Rep. Sharice Davids visits KCK’s new police athletic league and hops in the boxing ring

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, visited the new KCK Police Athletic League's headquarters Wednesday.

While there, Davids hopped in the ring for an about 10 minute sparring session with former HBO and Showtime lightweight boxer Lalo Robles.

"I was a little bit surprised that she knows how to throw punches. She hits pretty hard, too," said Robles, who now coaches at the facility.

Davids is a former MMA fighter, who tried out for the Ultimate Fighter in 2014. She visited with some of the approximately 160 young boxers the gym has attracted in just five weeks since it opened.

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"I didn't start doing any of this until I was like 19. It's really cool to see 6-, 7-, 8-year-olds out here learning the skills and determination," Davids said.

The new Congresswoman said she has no plans to make a serious return to any cage or boxing ring. But she said the skills she learned helped prepare her for Washington D.C. just like they can prepare children for life.

"It teaches you it doesn't matter if you get knocked down, to keep getting up," Davids said.