GRAND FORKS — When Brody Flood gets out of school, he usually grabs something to eat and heads to Combat Cardio Club, where he trains for two or three hours.
Flood, a 15-year-old student at Grand Forks Central, started boxing a year ago.
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"I always used to fight my brother at home, like every day," Flood said. "Fighting has always been a part of my life."
On Nov. 7, he'll put his training to the test. Flood is one of five youth fighters representing Combat Cardio in the North Dakota State Silver Gloves Tournament at the Ramada in Grand Forks.
It'll be his first fight.
"Kind of, but not really," Flood said when asked if he's nervous. "I feel like from when I started, I've grown like crazy. I put crazy hours into the gym."
The tournament is the first step toward the National Silver Gloves tournament, which is open to amateur boxers aged 8 to 17.
Boxers advance through the state tournament to make it to the regional tournament. For Combat Cardio fighters, regionals are in Minneapolis.
"It’s really nice, because you get to showcase your gym," Cardio Combat head coach and owner Victor Ramirez said. "You get to let the town know, hey, we’re here. But the other thing, too, is...