Boxing club opens golden gloves and opportunities

BUFFALO, N.Y. — High school sports and clubs breed competition, personal growth and hopefully no black eyes, although there may be a slight case like in a rare boxing program whose other schools can learn, like the North Buffalo members.

“I needed a place to use my motivation,” said Murphy Suua, a student at Research Laboratory High School and member of the boxing club. “I wanted to work hard. I wanted to sweat.”

That’s exactly what a high school boxing club brings.

“There’s nothing like unloading on a bag. I mean, you know, if you’re having a bad day or something,” said Eric Marlinski, boxing club coordinator and owner of a local boxing gym.

He has led the club at Research Lab High School in North Buffalo for two years by popular demand.

“They see, you know, social media stars are doing it now and stuff like that,” Marlinski said. “It’s kind of a comeback, it’s becoming popular again. It’s kind of a cool thing to do. But, you know, it’s a sport.”

But it’s not just clicks or views that these kids are putting in the gloves and bags for.

“By doing that, you gain confidence. I mean, you walk a little taller, you know, you’re a little prouder,” he noted. “When they go through this program and they get to the point where they get in the ring and get this far on the first try, I mean, that’s something that no one can take away from them. Boxing is not a sport that everyone can do. It’s a challenge.”

It’s a challenge that club member Johnny Joe Williams welcomes.

“When I started here, it was all about learning discipline,” he said.

He can’t attend every practice, but when he’s here, he builds more than just a nasty right hook.

“It was just a great way to release all my anger and all my stress and just something to do after a long day at school,” Williams said.

For some, it’s stress management and exercise. Others? Camaraderie.

“The people,” stressed MP Trenyce Luchey. “No one judges you for anything. You just have fun, talk with your friends, and just be with the people you care about.”

Everyone has a similar goal.

“When you hit the bag, you channel all your emotions into the bag,” Luchey said.

For kids like Luchey and his colleague Zyaire Rhodes, it’s about building the best in themselves.

“Imagining thousands of people coming to see you fight, cheering you on and like that brought me joy,” Rhodes said.

And just as it’s not typical for a high school to have a boxing club, these excited athletes continue to prove that variety in extracurricular activities is very important.

“When I first came here, they had a science club. I’ve never been to a science club. So I went to the science club. I tried it. I loved it,” he noted.

Of course, this only lasts three minutes at a time.

“I mean, playing football, doing all that, any sport would have been good. But there’s something about boxing that I enjoy more than any other sport,” Suua said. “I think I wanted to put everything I had into it.”

Research Lab High School does not have a large gym, but visits nearby boxing gyms to train every two weeks. Hope for some in this club? Personal growth. Others? Maybe a trip down the Thruway and possibly end up at the Boxing Hall of Fame just outside of Utica.