The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) is wishing to recruit a part-time Finance and Administration Officer with the successful candidate to work in the High Performance Unit (HPU) at the Sport Ireland Institute in Abbotstown, Dublin.

Boxing is Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport with a rich history of medal winning performances across multiple Games. The HPU provides a world class daily training environment for Ireland’s best boxers.  It is a crucial part of the overall IABA approach to high performance development and sustainable world class performances on an international stage.

This is a great opportunity for a suitably qualified accounting technician to provide expertise in a key area that supports the Irish National Boxing program.  This exciting role will require a multi-tasker who has strong accounting skills and book-keeping experience, effective planning and communication skills, proficient computer literacy and a willingness to take on a range of administrative tasks to support key staff and athletes within the HPU.

Location

IABA High Performance Unit (HPU) at the Sport Ireland Institute, Sport Ireland National Sports Campus in Abbotstown, Dublin.

Hours of Work

3 days / 24 hours per week, with flexible scheduling of hours.

Salary Range

Pro-rata €35,000 per annum but subject to qualifications and experience.

Line Management

Reports to the National Performance Director and works closely with the High Performance Unit Manager (HPUM).

Essential Skills and Qualifications

This role is multifaceted and offers a great scope of work.

• Experience in general book-keeping ATI (Accounting Technicians) qualification of similar is desirable.
• Minimum of 2-3 years experience in a similar role
• Competent in use of Microsoft office
• Advanced planning and good administrative skills
• Task oriented and able to work both independently and under direction
• Competent English language skills and good communicator

Desirable Skills

• Understanding of Boxing as an Olympic and international sport
• Previous experience working in a similar role in a fast-paced high performance sport environment

Full Job Description:

HPU Finance and Administration Officer 30 11 2023

Application Process

Interested persons are invited to submit the following by email to hr@iaba.ie:

• CV including 2 referees
• Cover letter outlining how they meet the essential skills and qualifications, and core competencies by providing examples of how they have previously fulfilled the duties and responsibilities of this type of role

Application closing date:             5.00pm, 3 January 2024.

Anticipated Interview Dates:     TBC

Commencement date:                 ASAP January, 2024

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

The IABA has been successful in securing Sport Ireland High Performance Coach funding for an Apprenticeship Programme. This targeted investment is for the recruitment of two Developing Performance Coaches for the IABA High Performance Unit (HPU), based at the Sport Ireland Institute in Abbotstown. The recruitment will target coaches currently operating within the Irish high performance system, or former elite athletes who are advanced in transitioning into coaching. 

Aligned to the SI funding guidelines, a minimum of one appointee must be a female coach. It has been identified by both Sport Ireland and the IABA that there is a significant deficit in female Boxing coaches progressing to high performance level compared to males. The HPU acknowledges that 30% of coaches in the High Performance Paris Pool Coach upskilling programme are women, however the HPU has never had a full or part time employed female professional coach.

Successful candidates will undertake a minimum 2-year apprenticeship based at the HPU on the Sport Ireland National Sports campus, with some secondments to the Ulster High Performance Unit in Jordanstown, Belfast.  Employment will commence in late January, 2024 and subject to a mandatory probation of 6 months and mid-year and annual performance reviews, employment will continue for a minimum of 2 years through to the end of 2025.  

To be eligible to apply for the Apprenticeship Programme, coach applicants must demonstrate that they are already working with elite boxers through the High Performance Paris Pool Coach programme, IABA elite and/or sub-elite representative teams and/or have had relevant practical experience operating within either of the two nominated HP daily training environments.  Club coaches outside of the Paris Pool, programme, who have a consistent track record of developing and transitioning talented sub-elite Junior and Youth boxers through to the Elite level are also encouraged to apply.

Employment: Minimum 2-year fixed term contract– minimum 30 hours per week and/or full-time

Apprenticeship Period: January 2024 – 31 December, 2025

Based: IABA Boxing HP Unit, National Sports Campus, Abbotstown

Salary: €30,000 – 35,000 per annum, with remuneration dependent on qualifications, experience and nature of employment hours

Apprenticeship benefits

• Professional employment opportunity while undergoing personalised in situ training and targeted development in all aspects of High Performance Boxing
• Individual coach development plan and supported professional development covering sport as a business, programme management, the integration of sport science and medicine into planning, and all aspects of the technical / tactical coaching of Elite boxers to international success
• Observation of and participation in HPU squad training, training camps and targeted international competition events
• Participation in targeted short courses to address skill deficiencies and agreed professional development opportunities including seminars, workshops and conferences
• Assuming targeted project work in the daily training environment and/or athlete pathway adding value to IABA strategic imperatives and HPU operations

Selection Criteria

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• A minimum 1 Star coaching qualification; a higher grade is desirable
• Minimum of 2 years coaching experience with IABA representative teams, Elite or sub-Elite Boxers at Club level and relevant and contemporary experience working within dedicated HPU daily training environments
• Relevant and recent coaching and practical experience operating within either of the two nominated HP daily training environments, HPU Dublin and UB UUJ, Belfast
• Sound understanding of IABA High Performance programmes, operations and ambition
• Good planning and time management skills
• Competent in use of Microsoft Office
• Competent English language skills
• Be Garda Vetted/Access NI checked
• Have undergone a minimum of Safeguarding Level 1 training/Sport NI Safeguarding Children and Young People training
• Have completed Sport Ireland Anti-Doping eLearning

Desirable Qualifications and Attributes

• 2 Star coaching qualification
• Relevant qualifications that enhance coaching ability e.g Strength & Conditioning,
• Performance Analysis, Safeguarding, First Aid etc
• Thorough understanding of Ireland’s High Performance sport system
• Demonstrated commitment to on-going professional development

Application Time Lines

Suitable applicants can apply for this role by submitting the following:

• Cover letter indicating how they meet the essential qualifications, experience pertaining to the role and identifying 2 referees.  
• CV that outlines the positions held, experience working with Irish elite and sub-elite representative teams and time spent coaching high performance athletes in dedicated HP training environments and relevant programme activities.

Applications can be submitted electronically to hr@iaba.ie by no later than Monday 1 January, COB.

For further information or if candidates have any questions on the role, please direct these to Tricia Heberle, National Performance Director at trish@iaba.ie

Application closing date:                           1 January, 2024 by no later than5.00pm, 

Short-listing / Interview Dates:                8 – 12 January, 2024

Commencement date:                               ASAP from January, 2024

Interviews

Interviews will be conducted on the Sport Ireland National Campus and will comprise a review of the CV and credentials for the role with an IABA recruitment panel, a practical coaching assessment and a discussion with the Performance Director on if successful, what the candidate can bring to the role and HPU environment.

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.

“Mindset is a really, really big thing in boxing because, at the end of the day, when you step in between those ropes, it’s just you and your opponent”.

In the latest episode of The Last Mile is Never Crowded, Kellie Harrington documents her road to Paris 2024 by sharing the mindset that sets her apart.

Kellie, after her semi-final in Tokyo, said “The last mile is never crowded and that’s the way it does feel sometimes. It does feel very lonely, but I suppose that’s the difference to be able to hold on in there and keep it going.” It is that instinct, that perseverance and drive, that brought her gold. And, she added before her Olympic final “I’ve had heartbreak. I know what it is to fail and I know how hard it is to pick yourself back up after that. This is why I am who I am, and why I am here today, because I’m not afraid of failure. I know what it is. I’m Kellie Harrington. I’m myself and I make my own pathway.”

Kellie became a double Olympian during the 2023 European Games – where she qualified for Paris and came home with lightweight gold. Throughout this series, as Kellie prepares for the Paris Games, she will share the habits she has built, in the ring, in training and in life, that set her apart.

This will include how she stays motivated, how she uses nutrition, S&C and roadwork to make the most of her boxing skills, how she plans her training within the High Performance framework, supported by Sport Ireland, how she balances a demanding training schedule, her self-care and mental health practices.

Of mindset, she adds “The way I work with getting my mind right, and set, and straight before I get in in between the ropes – for instance, I spoke about running there and, I’m not gonna say I don’t like it, but how it really isn’t my cup of tea, and I use that, when I’m getting in to the ring. I’m like – I’ve done that, I’ve done the hard work; I’ve gone on to the running track when I know it’s something I struggle with and that isn’t my cup of tea. And, I wasn’t actually too bad on the track when I did it, so that’s money in the bank for my mindset. It’s about being in the gym, and doing the uncomfortable things to make yourself feel comfortable. Then mindset, then, is really really strong when it needs to be strong. When you need that to be strong and at its finest is just before you step in those ropes. 45 minutes before you get in there, you need to have a really solid mindset – and I find that my training backs up my mindset.

In the first episode of The Last Mile, Kellie shared how she finds her motivation at this stage in her career “My motivation comes from the fact I have a target on my back at the moment – and I really need to work hard, as I am the target. I just wanna be better, every day. Not by a long mile, but by a very, very small percent; not even one percent, smaller than that. And, as long as I keep making those little small adjustments, then, I’ll be happy – but, if I can’t make the adjustments, then we have to go back and we have to wonder why and try and fix that problem but my motivation is that I am the target and I’ll have to keep getting better, keep improving. Bit by bit. Day by day.”

And in the second episode, Kellie shared her experience of roadwork, an element of her training she finds difficult “Honestly, roadwork, its not my cup of tea, at all. But, I know – actually, before I have a running session; if we have a running session on Wednesday, before on Tuesday, the night before, I’ll be tossing and turning with the anxiety of having roadwork on a Wednesday morning. It really isn’t my cup of tea. I’m not the worst at it but I get so – I get a knot in my tummy before I do it. But I also know that it’s so beneficial and I feel if I’m doing roadwork, it’s specific roadwork – I’m not going out and pounding the pavements. Everything is specific to what we are doing. Our (S&C) Coach, John Cleary, he would have our running programme sorted for us before we even turn up. So, it could be three 3 minutes – and you’ve to, not go all out because it’s impossible to do that, but go fast, maybe 90% of your pace for the three minutes. Other times, then, we’ll do 3 800s. So, we should be getting them under 3 minutes by the time it comes around to doing 3 800s. So, when I’m finished, after all that anxiety the night before and turning up and absolutely dreading it, I’m just so happy and relieved that it’s been and its done. But I also use it when I’m running – it’s a mindset thing, because running, for me, is extremely hard. So, I feel like, if I’m able to get up, drag myself to the running track and do that session then I can totally get up, drag myself to that ring and fight anyone in the world.”

IABA Cork Boxing Development Officer Kristian Bunici, and National Development Manager, James Geraghty, have driven boxing’s participation in the Cork Prison Community Sports Coaching programme.

13 prisoners graduated from this year’s Community Sports Coaching Programme in Cork Prison this month. The programme has been running in Cork Prison since 2016, and IABA was proud to join the programme, along with GAA Handball, this year. Key stakeholders include Cork Sports Partnership, IASIO, Cork ETB and the staff of Cork Prison.

🏅Last week 13 prisoners graduated from this year’s Community Sports Coaching Programme in Cork Prison.

⚽️This would not be possible without the commitment of many community organisations in #cork

🔗 https://t.co/GyXYPn3DUL pic.twitter.com/2H5nEoIUF3

— Irish Prison Service (@IrishPrisons) December 19, 2023

The Irish Prison Service says it would “would like to thank all participating organisations for their continuing commitment to this initiative which demonstrates the power of sport to bring all of the community together.”

Feedback by participants, sports partners and stake holders was extremely positive and planning is already underway for the next programme in September 2024.

Work is continuing on revising the rules which govern boxing and the governance structure of the IABA. This includes review of the IABA’s Rulebook. The existing rulebook, adopted in 2019, is below and is also published here

The members of the Rules Committee undertaking this work are:

• Art O’Brien
• Fiona Hennigan
• Tom Geraghty
• Stephen Connolly.

The committee is seeking submissions from clubs and members on any proposed changes or amendments to the existing rulebook – and these can be communicated to rules@iaba.ie.

Submissions are sought until December 21^st.

After this date, the rules@iaba.ie address will remain open for general queries and comments on all rules related matters.

IABA Rulebook – 2019

IABA-Rulebook-2019