At Sooland Jr. Boxing Club, young Sioux City athletes get a workout with a punch

But get him inside of a boxing ring and you'll see why Tyrelle has earned the nickname "The Beast."

"Keep moving, Tyrelle!" coach Dan Farley yelled as the young fighter battled it out with fellow Sooland Jr. Boxing Club member Ivan Morgan. "Remember, keep your hands up and your chin down!"

MEET 'THE BEAST'

A member of the 421 Pierce St. boxing club for nearly five years, Tyrelle had gone from being a bit of the slacker to one of its top prospects.

"To tell you the truth, we had our doubts about Tyrelle," Dan Farley, who runs the gym with cousin Mike Farley, said. "It was like a light went on one day and he started taking boxing and himself serious."

"When I first came here, I was a lot heavier and totally out of shape," Tyrelle, currently a 170-pounder, remembered. "I decided to lose weight and gain muscles and  that gave me self-confidence."

Tyrelle's story is pretty common, Dan Farley said.

"We see a lot of kids come in without much direction," he explained. "We instill in them a sense of pride in themselves."

A WORKING CLASS SPORT FOR A WORKING CLASS TOWN 

This is exactly why Dan Farley opened Sooland Jr. Boxing Club more than five years ago.

Or should we say he revived an established name. 

"People in Sioux City may remember the original Sooland Jr. Boxing Club that my family ran in the '70s and '80s," Dan Farley said. "We brought back the name and the original logo as a way to challenge a new generation of young athletes."

AN ICONIC NAME FOR A NEW GENERATION

Like his cousin Dan, Mike Farley was an amateur boxer when he was a kid. Also like his cousin, he gave up the sweet science as an adult.

"Once you get married and start having kids, you need to get a job because boxing wasn't footing the bills," he explained.   

However, Mike Farley never lost his love for the sport.

"Boxing is a working class sport and Sioux City is a working-class town," he said. "Boxing is in my blood and, in Sioux City, boxing has always been popular."

It can't be very safe, right?

According to Dan Farley, the USA Boxing-certified club takes precaution to ensure the safety of its young athlete, whom range in age from 8 to 18.

And don't think they're training the next generation of bullies.

"No, we're giving our students a positive way to be active by challenging them both physically and mentally," Mike Farley said. "Boxing is as much about strategy as it is about strength."

A FAMILY OF FIGHTERS

However, boxing can also be about style as well. Just ask Zeke Castro, a North High School ninth grader, who admits to having an attention-getting counter-punching style.

"My dad accuses me of being flashy in the ring," he said. "I don't think I am."

Perhaps Zeke should listen to his dad, Zeke Castro Jr., who was an amateur boxer. Before that, grandpa Zeke Castro Sr. was also a fighter.

"Zeke is the third generation in his family to put on boxing gloves," Zeke Castro Jr. said. "He's been punching ever since he was a baby."

SPECIAL TYPE OF ATHLETE

Dan Farley said boxers are a breed apart from other types of athletes.

"On occasion, we'll have a football player or a basketball player come in but they won't last long," he said. "Boxing isn't a team sport. Your success is entirely on you."

This means Sooland Jr. Boxing Club athletes spend less time sparring and more time stretching, running and hitting a punching bag.

Plus many may never even want to enter a boxing ring.

"You don't need to box to be a member of this club," Dan Farley said. "You need to have a good attitude and a willingness to work hard."

Perhaps, some day, people will start calling you "The Beast." 

"I'm proud of that nickname," Tyrelle said with a smile. "I worked hard to get it."