kids boxing - questions for coach/ fellow parents

No. You start off right from the beginning.

 

Your not expecting too much. start as you mean to go on. Doesn't sound like a good session at all too be honest. Boxing is a dangerous sport you need to cover all bases

 

I would teach him yourself if I were you. He obviously isn't being taught what you think he should and you seem to have experience so you know what you're doing.

 

Keep taking him to the club but supplement his training with what you know.
In the mean time, you can keep an eye out for other places to take your son if things don't improve.

I'd give it a time frame of 3 months max if it doesn't get any better.

 

boxing is classified as a late specialization sport (as opposed to early like gymnastics or figure skating), which means that he can do it while he is young but have him focus on multiple sports/activities through out the year. he should be doing activities that have a lot of jumping, running, shuffling, throwing, catching, passing movements.

and at 8y/o he should be learning BASIC boxing including footwork. if you have other gym options available I would definitely consider them. ask to sit in and watch a couple of classes (even while your son does the class). I would even let them know that you want more focus on footwork and basics. its a business; ask for the service you're looking for. if they cannot provide that particular service, even after you specifically ask for it, then that's also not the place for you.

 

I would agree there is no skipping or shaddow boxing. I would maybe find another gym or train him yourself since you do know your stuff.
in my gym we all have our own routine. but im not training for fights yet not that good yet

 

as coaches we are told to implement games into the training of kids to keep them from getting bored.
also you are right about footwork, stance and guard and how to step forward, backward and laterally are the fundementals.
do the coaches pay him much attention or not ??

 

Similar subject. My lad is 12, been at an amateur gym for 12 months. He enjoys it but isn't a natural and isn't naturally competitive. He does enjoy going and I like him going for the fitness (only exercise he does).

When I boxed, experience was similar to above. Perfecting the basics, great drills and fitness. My concern, every session at my lads gym is cardio then sparring. I don't see how this gives confidence and develops skills. We used to spar once a week and worked on other stuff in the other sessions.

Assumed this is how am gyms operate now so good to read posts.

He was progressing well until he had to take a couple of months off due to injury, other lads progressed and now he gets schooled. Likelihood is he will stop, whilst he wants to carry on I have no interest watching him getting pummelled.

 

Is he good enough to box in a skills contest??
A 12 year old at our club has has his quota of 4 skills bouts and won his first proper fight.
They are a great introduction to boxing being 3x1 minute rounds and controlled by the ref, who instructs them on what punches they can throw

 

He is. The coach wants to get him carded and have a skills bout late this year/early next. My concern more is the process. He is very tall and rangey, having a s**** in sparring every training session isn't going to develop a style to suit those attributes in my opinion.

Is interesting to get views from others if full sparring every training session is now the way most clubs operate for juniors.

It has taught him a lot, and proved he can take a good punch, but he is always in with more experienced fighters who don't hold back and I think this has damaged his confidence

 

No, we don't have full sparring every session at our club and one night is just fitness.
When I boxed nearly 40 years ago we didn't warm up or down the way we do now and there wasn't as much emphasis in technique.
Kids need a lot of variety in their training and not everything has to be so competitive.
What have the coaches had to say if you think he's being pushed too fast.

 

He's not being pushed too fast. It is a really good atmosphere in the gym and the coaches are good. My question was more inquisitive.

Whilst I boxed a long time ago, I am certainly not a trainer. I can see how the sparring benefits the more natural fighters and more aggressive kids, I'm just not sure it is teaching my lad the skills to get the most out of his natural attributes.

He also does very little exercise outside of boxing training so regardless of how he does in the first couple of rounds he is always gassing in the third and gets tagged too easily.

It is his decision whether he wants to compete rather than go for fitness but I have told him if every session is hard sparring he needs to prove his interest by training and roadwork in off days if he wants to continue - no interest in watching him get a pasting every session so others can develop

Thanks for the feedback. Will see if he wants to take it more seriously or look for a gym where he can train to keep fit. Thanks

 

Good luck with the future with your lad.he may decide to come back into the sport when he's a bit older.
How long ago did you compete??