Visit to Taylormade Community Fitness
Latics' youth team took their fitness to another level after doing a 90-minute boxercise and sparring session at Taylormade Community Fitness with local Newton Heath boxing trainer Mike Taylor and his staff.
The lads finished off the session by sparring with each other in a no-holds barred round of boxing with one knockout, three split lips and a busted nose.
They embraced the session and scholar Ben Grant was one who felt it was great for his development.
He said: "If I can get hit again and again by a guy like Mike Taylor in sparring in a ring, I should fear no one physically on a football pitch.
"I feel confident within myself and all the lads have said they want to come back as it's a different level of fitness that teaches you so much about yourself."
Simon Cooper, Latics' new Head Of Academy Coaching, was happy with the day as later the lads had a football possession session to teach them about the importance of keeping the ball when physically drained.
He said: "I knew the lads would love the boxing but I also knew, on the back of this doing a football session, we could get loads of things out of their psychological development with their physical and mental state.
"Football players have a tough life and they learned about the importance of balance in attack and defence in relation to both sports as well as being in control, even when their minds tell them to quit.
"You cannot quit in a boxing fight and you cannot quit in a football game as at any time you switch off you are either on the canvas or off the pitch.
"Football development is not just about producing the player is about producing the man and myself and Tony Phillisikirk know that the physical and psychological side is just as important as the technical and social side of the game."
Taylormade Community Fitness is in Morton Mill and provides fitness classes for the local community and all people from all walks of life and shapes and sizes can attend boxercise classes.