About Student Development Program

BoxingFit is dedicated to bringing boxing into schools across Melbourne. We strongly believe that the underlying principles of our coaching are fundamental to young people today. Our company is made up of boxing coaches who wish to have a positive and lasting impact on the pupils they work with.

Why? Boxing sessions reach and appeal to students who would not normally fully participate in physical education lessons. It reaches the de-motivated and disruptive pupils Keeping them engaged in the activity; making it fun and most importantly safe. Sessions are designed appropriately for the students ability and offer an even playing field.

Our program goes beyond the physical elements of training and demonstrates the values and benefits of having respect, self discipline and a good work ethic and how that focus can be applied to everyday situations

Today's pressing issues within schools and with young adults:

• -  Childhood obesity
• -  Low self image
• -  Bullying
• -  Street Gangs and Racial Violence
• -  Self respect
• -  Fitting in

BoxingFit's Student Development Program will give students a basic understanding of boxing which in return:

• -  Teaches students about team work
• -  Increases students fitness levels
• -  Increases energy levels
• -  Builds self esteem
• -  Releases stress

Kids seek out discipline. They need structure. Some kids are shy, so our trainers like to encourage them to step forward and take on a leadership role. While those who are more extraverts, we work on calming them down and to focus on the skills they have.

The Program

Students / Schools are offered the opportunity to train at BoxingFit in our Student Development Program. We have 4 or 6 week programs available.

The program is tailored for young adults between 13 - 17 years as well as primary school children.

BoxingFit offers a state of the art boxing facility that enables young adults to train together in a friendly environment with professional boxing coaches; featuring access to over 50 boxing bags, an Olympic sized boxing ring, sprint track, bike boxing classes and hundreds of boxing workouts and will teach a structured and graded course created by BoxingFit (global database including registered Australian boxers)

Our Student Development Program is designed to give young adults basic boxing skills, increase their levels of fitness, boost self esteem and release stress while teaching them discipline.

Basic outline of program

Week 1 - Special technique session 45 minutes and introduction to 4 boxing combinations
Week 2 - Introduction to boxing circuit and all boxing equipment - 45 minute session
Week 3 - Boxing with a partner non-contact focus session - 45 minutes
Week 4 - Introduction to body punches (non-contact) - completion certificate
Week 5 - Boxing circuit and advanced technique
Week 6 - Test on combination - Reward given to all students for passing BOXFSD1

Course Duration

4 or 6 weeks - One session per week

Media
The Guardian Weekly. UK. 27 November 2009

Fighting anti-social behavior...boxing teaches discipline and self-control, which transfers into other aspects of school life

In the UK alone the number of schools with boxing on the curriculum has jumped from 20 in 2006 to 1,931 in 2009

"It reaches young people that other sports don't"..."In my constituency, it's probably the number one sport that young people want to do. It gives them self esteem, it gets rid of aggression, yet at the same time is a highly disciplined sport"
Tessa Jowell - Olympics Minister, UK

One school that has become convinced of the sport's benefits is Harris Academy in Merton, South London

"It has had an impact on everything here from behavior and attendance to academic attainment" said Greg Morrison, the Assistant Principal with the responsibility for sport. "It has been one of the best things we have done in terms of helping individual pupils and has been particularly successful for those with behavioral or self esteem issues, who are traditionally very hard to teach" Morrison said the sport helps pupils develop discipline and self control which quickly transfers to other aspects of school life

"We noticed the difference pretty quickly and it is not just in behavior but also in attainment and self confidence. On the one hand the students with behavioral issues have found it incredibly useful in learning how to exercise control and self-discipline and on the other, those with low self esteem and those with lifestyle issues have gained more confidence and more respect from their peers through boxing.

Thirteen year old Shemar Stephenson is one of those who has taken up the sport.
"Before I started I thought boxing was about learning how to fight but it is not really about violence, it's about commitment and training and it has helped me learn to walk away if there is any trouble"

World Champ Helped My Mental Health
By Jane Elliott - Health reporter, BBC News

Leigh Bailey's world was in tatters His marriage had broken up, he had lost his job and had a breakdown. He was so depressed he barely left the house and was suffering low self-esteem. Today he is brimming with confidence and has recently qualified as a gym instructor. And he credits his transformation to a 10-week Boxing course run jointly with the Croydon branch of Mind and three times world champion Duke McKenzie. Boxing Fit "It really inspired me," said Leigh. "Before I started the Boxercise programme I was suffering from agoraphobia, low self-esteem and depression, I wasn't working or leaving my house other than to attend medical appointments. "It had a major impact in helping me regain ownership of my own life." Consultant psychiatrist Dr Deji Ayonrinde, who is based at the Bethlem Royal Hospital, London, said exercise had long been considered as beneficial to mental health, but said this was thought to be the first time Boxercise had been used in this way.

"It is a great project," he said. "There had been some anxiety among health professionals that boxing methods may actually increase aggression and violence among people with mental health problems, which certainly has not been the case whatsoever. "What it has done is to improve physical fitness in all participants in some there was quite noticeable weight loss. This is quite important to help prevent health risks such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension."

Taking Part

Dr Ayonrinde was so inspired that he even took part in the programme himself. "I used to join the groups every Friday. The idea of having a consultant psychiatrist on a skipping rope next to his patient is useful for both. "People who would probably reluctantly attend clinic were turning up at the gym two hours early. "They were keen to be there and there was a noticeable shift in their self-esteem and confidence." Duke, who has helped coach 50 people with mental health problems through the course, said it had been a great success. "The two most important thing I have done is listened and given them the gym programme," he said. "They do a boxing work out - a little bit of cardio, skipping and the step-machine and rowing machine, but the fun really starts when they get into the gym and we do the pad work. "When people get into the ring and start working out they open up like a tin of baked beans."

Inspirational training

Leigh admits he was reluctant to take part, but by the end of the programme was hooked and believes the exercise combined with a change in medication had inspired the change.

"The first three sessions I found it very hard. It was the last place I wanted to be - I felt down, had low self-esteem and low confidence, but by the fourth session I was actually looking forward to it.

"By the fifth session I had a lot of confidence and had started to eat properly and sleep. "I was managing to go out and see people and by the end of it I had got the boxing bug.

Boxing gave me self-motivation, rather than waiting for people to motivate me." The Croydon scheme has just been presented with a Health and Social Care Award, run in partnership between the Department of Health and the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement

Richard Pacitti, chief executive of Mind in Croydon, said the scheme had been perfect for integration

"We are trying to get people to take part in mainstream activity as a way of getting re-engaged with the real world rather than doing something in typical mental health settings.

"It has been a good way of mixing people up."

"What happens in mental health is you tend to get lumped together with people with the same diagnosis and people say 'I have nothing in common with these people apart from my diagnosis'. What we are doing is putting people with a common interest together and we find they have developed good friendships."