IABA is unveiling its first conference of 2025: On the Front Foot – Setting Boxers Up for Success.
Organised by IABA Education and Training Officer Nikki Foley, this conference is aimed at empowering coaches with performance and planning up-skilling, information on nutrition and performance mindset and providing coaches with an opportunity to explore continued development in support of boxer success.
10am: Sports Psychology: The Performance Mindset, with Sport Institute Ireland Performance Psychologist Richard Shanahan. Richard works directly with Boxing High Performance, as well as with a variety of sports including Premier Division League of Ireland soccer, Martial Arts, Shooting, Club and Inter-County Gaelic Games, Tennis, Show Jumping, Motocross, Athletics, Golf and Swimming. More here
10.45am: Nutrition: Making Weight Well with Sport Ireland Institute nutritionist, Eoghan Hickey. Eoghan works directly with Boxing High Performance, and was previously Lead Performance Nutritionist with Leinster Rugby, and Team Wales HQ Nutritionist during the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
11.30am: Coffee break
11:50am: Sport Ireland & IABA An insight on collaboration.
12:20pm: Planning & Periodisation: High Performance Manager, Sean Crowley. Sean, of Erne BC, is also a Sport Ireland Doping Control Officer and has been Anti-Doping Station Master for Boxing at two Olympic Games – Rio and Tokyo. He previously worked in the Irish Judo Federation.
1pm: Lunch
1.40pm: Keynote Address: National Performance Head Coach, Zauri Antia. Zauri is in his 21st year working with Irish Boxing. During that period, 9 Irish boxers have won 10 Olympic medals, as well as numerous World and European medals.
2.20pm: Q&A
2.45pm: close
For more information contact Nikki Foley via nicola@iaba.ie
Booking
Clubs can book through their Blocworx portal, here. The cost is E10 per person, which includes lunch and refreshments.
IABA’s Women in Sport Officer Sophie Doolan is hosting a keynote event focusing on nutrition on Sunday, January 26th, Fuelling Success. This event is open to boxers, coaches and parents.
This panel discussion will be MC’d by Paris Olympian Grainne Walsh, of St. Mary’s BC, Tallaght, and follows on from her participation in the Sport Ireland’s Body Composition: More than a Number Campaign, which you can watch here:
The panel will be composed of Paris Olympians and will be discussing how they make weight and manage eating for performance and how this has evolved for them throughout their careers.
The panel will be followed by a presentation on key nutrition points by Dr. Sharon Madigan, Head of Performance Nutrition at Sport Ireland Institute – Sharon has worked with boxing for 20 years, through 5 Olympic Games, and numerous World and European campaigns.
Date: January 26th
Time: 2.30pm
Location: the Carlton Hotel, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15.
92+kg Owen Piegza (Top End) beat James Ciaza (Bracken), 3-2
Reminder:
All Coaches must have wrist bands to enter the Field of Play & changing areas.
Wristbands must be collected at the Top Table by coaches prior to entering the changing areas.
Under no circumstances is a male Coach allowed to enter the female changing area, nor is a female Coach permitted in to the male changing area.
If any clubs need to change the Coach entered, please send notification to National Secretary Tara Robins Mari, secretary@iaba.ie before 12pm Friday 16th January so the relevant checks can be completed.
Following the advisory issued by the National Secretary on December 28th (available here), that this event is a competition not a championships. As such, the January competition will not be used as a tool of potential selection for international competition.
Weigh In Times, National Stadium.
Saturday 8am – 9am (Boxing Starts at 11am)
All programmes are subject to change
Finals Programme – Saturday, January 18th from 11am
44kg Jasmine McCarthy (Setanta L) W/O
44kg Dillon Donnelly (St Pauls A) W/O
46kg Emily Midwinter (Rosslare) V Ava McCabe (Jobstown)
46kg Alekesesj Lazic (St Nicholas) V Robert Quinn (St Pauls A)
48kg Abbey Molloy (Sacred Heart D) V Ella Joy Thompson (Setanta L)
48kg Kurt Kinsella (Monkstown D) V Caoimhin Connelly (Twin Towns)
50kg Isabel Nolan (Santry) V Skye Ward (Neilstown)
51kg Michael Reilly (St Pauls Waterford) W/O
52kg Jessica Gallagher (Mulhuddart) V Kayleigh Byrne (Gorey)
54kg Elma Barry (Setanta L) W/O
54kg Matthew McDonagh (Dukes) V James McCann (St Monicas)
57kg Tiegan Farrelly (Dunboyne) V Grace Conway (Tredagh)
57kg Lochlainn Beagan (Sean Dorans) V Sean McCusker (Dealgan)
60kg Kelsey Langan (Ballina) W/O
60kg Aodhan Scott (Glengormley) V Daniel Hunter (Corpus Christi)
63.5kg Louis Griffin (Portlaoise) V Patrick Kelly (St Abbans/ Kilmyshall)
66kg Sarah Murphy (St Brigids Kildare) W/O
67kg John Donoghue (Olympic L) V Calvin Farrell (Brochagh)
70kg Chloe Poleon (Dunboyne) W/O
71kg Kane Brannigan (Lisburn) V Rati Abuladze (Togher)
75kg Nessa Tabachuk (Celtic Eagles) V Alexandra Whittaker (Underdog)
75kg John Crowley (St Martha’s) V Jason Whelan (Dublin Docklands)
80kg Chulainn McDonnell (Whitechurch) V Edvin Volodkevic (Spartacus)
86kg Denis Muntean (Bracken) V Shay O’Dowd (Swords)
92kg Christopher Stokes (Crumlin) W/O
92+kg Michael Olaloko (Swords) V Owen Piegza (Top End)
Phase Two voting is now open in the Seconds Out: Stories of Irish Boxing – the story of YOUR club.
IABA has produced and published a series of films in 2024, sharing the stories of Irish boxing, called Seconds Out. This has included profiles of Connacht’s Gus Farrell, Munster’s Anna Moore, Ulster’s Eugene Duffy, a peak inside High Performance, a profile on the work of R&Js at National Championships, a Day in the Life snapshot of High Performance athlete, Niamh Fay and profiles of the Paris 2024 team. You can watch all of the pieces HERE
Now, IABA wishes to profile and platform a successfully affiliated club within the Association. Given the sheer number of incredible clubs, clubs and their members will, themselves, vote for the club to be profiled.
1,696 votes were cast for 83 clubs in Phase One, between December 23rd and January 3rd. 70 clubs received under 10 votes; 5 clubs received between 10 and 80 votes; 7 clubs received over 80 votes.
Club
Provincial Unit
Votes
Marble City
Leinster
333
Churchlands Golden Gloves
Ulster
178
Monivea
Connacht
176
St. Catherine’s
Dublin
167
Ballinacor – withdrawn
Leinster
139
Smithfield
Leinster
136
Ballinacor BC has, unfortunately, withdrawn from the process as its clubhouse is undergoing renovations on the filming dates. In consultation with the Officer Board of Central Council, the club with the 6th highest number of votes takes 5th place.
Filming will take place on either January 22nd or January 23rd, in the winning club’s clubhouse.
Voting
Voting is anonymous. People can vote as many times as they like, and votes can be cast here: https://shout.com/s/uUdShkf2
Voting is open from midday on January 15th to midday on January 19th. The winning club will be announced by 5pm on January 19th.
When will the film be released?
Editing and post production usually takes around 4 weeks, so, at the end of February.
IABA will publish this final film on YouTube, the IABA website, and IABA’s X/Twitter, Facebook and Instagram platforms.
IABA will also issue a press-release to the media to accompany publication, to further promote boxing and the winning club.
The Seconds Out: Stories of Irish Boxing films are supported by Sport Ireland, and are produced by Lowki Culture
IABA is delighted to partner with Ascension in recruitment of the National Performance Director on
The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) is the National Governing Body of Sport responsible for the development and management of amateur boxing in Ireland. The IABA established a National High Performance Unit (HPU) in 2003 and since its inception the IABA HPU has been delivering consistent success for Ireland in the ring at European, World and Olympic level. Boxing is Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport with a rich history of world class boxers having won 19 medals.
A key to this sustained international success is the National Performance Director (NPD), a role that is responsible for leading both strategically and operationally to deliver key performance outcomes. The HPU prepares Irish elite and U22 boxing talent for benchmark international competition including European, World and Olympic Championships. The programme, based at the Sport Ireland Institute (SII) in Abbotstown, is dedicated to developing and nurturing elite and U22 talent from boxing clubs all over Ireland, with the primary aim being to prepare athletes to compete on the international stage, to win medals and importantly, to fulfil their potential beyond and outside of boxing.
The NPD has ultimate responsibility for all elements of the National Performance Plan (NPP), including oversight of the Ulster Medals and More Programme. The NPD reports directly to the IABA Chief Executive and is the primary contact for key high performance funding partners, governing bodies and stakeholders. Critical to the role are the close working relationships with the National Head Coach and HPU Manager, to establish a well thought out and fully costed annual and quadrennial training and competition plan. Additionally, the NPD has overall responsibility for leading and managing a team of dedicated HPU Coaches and a team of Sports Science and Medicine performance staff to deliver on targeted performance support to meet agreed targets.
Role Description
Title: IABA Performance Director
Based:
IABA High Performance Unit (HPU) at the Sport Ireland Institute (SISI), Abbotstown and Ulster High Performance Unit (UHPU) at the University Ulster Jordanstown (UUJ)
Reports to: IABA Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Line Manages:
National Head Coach, HPU Performance Coaches, HPU Manager, National Pathway Manager (to be appointed), Ulster Head Performance Coach and Ulster HPU Manager. Also has oversight of the Sport Ireland supported HPU Pool Coach programme.
Key Relationships:
Internal stakeholders: IABA CEO, Chairman and the Board of Directors, Central Council and Coaching Committee, Ulster Boxing Council and IABA staff.
External stakeholders: Sport Ireland, Sport Northern Ireland, Sport Ireland Institute, Sports Institute Northern Ireland, Olympic Federation of Ireland and the National Sports Campus Development Authority.
Eligibility:
European Economic Area (EEA) Nationals and non EEA Nationals are encouraged to apply, however an employment permit will be required for a non EEA National
Salary: Competitive and commensurate with experience
Contract Term: 4 years
Primary Purpose:
To lead and be primarily accountable for all aspects of the IABA High Performance Strategy, performance system and investment, establishing a culture that drives World Class performance while prioritising the safety and wellbeing of athletes and staff and enhancing the reputation of Irish amateur Boxing at all levels.
Key Responsibilities and Accountability
Responsible for developing and driving the delivery of IABA’s High Performance Plan to World Class standards and performance to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games and beyond.
Leads high performance alignment to the IABA 2024-2028 Strategic Plan “In Your Corner” and ensures there is alignment of all high performance activity and investment to the themes, objectives and strategic outcomes of the plan.
Represents the IABA in all matters pertaining to High Performance and liaises with key funding and support agencies such as Sport Ireland, Sport Northern Ireland, Irish Institute of Sport, Sports Institute Northern Ireland, the Olympic Federation of Ireland and the National Sports Campus Development Authority.
Prepares and presents a fully costed annual high performance programme plan, incorporating the HPU daily training environment, training and sparring camps, competition and staff rosters covering all areas of athlete and staff development, and performance.
Contributes to planning and the approval of the Ulster Medals and More Programme, incorporating Juniors, Youth and Elite athlete development and performance within the University Ulster Jordanstown (UUJ) high performance training centre and for participation and performance at the quadrennial Commonwealth Games.
Presents reports and updates as required to the CEO, IABA Board and IABA High Performance Advisory Board (yet to be appointed), Sport Ireland, Sport Northern Ireland and the Olympic Federation of Ireland.
Develops and manages the annual high performance budget, aligning to IABA Financial Policy, with transparency around investment, and setting clear accountability for all staff in respect of expenditure for programme and work related expenses.
In consultation with the IABA CEO, plays a lead role in HPU staff recruitment processes and outcomes, utilising best practice methodology to attract and retain the best staff to the HPU.
Line-manages all IABA contracted HPU staff, ensuring that they feel supported and can operate within a professional and positive work environment with appropriate performance management and individualised professional development.
Oversees all Elite and U22 representative team and training squad selection decisions in the role of Chair, including the development and updating of appropriate policy and processes that ensure transparency and fairness for all types of selection.
In conjunction with the SII Director of Performance Support and SNII Performance Manager, negotiates the annual Sport Support Agreement for performance support in the daily training environment and establishes a clear set of key performance indicators for all areas of performance support and in conjunction with SISI and SNI monitors the work and contribution of these staff against agreed outcomes.
In collaboration with the HPU coaches and staff, co-ordinates all aspects of the HPU programme including individual and squad coaching, training programmes, training camps, sports science and medicine services, competition preparation and planning, competition performance and all other relevant aspects of the high performance programme.
Implements and monitors adherence to IABA codes of conduct for all participants within the programme to ensure a strong performance culture and set of positive behaviours, and where necessary work within IABA and HPU policy to instigate disciplinary proceedings and appropriate sanctions for breaches of these codes.
Lead on applications for the Sport Ireland International Carding Scheme and support Sport Northern Ireland Medals and More Awards applications supporting athletes to receive direct athlete financial support, overseeing all requirements of these programmes including reporting to maximise personal financial support for Irish boxers.
Ensure that systems and processes are in place that deliver a high level of duty of care to Staff and Athletes, adhering to IABA principles of Athlete and Staff personal excellence and well-being and drive a commitment to on-going personal growth and development.
In conjunction with the National Development Manager and National Head Coach, develops and identifies a programme for High Performance Coach development including integrating HPU coaches into Sport Ireland Institute professional development programmes and Pool coaches into HPU professional development activity including exposure to Sport Science and Medicine professionals, participation in training camps and competition events.
As per the IABA 2024-2028 Strategic Plan, works collaboratively with appropriate key staff to lead on the implementation of a performance pathway programme which aims to support the identification and development of athletes (ages 16-20) who have potential to progress into the HPU and to become successful elite athletes.
Work cooperatively with the IABA CEO, key staff and sponsors to support marketing and promotional activities and media requirements.
Key Requirements for the role
Minimum of 4 years working in a High Performance system in the same role, or a similar key position in a people based industry leading and managing high performance outcomes;
Demonstrated success in building High Performance systems for elite and development athletes, performance programme plans, processes and action plans, managing people and a culture of personal excellence that underpins athlete performance and deliver world class performance results;
Proven ability to plan and deliver on strategic direction, detailed operational planning, monitoring and reviews, reporting and aligning stakeholders to maximise their contributions;
Demonstrated experience in effectively managing financial resources and programme budgets, where resources need to be maximized;
Deep understanding of the key drivers of high performance to achieve International success and Sustainable International success through an aligned athlete and coach development pathway;
Demonstrated experience of managing complex partnerships, challenging and passionate personalities and inspiring and leading people to deliver and achieve world class outcomes;
Strong track record and proven leadership skills including leading change and effective team building skills to create and drive a programme that brings the best out of people;
Proven ability to manage conflict effectively, identify solutions and stay calm under pressure;
Able to show evidence of and demonstrate personal high performance characteristics including strong work ethic, professional approach with high performance demeanour, driven to achieve, honesty with integrity, team player, committed to learning and personal growth;
Outstanding communication and management skills;
The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The post holder is required to undergo Safeguarding Training, to be agreed with the Head of Safeguarding.
The Irish Athletic Boxing Association is an equal opportunities employer.
Applications
Suitable applicants can apply for this role by submitting a cover letter of introduction indicating how as a candidate you meet the essential criteria and experience, and any qualifications pertaining to the role. Please also include a CV that outlines previous employment relevant to the role of Performance Director, specific experience working in high performance sport or an equivalent people-based industry, and an outline of skills and achievements that align to this role. Contact details for 3 professional referees are required. Applications should be submitted here
For further information or if candidates have any questions on the role, please direct these to recruitment@ascension.ie
