With over 40 regular boxers attending sessions, 100 on our research database and nearing 100,000 pageviews, the Boxing Science program has really excelled over the past 15 months.
Our main social objective is to educate the boxing community of the principles of sport science. We want boxing sport science programs to be developed around the country to improve strength and fitness training at the root of boxing – junior, youth and senior amateur boxers.
So, we would like to share our five top tips in developing your own sport science program.
Step 1: Plan
Might seem pretty obvious, but to have a plan is extremely important in the early stages of developing a sport science program. What is the purpose? Who is our audience? How will we reach them and get them involved with our amazing program.
Below is a list of the stages we went through – BS stands for a Boxing Science example.
- Define your purpose
BS: To deliver world class sport science support to boxers - Audience
BS: Amateur boxers in Sheffield - How will we reach them?
BS: Taster sessions, visit the clubs, broaden your contacts - What is the next stage?
BS: Weekly sessions, training clusters - Build your team
BS: Sport scientists from various disciplines at Sheffield Hallam University
Click below for step two
Step 2: Volunteer / Affiliate
Although us sport scientists love our jobs, we have worked really hard to become qualified practitioners, therefore want to make a living from what we do. However, to start your sport science program, you have to be prepared to do some voluntary work.
My first boxing client was Boxing Science Ambassador Callum Beardow. My initial service to Callum was free of charge, however I benefited from a wealth of experience and the doors that opened. I went down to his gym Sheffield City ABC to meet his head coach, Brendan Warburton. Brendan is a really talented and open minded coach that encouraged his boxers to attend some taster sessions, that progressed to the Saturday morning Combat Conditioning, eventually leading to over 12 of his boxers signed up to the training clusters.
I also voluntarily ran a 10 week movement training program in the gym, that produce some fantastic results in hip and shoulder mobility.
I have loved the time I have spent at Sheffield City ABC, and I am proud to be an England Boxing Level 1 amateur boxing coach so I can help out in the gym, in the corner and give back to the club that I owe so much to.
- Offer sport science support voluntary
- BS: To deliver world class sport science support to boxers
- Engage with the coach
- BS: Visited Sheffield City ABC and invited Brendan down to my sessions too.
- Free sessions
- BS: Taster sessions, visit the clubs, broaden your contacts
- Build your reputation, gain contacts
- BS: Share the progress online – case studies, social media posts
- Build your program
- BS: Develop the program into products and services that other boxers can get involved with
- GIVE BACK!
- BS: Maintain and further your relationship with a club that has helped you progress
Step 3: Scientific Research
Working with any athlete or team, a sport science practitioner must perform a needs analysis of the sport. This is to give you an understanding of the scientific underpinning of the demands that the sport brings, therefore, you can implement an appropriate program to improve performance.
This requires studying of the scientific literature, as well as understanding the individual, goals and the working environment.
It is also very important to do your own testing and research, especially in boxing as there is not much scientific literature. This can build a database that you can compare results to and tell you a lot more about the physical characteristics of boxing.
- Needs Analysis
- BS: Search for and read the scientific literature for the physical, tactical, technical and psychological demands of the sport.
- Create a testing battery
- BS: By using the needs analysis, we were able to select a range of tests to assess the physical characteristics of boxers.
- Invite boxers to test
- BS: Testing was free to competitive boxers, multiple sessions were advertised on social media and through e-mail.
- Analyse results
- BS: Paired up and analysed multiple sets of data to obtain a detailed understanding.
- Share findings
BS: Most sport scientists share findings through academic papers, but this doesn’t really appeal to the boxing community. Our results helped write articles like these.
Click below for Step 4
Step 4: Train
The testing sessions provide a great opportunity for you to show the boxers their strengths and areas for improvements. You can then provide constructive training recommendations, and this is something you can actually help them improve on…. On YOUR program.
Build a training group to start training 2-3 times per week, this is where you can really start making a positive effect on their physical performance.
- Recruit
- BS: Recruited boxers following the testing results feedback
- Develop a program
- BS: Developed a strength, mobility and running conditioning program based on the strong understanding of the demands gained from the multiple stages of research.
- Re-test and show impact of training
- BS: Tested 10 days before fight night and gave boxers comprehensive feedback on the improvements that they have made.
- Share results
BS: Shared success on the website and social media to promote the effectiveness of our programs.
Step 5: Knowledge Transfer
‘Share results’ and ‘spread the word’ have been quite common phrases used in our article series so far. However, we have to be tactical about this so we engage with our audience.
Practitioners will always want to use scientific language in their writing, however this does not appeal to most of the population. Also, we need to appeal using different writing styles, use of media etc.
- Build a social media profile
- BS: Consistent professional posts on personal and website social media sites to raise profile and accumulate followers, we now have over 5,000 likes on our Facebook page.
- Develop your web writing
- BS: Practice, research and practice some more. It takes a while to develop a good writing style for the web, just keep it simple and stick to the purpose.
- Use different types of media
- BS: In our articles, we give our readers an exclusive insight to our programs in text, videos, pictures and infographs.
- Keep posting
- BS: People just flick through their social media at various points in the day, so they might not end up seeing some of your posts. Keep posting to make sure you reach a wider audience
