Boxing Leadership packs a real punch!

Great Britain “Young Leaders” Boxing Tutor Course

The very first official GB Young Leaders Boxing Tutor Course was held on Saturday 19th December 2009 at the Heart of Portsmouth Boxing Academy in Portsmouth.  14 Young Leaders from the Hampshire Region took part. The GB Young Leaders Boxing Tutor Course is now being run after two very successful pilot courses in Loughborough Sports University.  The Youth Sport Trust, the national organisation responsible for school sport and physical education has agreed to include the Young Leaders Boxing Tutor award on their national course database as part of their Leadership and Volunteering strand, so now young leaders from all over England can do the award as part of their accredited “8 hrs leadership training”.

The BABA/ABA has agreed to lower the age limit to 14-yrs old to deliver the (non-contact) National Boxing Awards Scheme as long as the young leader is supervised by a competent adult whilst delivering the non-contact part of the awards.   The emphasis on the course is on how to begin to teach the basics of boxing safely and effectively to their peers and to primary-age pupils with the aim of introducing young people, to the idea of voluntary sports coaching work and volunteering in sport generally.

After successfully completing the course the 14 qualified Boxing Tutors were then invited back, a week later, to the Heart of Portsmouth (HOP)Boxing Academy for the Portsmouth City Christmas Boxing Camp, so they could deliver the National Awards programme to the 35 youngsters booked on the Christmas Boxing Camp, under the supervision of the HOP ABA coaches.  Those who took part will now join their weekly after school boxing sessions with added confidence.

Sport Hampshire & Isle of Wight’s Coaching Development Manager, CJ Lee, attended the 1-day course and commented, “Boxing is a sport with the capacity to engage a large number of traditional performers, disadvantaged and at risk groups in ways that other sports cannot.  The non-contact element of the [Boxing] award makes the sport really accessible to wide group of young people, both as participants and leaders, and in the future as coaches and officials.  We really embrace the exciting opportunities posed by this new leadership pathway.”

Southern Counties ABA secretary and ABA Full Badge Coach Lizzie Addington (Sweet Science Boxing Academy) put four of her boxers from her Boxing Gym on the course Liz Addington said, “I am in my first season as SC secretary and have numerous queries from boxers who have left the sport wanting to come back. Why? Due to the nature of these awards and the success they are having in changing opinions of amateur boxing. People are now coming back into out sport as coaches, setting up clubs and making essential links with our schools and pathways into or clubs. My four boxers from Sweet Science Academy were all waiting to turn 16 before they became boxing tutors so for them Christmas came early!”

For more information on the Boxing Awards contact Quinton Shillingford or visit the website at www.boxingwards.co.uk