Over 800 boxers with additional needs have joined the Irish Boxing family over the last 12 months.
In December, 2021, 1,087 people with additional needs were in training in Irish clubs; that’s risen to 1,751 people.
205 clubs are now providing boxing training to boxers with additional needs, which may include neurodiversity, physical disability, intellectual disability, hearing impairment or vision impairment.
2022 also became the year when the High Five Boxing Academy expanded across Ireland. The IABA continues to extend its heartfelt thanks to the High Five Programme, its Chair, Paddy Dingle, Steering Committee, and participating clubs, boxers and parents, for paving the way for disability inclusive boxing training for children throughout Ireland and for their contribution to the development of a programme available to all boxing clubs.
The IABA has developed technical guidelines for clubs wishing to delivery inclusive boxing training for children with disabilities through the High Five Boxing Academy– these include information on buddies, volunteers and reporting. An information session on High Five, with founder Paddy Dingle and IABA Communications and Inclusion Officer Ciara Plunkett, took place through Zoom in August.
Clubs wishing to move forward in becoming part of the High Five family were asked to confirm their adoption of principles and criteria. IABA has funded, through Sport Ireland funding, the provision of Cara Sport Inclusion Ireland Disability Inclusion Training, and the following clubs have now been DIT certified and join the High Five Boxing Academy in the First Wave:
| Club | County |
| Duke’s Boxing Club | Tyrone |
| Gateway Boxing Club | Sligo |
| Greenhills Boxing Club | Dublin |
| Ledley Hall Boxing Club | Antrim |
| Oughterard Boxing Club | Galway |
| Tralee Boxing Club | Kerry |
| Templemore Boxing Club Monivea Boxin Club | Tipperary Galway |
The IABA will open a Second Wave of registration, education and upskilling for clubs considering joining the High Five Boxing Academy in the coming weeks.
Clubs
Clubs in the High Five Boxing Academy must:
· Be affiliated to the IABA
· Ensure all boxers taking part in the High Five Programme are fully registered as club members
· Be a signatory to the Cara Sport Inclusion Ireland Sports Disability Inclusion Charter
· Be mindful of the Cara Sport Inclusion Ireland’s inclusion continuum
Coaches
Coaches coaching in the High Five Boxing Academy must:
· Be registered members of an affiliated club
· Have an IABA Level One qualification, or above
· Have a minimum of two years’ experience in coaching children and young people.
· Have current Garda vetting
· Have undergone child safeguarding training
· Have completed the Cara Sport Inclusion Ireland Disability Inclusion Training and have retained their certificate of completion.
Boxers
All boxers in the High Five Boxing Academy must:
· Be fully registered members of their club & included in Blocworx.
· Be aged between 5 years and 18 years
High Five was also formally unveiled to TDs and Senators, as well as the Minister for Sport, Jack Chambers, in a keynote address during which boxers, families, clubs and coaches shared their experience of the programme.
In addition, IABA and 32 boxing clubs are now signatories to the Cara Sport Inclusion Ireland Disability Inclusion Charter.
This charter commits the IABA and clubs to:
• Being open and understanding of all people with disabilities.
• Access and create training for all clubs to facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities.
• Develop and deliver inclusive boxing activities.
• Review facilities, venues and equipment to make IABA more accessible
• Promote the inclusive nature of Irish Boxing.
The club signatories are:
Drumsna Boxing Club, Leitrim
St Abban’s Boxing Club, Wexford
St Pappins Boxing Club, Dublin
Curragh Athletic Boxing Club, Kildare
St Nicholas Boxing Club, Tipperary
St Paul’s Boxing Club, Tipperary
Southside Boxing Academy, Limerick
Ballina Boxing Club, Mayo
Glasnevin Boxing Club, Dublin
Dunboyne Amateur Boxing Club, Meath
Ballagh Boxing Club, Wexford
Enniscorthy Boxing Academy, Wexford
Sunnyside Boxing Club, Cork
Clann Naofa Boxing Academy, Louth
SPARTACUS BOXING CLUB, Offaly
East Meath Boxing Club, Meath
Tralee Boxing Club, Kerry
Building Bridges Community Boxing Club, Antrim
Cashen Vale Boxing Club, Kerry
St Patricks Boxing Club, Kilkenny
Marble City Boxing Club, Kilkenny
Castlerea Boxing Club, Roscommon
Oughterard Boxing Club, Galway
Banbridge ABC, Down
Gateway Boxing Club, Sligo
Greenhills Boxing Club, Dublin
Illies Golden Gloves BC, Donegal
Ballyboughal Boxing Club, Dublin
Sliabh Luachra Boxing Club, Kerry
Ballinamore Boxing Club, Leitrim
Templemore Boxing Club, Tipperary
Any club wishing to become a Charter signatory can do so here
The Cara Sport Inclusion Ireland has also launched the Xcessible Club Toolkit, developed to support clubs in three stages of their journey towards creating a fully inclusive club for people with disabilities. The Sport Inclusion Disability Charter is the framework for the Xcessible Club Toolkit.
Stage 1: Develop
This stage of the toolkit aims to support clubs in developing or improving their structures and inclusive approaches to ensure people with disabilities have a positive experience within the club, and that club volunteers, coaches, and committee members feel confident and supported in developing inclusive environments.
Stage 2: Embed
This stage of the toolkit aims to support clubs to embed inclusive approaches and best practices to ensure people with disabilities have a positive experience within the club, and that club volunteers, coaches, and committee members feel confident and supported in developing inclusive approaches.
Stage 3: Sustain
This stage of the toolkit aims to ensure clubs are sustaining inclusive approaches and best practices to ensure people with disabilities have a positive experience within the club, and that club volunteers, coaches, and committee members feel confident and supported in sustaining inclusive approaches.
The toolkit acts as a guiding resource for the club to support them in a phased approach to becoming more inclusive. Guidelines, templates and resources have been developed to assist clubs in actioning the areas outlined in the toolkit.