center for youth to gain a chance for success in life. I finally opened the doors of my first NOMIS Boxing Community Center on October 30, 2004.
“While it’s been a tough journey at times, it’s also been extremely rewarding. The struggles continue — but so does our success. We measure our success in the number of youth participants who come to NOMIS and learn the critical skills of living a safer, healthier, and more productive life.
“Our youth are achieving my original mission and much more — from enjoying better health and wellbeing, to finishing school, to staying away from violence and drugs, to staying out of the prison system. We have helped youth achieve a wide variety of their personal goals as well — from winning boxing matches, to getting out of the foster care system, to starting careers and families.
“I’m proud of what our facility and staff have achieved. I’m proud of the youth who have participated and taken every opportunity NOMIS offers them. And I’m looking forward to many more years of helping more D.C. youth gain a chance at fulfilling their life’s goals and dreams.”