High Five Boxing Academy Family Grows By Almost 200%

The High Five Boxing Academy Family has now grown to 11 clubs, from all corners of Ireland.

The High Five Programme for children with additional needs began in four Dublin boxing clubs: Drimnagh, Crumlin, St. Catherine’s and Palmerstown, in October 2021. 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 on Thursday, August 25th. You can watch here:

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:

ClubCounty
Duke’s Boxing ClubTyrone
Gateway Boxing ClubSligo
Greenhills Boxing ClubDublin
Ledley Hall Boxing ClubAntrim
Oughterard Boxing ClubGalway
Tralee Boxing ClubKerry
Templemore Boxing ClubTipperary

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