From the outside, Rudy Moreno's home in Vista looks like any other on his street.
But as you approach his back yard, you hear a pounding sound. It's the sound of gloves striking punching bags, and it gets louder as you finally see the large tent that now takes up most of the yard.
Inside the tent, you'll find young and aspiring boxers.
The boxing program is part of a nonprofit he started called H.E.R.O. Inc. — Helping Everyone Reach Opportunity.
“I have a motto which is 'learn, grow, and lead.' Each one of these kids, they learn something, then they become leaders and teach others, and then they just grow from there," said Rudy Moreno, the organization's president.
Moreno used to coach in a bigger space, but last year the program was displaced to make way for a new residential development.
“We lost our big facility we had off North Santa Fe. So we put our minds together … we put our money together, because it was pricey and we decided, ‘You know what, we have the space in our backyard, why not construct something here,'" he said.
H.E.R.O. Inc. is about giving youth a fighting chance. That's why Moreno built the boxing gym in his very own backyard.
“Physical activity helps you mentally and physically," he said. "Not only do I want to create champions in the ring, but I want to create champions outside of the ring as well. That way they become productive citizens.”
Moreno said boxing helped him stay out of trouble while growing up in Vista. He went on to join the Air Force and served for 20 years. After retirement, the sport helped him recover from the effects of PTSD.
“Because of the 20 years of service and the multiple deployments I did, and wartime situations, and that experience ... I did suffer from PTSD, anxiety, depression," he said. "There was a time that my body just started falling apart basically, after retirement. I guess because I wasn't physically active anymore.”
After serving the nation, Moreno decided to serve the youth of his home town with boxing through his organization.
The program serves kids like Uleena Torres. “I think it helped me not to get picked on," she said. "Just because I'm small, it doesn't mean I can't do anything.”
Torres is the only girl in the group. She’s won national titles and state championships and hopes that those will keep stacking up.
“I want to take it to at least the Olympics where I get top, and maybe even professional," she says.
Seventeen-year-old Franklin Garcia said boxing has kept him from hanging out with the wrong crowds.
“There's other sports kids can do, not just boxing," he said. "I encourage kids to do sports instead of being out there in the streets ... It's good for your health.”
Boxing also inspired Garcia to join his school's cross country team. He hopes to go to a four year university and continue boxing.
“I wanna go professional. That's my dream right now. I'm working hard everyday, running, working hard, hitting the gym. Cross country then boxing and school," he said. "I just hope to be someone big — be one of the big, top fighters.”
Victor Villagomez, or "Tony Boy," is Moreno’s youngest competitor at 10 years old.
“(Boxing) helped me by getting confident and building my strength to my mind and my body,” he said.
Like the rest of the boxers, Tony Boy has big goals in mind.
“What I wanna do is be a pro so I could make a career of myself and be ... successful," Tony Boy said.
“What brings me joy is seeing their expressions," said Moreno. "When we go to a national tournament and we win ... even a local tournament. Just seeing them win, they know that the hard work they’ve been putting in the gym is paying off.”
Moreno’s backyard boxing program is temporary. He hopes to get a bigger place with more sports and services for the community.
“Other sports, fitness, basketball, football. I would like my facility to have a learning resource center, a computer lab where kids can come and do their homework and then participate in an activity," he said.
Until then, Moreno’s backyard is open until the sun goes down to help kids reach new opportunities.
“You always wanna help that person up so that way they can help the next person,” he said.
