In any sport, choosing the right support team is imperative to your success as an athlete. When it comes to boxing, choosing the right coach is imperative to your performance and growth as a boxer. It’s an important decision that might make or break your career as a boxer. Amateur boxers and enthusiasts should be equally vigilant when it comes to choosing a boxing coach to ensure that they aren’t picking up bad habits and flawed techniques. Choosing the right boxing coach is a personal choice but there are some factors which should be taken into consideration and you’ll need time, research and knowledge to make your decision.
Why getting a coach who knows what they’re teaching is important
Getting a proficient and experienced boxing coach will make a world of difference in your personal progress in many aspects of boxing. Fitness, stamina and most importantly, technique and pattern skills can all benefit from another opinion, advice can be a hard thing to come by in a boxing gym. Boxing coaches in commonplace ‘big name’ gyms tend to be more focused on the benefits of boxing as a cardiovascular exercise. While this is great for losing weight, it means that these potential trainers may lack the mindset and applicable skills that you need from a coach.
Going to a proper boxing gym with a deep culture of support and success is far more likely to bring you into contact with a coach who knows what they’re teaching. A proficient boxing coach should have a very strong grasp of basic boxing knowledge (how to throw and counter an effective jab for instance) coupled with a myriad of tips and tricks picked up through time and experience. The knowledge you can gain from this kind of coach is invaluable, learning some dirty tricks and psychological mantras may be just the tip of the iceberg of what you could learn from the right person.
You want someone with experience
The best way to become a better boxer is through experience, training experience, fighting experience and coaching experience all come under this umbrella. If you can’t trust that your coach knows what’s best for you as a boxer, your boxing training will flounder dead in the water. The only way to engender a rapport and sense of trust with your coach is a mutual feeling of respect. If your coach is an experienced boxer, they are automatically someone you can talk to, someone you can trust to instruct and teach you. A coach with experience will make you feel far more confident about your own chances of success and your relationship with your trainer will develop far more smoothly. Boxing is the kind of sport that can’t just be taught from a manual or video. The instincts that you want to be instructed on are gained through raw experience in scores of fights and training sessions.
You want someone with the right certifications
Being a talented boxer is one thing; the truly difficult thing is finding someone who can unlock all your potential. There are many different types of certifications which a boxing coach can possess and proper training accreditation cannot just be bought online after undergoing a superficial training course. Levels of accreditation exist in many official boxing courses and you should always assess the level attained by any potential coach along with the opinions and reviews surrounding the institution where accreditation was achieved. A little research over the internet and a discerning question or two at your local boxing gym will go a long way towards increasing your understanding of a boxing coach and whether they are the right fit for you.
Getting a boxing coach is very similar to hiring an employee, whatever level of boxing you are at, it’s important to assess their resume and determine whether a person has the necessary experience, level of skill and character to act as your mentor.
You want someone with a track record
If you track the Mayweather clan through their family history, you will find 3 very high achieving boxers. Similar teams of trainers and specialists were the unifying element of success in each case. Results are the only thing that can back up claims. Are you willing to place your time, effort and even money in someone that doesn’t have a track record of boxing ability or coaching ability? Many budding boxers have fallen afoul of a boxing coach who used to be a professional boxer and appeared perfect. On paper, this preposition sounds fantastic, however, in many cases the coach is not used to being on the other side of the ring. Coaching is about temperament and character just as much as it’s about skill and knowledge.
A track record of success is the best indicator that a boxing coach can succeed and has the skills, knowledge and dedication to train you to success. Skilled trainers might be altogether different from skilled boxers and it’s up to you to decide what you value more in a boxing coach. A record and reputation aren’t everything and you cannot be blinded by a good track record when it comes to choosing a boxing trainer as there are other extremely important factors to consider.
You want someone with the knowledge and understanding to teach you and enable you to get to the best of your ability
You are the average of the people you surround yourself with. Nowhere is this assertion more pertinent than in boxing. Choosing the wrong coach can result in bad habits becoming ingrained for long periods of time. Finding a boxing trainer that is compatible with you on several levels might be a long drawn out process over several months. Alternatively, you may click with the first person you approach. It’s important to remember that different trainers are good and bad for different people. At the end of the day, choosing a boxing coach will be reliant on many factors that are personal to you.
