LANCASTER, Pa. — A Central Pennsylvania boxing gym is putting Lancaster on top of the national boxing stage, all through passion, a sense of family and a drive to be great.
Lancaster City Boxing Academy is tucked away on a downtown side street, and with only a sign denoting its presence, it can be easily missed if you're not paying attention.
However, inside the inconspicuous gym are some of the best amateur boxers in the country. In fact, Lancaster City Boxing Academy has the most amateur national champions in all of Pennsylvania.
"It's a long time coming. The recognition, we've been winning national titles out of Lancaster for a long time," said Will Torres, the coach and founder of Lancaster City Boxing Academy.
The gym was officially established in 2013 and has since produced multiple-time national champions and several boxers who have reached the top ranks in the entire country.
Most recently, four-time national champion 10-year-old Mila Torres and two-time national champion eight-year-old London Enaire both won gold at June’s Junior Olympics in Kansas.
However, for the boxers and Coach Torres, it’s only the beginning.
"Being number one in the country is great, but they all want to compete internationally. That's the dream here, the bar is set really high," said Torres. "They've been with me since the beginning and even before [for] some of them. The goal for all of them [is that] they want to win nationals, they want to be on the USA team. They work hard [for their dreams]."
The level of determination and the drive to be great stems from this boxing gym that is more than a place where these boxers train. It’s a place they call home with those they consider family.
"This is where I grew up and I train at every day. I can't see myself trading anywhere else. Even if I make [it] big time, this is my spot, this is my home," said 17-year-old Jerimiah Munoz, a three-time national champion. "These are my people. These are the people I rock out [with] til I die so that's just exactly how I feel, this is home."
It’s a supportive environment that Coach Torres preaches. To him, it’s more than just about the x’s and o’s of boxing. The success comes from that sense of family, alongside a passion for the sport.
"For the gym itself, being here in the inner city, [it] gets a lot of kids off the street and [meeting other kids] here so they're doing the right thing instead of getting in trouble," said 17-year-old Jasiah Ortiz, a three-time national champion. "Coach Will is like a father figure to all of us. [We] all take care of each other, especially when we're out of state and out at tournaments. We all stick together and make sure we're all good. This is one big family here. it's very unique and very special to all of us."
The boxing lifestyle everyone at the Lancaster City Boxing Academy has adopted continues to deliver the highest performance level and a drive to be great, both in and out of the ring.
"Competition [brings] a great deal of confidence and they just grow into a whole new person," said Torres. "They're becoming very confident in themselves in and outside of the ring."
The boxing academy continues to create successful young men and women, with the added plus of putting Lancaster boxing on the map.
"Lancaster City boxing is committed, we're locked in, we are at the gym and everyone in here has high goals," said Torres. "We're trying to make an impact that's going to be felt for a long time."
Sunday Sitdown interview with Lancaster City Boxing Academy Coach Will Torres:
