Just shy of 4,500 school children in Sligo have taken part in IABA StartBox programmes this year.
StartBox is a non-contact programme designed to activate children in to sport, and boxing, and is delivered by IABA qualified coaches in 19 primary and secondary school settings.
This year, 3,400 primary school children and just under 1,000 at second level took part in 6-week programmes in collaboration with their schools.
Originated and managed by Sligo Boxing Development Officer Maeve Clarke, training in Sligo was delivered by Maeve, Dino Dallat (Ballymote BC), Keelan Finan (Gateway BC), Conor Tighe (Ballinacarrow) and Mairead Keane (Ballinacarrow BC)
Maeve and her team also delivered 9 community-based programmes in the county, providing a route in to boxing to in urban and rural parts of Sligo to 225 women, 262 children, and 900 teenage boys and girls.
Sligo Boxing Development created a new partnership with Sligo Traveller Support group, offering community through boxing to women and girls during 16 Days of Activism from November 26th to December 10th.
Additionally, Maeve oversees the Galway programme, where 500 primary and secondary school children took part in IABA’s StartBox programme across 9 schools. Galway StartBox is delivered by Gabe Cronnelly (Monivea BC) and Kym O’Reilly (Castlerea BC.
Sligo Boxing Development Officer Maeve Clarke said “School and community-based programmes like StartBox are vital in providing new avenues in to sport, physical literacy and to boxing. It’s a real pleasure to introduce primary and secondary school children throughout the county to boxing, and to see them flourish through enjoyment of the sport. It’s also important to recognise that these programmes would not be possible without the coaching expertise of Sligo and Galway coaches, who, between them, have decades of coaching experience.”