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

"I needed somewhere to use my motivation that I have," said Research Laboratory High School student and boxing club member Murphy Suua. "I wanted to work hard. I wanted to sweat."

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

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

He's been running the club for Research Lab High School in North Buffalo for two years by wildly popular demand.

"They see, you know, the social media stars now doing it and stuff like that," Marlinski said. "It's kind of coming back, it's getting 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 these kids get involved with the gloves and bags for.

"You build confidence doing this. 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 actually climb into that ring and they get this far the first time, I mean that's something nobody can take away from them. Boxing is not a sport everybody can do. It's a challenge."

It's a challenge welcomed by club member Johnny Joe Williams.

"When I first started here, it was all about me learning discipline," he said.

He can't make it to every practice, but when he's here, he's building more than a mean right hook.

"It was just a great way to let all my anger and all my stress and just like, just something to do after a long day at school," Williams said.

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

"The people," noted member Trenyce Luchey. "No one's judging you about anything. You're just having fun and just talking with your friends and just being with the people that you care about."

Everyone has a similar goal.

"When you punch the bag, you channel all your emotions into the bag," Luchey said.

For kids like Luchey and fellow member Zyaire Rhodes, it's been about building the best parts of themselves.

"To imagine thousands of people coming to watch you fight, cheering you on and like that just brought joy to me," Rhodes said.

And much like it's not that usual for a high school to have a boxing club, these wrapped up athletes continue to prove that variety in after school activities goes a long way.

"When I first came here, they had a science club. I never been to science club. So I went to science club. I tried it. I loved it," he noted.

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

"I mean, doing football, doing all this, all the sports would have been all right. But there's something about boxing that I just enjoyed more than all the other sports," said Suua. "I think I wanted to put everything I had into it."

Research Lab High School doesn't have a large gym facility, but travels to nearby boxing gyms to spar every couple of weeks. The hope for some in this club? Personal growth. Others? Maybe a trip down the Thruway and eventually end up in the Boxing Hall of Fame just outside of Utica.