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In a bright, repurposed room inside a Duluth church now known as the Dream Center, the steady rhythm of gloves striking pads signals something more than a workout. It signals a return.
What has emerged over the past two months is the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office Police Athletic League (PAL) Boxing Club — a community-driven program designed to foster mentorship and positive relationships between law enforcement and youth ages 8 to 18 through the disciplined sport of amateur boxing.
“It started with an idea about a year ago and kind of spawned into this amazing thing,” head coach Joe Lorenzi said. “Right now we’ve got 28 kids registered, and we’re going to continue to keep growing. It’s pretty awesome.”
The gym, housed inside a church space donated and renovated by Hermantown Community Church, operates as a free program for area youth. For families unable to afford USA Boxing registration fees, the nonprofit club steps in.
“First and foremost, we want kids to be able to come in and train,” Lorenzi said. “If they can’t afford it, we take care of it. This is a place for everyone.”
That philosophy has fueled early momentum — and drawn a steady stream of kids through the doors.
Coach Mickey Greene has seen it firsthand.
“The kids are coming in like crazy,” Greene said. “We’ve got kids from all over the community, and that’s what we wanted. This is just going to keep growing.”
For Greene, the gym echoes a past that shaped generations in Duluth — the police-run boxing programs of the 1970s that emphasized discipline, accountability and structure.
“For kids in the neighborhood, you get discipline, self-respect, confidence — you get so much,” Greene said. “You’ve got to get good grades. You can’t just go out and fight in the streets. It’s all part of it, and the kids need it.”
Lorenzi knows that path well because he lived it.
“I was a knucklehead 15-year-old kid that thought I was the toughest kid in the world,” he said. “But I lacked discipline. The gym changed my life. I learned responsibility. I learned that people cared about me.”
Now 44, Lorenzi has spent decades in the sport — from amateur boxer to professional, from gym owner to promoter — before returning to Duluth in law enforcement with the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office.
This program, he said, is the first time those two worlds have fully aligned.
“This is the first time I’m really able to connect my work in law enforcement with boxing,” Lorenzi said. “They go hand in hand — getting kids off the street and into the gym. Whether they want to compete or just hit the bag and get frustration out, it’s a place for everyone.”
That connection is central to the mission.
Half the volunteer coaches come from law enforcement. The rest come from boxing backgrounds. Together, they’re rebuilding something Lorenzi believes the community has been missing.
“That was honestly my reasoning for bringing this gym back,” he said. “Paying homage to the old police gym and the coaches who came before us. Without them, I wouldn’t be here.”
Support from the sheriff’s office and local partners has been critical.
“They’ve bent over backwards to get this program running,” Lorenzi said. “The church donated the space. People donated equipment. This is a community coming together for kids.”
Inside the gym, that community is already taking shape.
Coach Amy Lemenager, a Duluth police officer and professional boxer, sees the impact in real time.
“It’s amazing,” Lemenager said. “Just being able to get kids in here and teach discipline and respect — those are things that carry into adulthood.”
A former hockey player turned boxer after a knee injury ended her college hockey plans, Lemenager now focuses on passing along the lessons she learned in the sport.
“When you step into the ring, it’s just you,” she said. “So you learn accountability, hard work, how to prepare. Those are life lessons.”
She’s especially encouraged by the number of girls stepping into the gym.
“That’s my favorite part,” she said. “Seeing young women get into contact sports. I love coaching the girls.”
For Lemenager, the gym is also an extension of her work in uniform.
“I was raised in Duluth,” she said. “This community made me who I am. Now I get to give back — not just as a police officer, but here with these kids.”
That connection resonates with parents.
Natasha Jauss brings her 9-year-old daughter to the gym, drawn first by curiosity, then by what she saw.
“It’s helping her build confidence,” Jauss said. “Helping her focus, giving her something positive to do.”
The law enforcement presence, she said, adds another layer.
“It helps build relationships,” Jauss said. “Kids see that police officers are there to help them. That’s really important right now.”
Back in the ring, the work continues — jump rope, drills, instruction — all building toward something bigger.
Competition will come later, through USA Boxing events such as Silver Gloves and Junior Olympics. Lorenzi expects that timeline to stretch into the summer.
For now, the focus is simpler.
“We’re just going to keep working,” he said. “Get these kids comfortable, teach them the trade, bring other teams in, and keep building.”
In Duluth, the model isn’t new. But the need — and the response — feel unmistakably current. A church offering space. Law enforcement offering time. Coaches offering experience. Kids showing up.
And inside one room, a familiar idea finding its footing again — one punch, one lesson, one kid at a time.
