As the district attorney of Albany County, I know too well the effects of violence in our communities. I work tirelessly to prosecute violence and protect our citizens from those who would do us harm.
I have applied a "Tough on Crime; Smart on Prevention" strategy that is making a difference in our community. My obligation to improving the community is not limited to our courtrooms. It requires advocating for issues I believe will contribute to a better community, such as a variety of positive and structured recreation opportunities for youth. From football to step-dancing, motocross to skateboarding, and boxing to kickball, we are creating spaces and places for children to be safe.
Sports are not a panacea that will eliminate all violent behavior in society, and I know some will argue that contact sports such as football, hockey and rugby encourage more aggressive behavior in young people. That is the argument that some have made in opposing the legalization of mixed martial arts in New York. However, they demonstrate their lack of understanding of the sport.
Professional MMA, which is legal in 48 states and countless countries, is the fastest-growing sport — both in terms of viewership and youth participation. It provides an opportunity for competitors to continue in their art well after their amateur and collegiate experiences have ended. It teaches discipline, respect, self-defense, and both the proper and improper uses of physical force.
Speak with others who regularly interact with young people and you will hear about how children who train in martial arts disciplines are better behaved, more focused and less aggressive outside of the gym. You will hear how they have learned to respect themselves and others and how they are less prone to bully, and in fact are more likely to help defend those who are bullied.
Not long ago, I joined with Albany Mayor Jennings, U.S. Attorney Richard Hartunian, Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple, City of Albany Parks Commissioner John D'Antonio, and others in support of the Quail Street Gym's "Fight for Success" program to help young first-time, nonviolent offenders find an alternative to incarceration. Virtually all law enforcement officials agree that these programs make our society stronger and our streets safer.
Well-regulated professional sports have evolved and incorporated safety provisions that did not exist a decade ago. MMA has undergone such an evolution in the last decade. According to a Johns Hopkins University study, MMA leads to no more injuries than other heavy contact sports such as football and hockey. Watching MMA on TV — which millions of New Yorkers do today — will not make viewers more likely to act violently in society.
MMA is a highly skilled, highly competitive sport. It is not a sport that everyone will want to watch. But neither are baseball, NASCAR, boxing, soccer or any other sport. Those who want to watch it can do so now on broadcast, cable and pay-per-view TV, or at one of the dozens of local MMA gyms.
New Yorkers are thriving in Professional MMA. Light heavyweight champion John Jones, middleweight contender Chris Weidman, and Matt Sera call New York home but unlike many MMA athletes, these competitors have never experienced a hometown advantage in a professional, regulated event — even though they could compete in amateur, unregulated MMA events under New York state law.
Marina Shafir, a rising star in MMA who trains with current UFC Women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, hails from Albany. It's time to welcome Shafir and Rousey back to New York and introduce them to the youth of our county. It's time to allow MMA fans to see them at hometown venues.
It's time for the Assembly to do what the Senate has done four times: pass a bill to legalize and regulate professional MMA in New York. This sport will provide incentives for youths to commit to the martial arts and avoid the lure of crime and violence on the streets.
P. David Soares is the Albany County District Attorney