Standards for coaching Olympicstyle non-contact boxing in schools
INTRODUCTION
The development of Olympic-style non-contact
boxing in schools is a key aim of the ABAE and is
identified within the sport’s Whole Sport Plan
2009-2013 as an important strategic focus for
growing and developing the sport.
Good coaching is vital in providing children with a
positive introduction to the sport which allows
them to learn the basic skills and techniques of
boxing in a safe and enjoyable way.
Such experiences are essential to encourage
more children to participate in boxing and to join
their local clubs. This guidance is intended for
both schools and coaches to ensure that children
throughout the country can have a positive
introduction to boxing in their schools.
All of the guidance within this document relates to
Olympic-style non-contact boxing activity.
Only affiliated ABAE clubs can deliver competitive
boxing. Schools may become ABAE affiliated
clubs should they wish to and are able to meet
the required criteria. Schools should contact the
ABAE for further information.
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Standards for coaches
This section outlines ABAE standards for coaches that wish to coach in schools.
This will help coaches to understand what is expected of them and will help schools to identify
potential suitable coaches.
ABAE Registered Coach – as the Governing Body for
the sport of amateur boxing the ABAE recommends that
schools only use individuals that are registered ABAE
coaches for the delivery of boxing activity. All ABAE
registered coaches hold an ABAE coaching qualification
and have undergone an enhanced CRB disclosure. You
can check if a coach is registered by contacting your
Regional ABA Secretary. Contact details can be found in
the FAQ section of our website.
Programme Delivery – all coaches delivering in schools
must deliver one of the ABAE’s endorsed programmes,
Contender Am-Box or the GB Boxing Awards. These
are the only programmes that the ABAE endorses for
delivery in schools. ABAE coaches are not insured for
the delivery of any other programme in schools.
Managing Challenging Behaviour – where coaches
will be working with groups that have been specifically
identified due to problems with behaviour and discipline,
for example children and young people from Pupil
Referral Units, Youth Offending Teams, and excluded
children, coaches will need to attend appropriate training
on managing challenging behaviour. This will help to
ensure that they are properly equipped to deal with the
issues that they may be faced with.
ABAE Full Coach Qualified or Above – the Full Coach
qualification is the ABAE’s current Level 2 equivalent
qualification (UKCC qualifications are in development for
roll-out from 2010). This is the level at which a coach
can assume supervisory responsibility for leading a
session. It is recognised that in some circumstances
there may be no full coaches available and the school
may wish to use an ABAE Assistant Coach (Level 1
equivalent) to ensure that activity can take place. In
such cases the coach should always operate under the
supervision of a teacher. The school is responsible for
ensuring that the coach is suitable to deliver the session/
s in question. The ABAE aims to have all school
coaches Level 2 qualified by 2011.
In addition to the above standards the previous
experience and training and development of the coach
will enhance their suitability for working in schools.
Schools may be approached by professional boxers
wishing to deliver sessions for them. These would need
to meet the standards outlined here in order to be
considered eligible by the ABAE to deliver coaching
activity in schools.
ABAE Boxing Leaders and Boxing Tutors should
only be used to assist delivery under the direct
supervision of an ABAE Full Coach or higher.
Leaders and Tutors should also be registered
with the ABAE.
For further information on the ABAE’s coaching
qualifications, including where the ABAE Boxing
Leader Course and the Boxing Tutor Course fit
within the structure, please see the ABAE
Coaching & Leadership Courses Structure.
Safeguarding Children Awareness – all coaches that
work with children should be familiar with and fully abide
by the ABAE’s guidance relating to safeguarding
children. In particular they should be familiar with the
Child Protection Policy and the content of the Best
Practice Guide. We would strongly recommend that
coaches that wish to coach in schools should attend an
ABAE recognised safeguarding children workshop.
Equity Awareness – all coaches should be familiar with
and fully abide by the ABAE’s Equity Policy.
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Boxing in Schools – Roles and Responsibilities
This section highlights the relative roles and responsibilities of the ABAE, the school and the coach.
ABAE
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To promote these standards to schools and ABAE clubs and coaches.
To help schools to access Olympic-style non-contact boxing coaching by compiling a database of ABAE registered
coaches that wish to coach in schools and that meet the recommended standards.
To support access to development opportunities for coaches that work / wish to work in schools including training
and resources.
To signpost schools to coaches that are on the ABAE database of schools’ coaches.
The ABAE cannot make a recommendation based on the suitability of the coach to coach within a school. The ABAE can
signpost schools to coaches based on the understanding that they meet the defined standards, but this shouldn’t be used
as a basis for assessing the quality of the coach or his or her suitability to coach a specific group of children. Further
information contained within this brochure will help schools to fully determine suitability.
Schools
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To ensure that these standards are followed when employing / deploying boxing coaches.
To adopt appropriate recruitment and selection procedures to meet safeguarding responsibilities.
To ensure that selection methods are employed to ensure that the school is satisfied with the suitability of the
coach to meet the needs of the group/s to be coached, for example getting the coach to deliver a trial session.
A checklist is available from the ABAE’s National Club & Coach Manager which may help to assess suitability.
To provide an induction for the coach to clearly communicate to him / her relevant roles and responsibilities, the
standards that are expected of them and the school’s working practices, policies and procedures, such as health
and safety.
To provide opportunities for continuous professional development (CPD) where possible.
To support, guide and provide feedback to the coach as required to help them to coach effectively within a school
environment.
To agree rate and method of payment with the coach. Fees may be negotiated based on budgets, comparable
local rates etc, but we would recommend that schools do not pay more than £25 per hour per coach. A higher fee
may be justified if a coach can demonstrate significant added value.
To provide feedback to the ABAE where concerns exist about the standard of coaching or conduct of any ABAE
registered coach. Schools may also wish to provide feedback where they are particularly pleased with the
standard of coaching that they have received.
Ultimately the school will be responsible for any activity that takes place within it and must be satisfied regarding the
quality and suitability of the coach.
Coaches
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To abide by the appropriate ABAE policies, procedures and codes of conduct (as outlined previously) when
coaching in schools.
To abide by the policies and procedures of the school and to adhere to the school’s working practices and
expected standards.
To undertake training and development opportunities as appropriate.
To liaise with the school to agree the aims of the programme and to clarify expectations.
It is the role of both schools and coaches to ensure that they are happy with the working relationship and that they work
together to provide a good quality programme that is beneficial to the children.
Coaches are only insured by the ABAE to deliver coaching in3schools if they meet the standards that are set out here.
Practical Guidance for Coaches Delivering in Schools
When coaching in a school it is useful to remember that:
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In most cases you will be dealing with beginners
There may be people in the group that are not interested in boxing.
The main focus of the coach in a school is to provide an enjoyable, fun, non-contact introduction to the sport of boxing
for the whole group, not to develop an Olympic champion. For some children this will mean developing and improving
skills, for others it may be about emphasising the health and fitness benefits of boxing without being too concerned
about whether they are technically competent.
Those that show an interest in furthering their involvement with boxing, whether competitively or recreationally, should
be signposted to a suitable ABAE affiliated local club. Whilst in the school environment the coach should focus his / her
attention on all participants and not only those that show potential.
Some key points for delivering a good session in schools are highlighted below:
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Keep the amount of activity high – the children would rather be practising their skills than listening to the coach
talk. Keep instructions clear and concise and allow lots of time for the group to practice.
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Make the session fun - and remember that the children themselves will often have ideas about how activities
can be made fun.
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Be positive and enthusiastic in your approach and manner.
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Make sure that there is an appropriate level of challenge for all in the group, including the most and least able.
All skills and activities should be able to be progressed and adapted as required to suit different ability levels
within the group. Appropriate pairing and grouping of individuals will also help. Good planning is key here,
along with the ability to assess the needs of the group.
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Try to provide individual feedback to everybody in the group and find something positive to say; this can be
about their skills, their effort or anything else that is worthy of praise.
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Ensure that there is plenty of variety within sessions to prevent boredom.
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Encourage the children to ask questions, and listen to and act upon their feedback and ideas as appropriate.
Following the above guidance will help to ensure that sessions are enjoyable and purposeful for all. The ABAE’s
guidance on managing behaviour, available to download from the child protection section of the ABAE’s website, may
also be useful.
The Youth Sport Trust identifies a number of key outcomes for young people. Being able to demonstrate to schools that
your sessions can help to achieve these may be useful to you when looking to work with schools. The outcomes are as
follows:
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Young people healthy and comfortable with their bodies
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Young people feeling a sense of belonging
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Young people happy and with a sense of well being
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Young people who have the skills for work
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Young people who are not afraid of challenge
and value success and failure
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Young people with confidence and who are
comfortable communicators
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Young people who have their own opinions and
personal values
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Young people enabled to be the best they can be
– achieve their potential.
Remember, children are more likely to misbehave
when:
• They feel bored
• They find an activity too easy or too hard
• They do not feel they are being listened to
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The coach is too lenient or too harsh
Practical guidance for schools - making the most of your sessions
The following guidance will help to ensure that your children are able to get the most out of their opportunity to participate
in Olympic-style non-contact boxing activity.
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Meet with the coach in advance of delivery to discuss the aims of the programme and to clarify expectations.
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Use ABAE endorsed programmes to support the delivery and the achievement of your aims. ABAE Contender
Am-Box and the GB Boxing Awards are both excellent programmes for delivery within schools. For more
information please see contact details at the end of this brochure.
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To promote long-term sustainability of Olympic-style non-contact boxing in your school it is recommended that
you identify 1 or more members of staff to attend the ABAE Boxing Leader Award or the ABAE endorsed Boxing
Tutor Course. Students aged 15+ may also be identified to attend these courses.
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Do not limit the attendance at sessions to those children with challenging behaviour. Whilst boxing can help to
instil discipline the sport has many more benefits that many children can benefit from.
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Establish a link with an ABAE affiliated club to ensure that opportunities exist for children to further their
involvement in the sport.
Suggested Continuous Professional Development for Coaches
The following sports coach UK workshops may be beneficial for coaches that work with children.
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Safeguarding & Protecting Children – this workshop explores good practice when coaching children and helps
coaches to identify and deal with concerns regarding poor practice or potential abuse.
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An Introduction to Long Term Athlete Development – this workshop introduces coaches to the Long Term
Athlete Development model and helps them to understand what the focus of training should be at each stage of
the athlete development pathway.
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An Introduction to the Fundamentals of Movement – this practical workshop helps coaches to develop the
fundamental movement skills of agility, balance and co-ordination – the building blocks of athletic performance –
in children.
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Coaching the Whole Child: Positive Development Through Sport – this workshop will raise coaches’
awareness of the latest advances in children’s coaching, adopting the concept of 5 Cs for positive personal
development: Competence, Confidence, Connection & Caring, Character, and Creativity.
Your County Sports Partnership (CSP) will be able to provide details of local workshops. For more information on sports
coach UK workshops please visit their Learning Zone at www.sportscoachuk.org.
Coaches may also benefit from professional development opportunities offered by their School Sports Partnership (SSP).
Please contact your SSP for details.
Useful Addresses
For further information: Amateur Boxing Association of England, EIS Sheffield, Coleridge Road, Sheffield, S9 5DA. Tel:
0114 223 5654.
ABAE National Club & Coach Manager: Matthew Williams. Tel: 07515 333032. Email: [email protected]
For further information on Contender Am-Box and the
Boxing Leader Course please contact:
For further information on the GB Boxing Awards and
Boxing Tutor Course please contact:
Police Clubs Great Britain
PO Box 160
Bideford
Devon
EX39 9DL
Tel: 01237 471 615
Mobile: 07590 600 001
Email: [email protected]
Boxing Awards Ltd
PO Box 878
Southsea
PO1 9HG
Mobile: 07702 745590
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.boxingawards.co.uk
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