Over 100 people took part in the first ever festival of boxing learning, Swinford BoxCon – a collaboration between IABA, Swinford Boxing Club and Mayo Local Sports Partnership.
The 3 day weekend included workshops on Sport Psychology, cuts & wraps, Youth Mental Health First Aid, two coach qualification courses, Youth Leadership course and coaching teenage girls. It was open to all members of IABA clubs.
A full-to-capacity Cuts & Wraps course, delivered by Ian Gatt, GB Boxing’s Head of Performance Support. Ian has been a sports physiotherapist for over 25 years, leading the medical and science services for the Great Britain Boxing program. This course has been shaped to combine effective methods of being an effective Wrap-person and Cut-person in both training and competition settings.
Two coaching courses also took place – 15 people took the first steps in their coaching career by qualifying through the Fundamentals course.
A similar number levelled-up their coaching qualifications by undertaking one of two in-person Level One: Club Coach qualifications.
There was a key focus on supporting and guiding young people throughout the weekend, if the form of delivery of IABA’s Youth Leadership Course. This course focuses on enhancing leadership skills, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities in participants aged 14-21. While a two-day Youth Mental Health First Aid course also took place, participants how to assist a young person who may be experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis until appropriate professional help is received or the crisis resolves
There was a packed house, of over 50 people, for Swinford BoxCon’s Sports Psychology workshop, delivered by Richard Shanahan, who has worked alongside the Boxing High Performance Unit in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It aims to enhance athletic performance and well-being by helping athletes understand their behavior, develop mental skills like focus and confidence, and manage issues such as anxiety and burnout.
And the Coaching Teenage Girls Course, open to all coaches, focused on on retention of teenage girls, the psycho-social needs of teenage girls in sport.
It also examined practical strategies to foster the coach/athlete relationship and the affect puberty has on the mind and body of teenage girls and how can coaches support this.
This large-scale multi-venue festival would not have been possible without the support of the town of Swinford, in particular Swinford Court Digital Hub, Cruinniu, and the Gateway Hotel, all of which hosted events throughout the weekend.