Shippensburg sixth grader Noah Ignacio is building his boxing career one jab at a time.

Noah Ignacio shadowboxes and lifts weights at home. Sometimes he sprints at a local park or works on his conditioning. He visits coach Scott Dirkson and brings all the pieces together in his ring.

Every day is a little different in the world of boxing.

Ignacio, a sixth-grader in the Shippensburg Area School District, has built his amateur boxing career from the ground up. He travels all over the state for events, increasing his interest in the sport among his peers.

“(My proudest moment is) just sticking with it,” Ignacio said. “And actually getting serious about it.”

Ignacio's dedication began to emerge at the age of 10. Encouragement from his father Joseph helped launch his career.

“My dad always loved boxing,” Noah said. “And I started getting into it.”

At the age of 11, Noah began participating in competitions and events, and his passion led him to all areas of the Commonwealth. For his preparation, Noah trains at home and outdoors with his father.

Training sessions range from indoor jump rope, bag work and padding to footwork drills and running in the fresh air.

“He's been fighting every few months since then,” Joseph said.

Noah has a record of 4 wins and 1 loss in amateur competitions. With each match, they grow in confidence and knowledge in preparation for the Silver Gloves, a national competition held each November.

Noah finds new ways to expand his knowledge of the sport while building his repertoire. He recently joined Level One He Boxing and Fitness from Mechanicsburg to take the next step.

“It's been a long run the last few years,” Joseph said. “His coach, Dirk, myself, and he just really traveled and went to different places. Whenever we go to a gym and fight, we're solo so we're competing against other gyms. So Level One is a huge part of us now…They've become a family in our way. I’m happy to be able to take my entourage with me.”

Boxing isn't the most important sport in the Midstate. Finding a place to train and play games was difficult at first.

According to Google Maps, there are only two boxing gyms in Cumberland County. TITLE Boxing Club at Level One and Camp Hill.

“If you look at Carlisle, Shippensburg, Chambersburg, I don’t know of any other kids that are participating in such intense physical activity and actually competing, because we don’t have gyms in this area. ” Joseph said.

Noah formed his own following. His friends are challenging for championships in a bit to dip their toe into the world of boxing.

“He has a lot of kids his age and he just tries to work with them and run with them,” Joseph said. “The cross country team wants to run with him and we catch him in training all the time. So, to be honest, he gets approached by a lot of kids. And we get a lot of He has gotten his kids involved in sports as well. …A lot of his friends are following in his direction, which is great.”

Noah isn't sure what his amateur career will be like. However, he has one goal for the future.

“I want to be world champion,” he said.