The Boxing Coach as Social Worker--A Practitioner's View

Editor's Note The freshly unpacked gloves and headgear await the boxers who will use them in the afternoon's matches. Yet, these implements of the sport are useless unless the coach sparks in a young boxer a respect for themselves, their opponents, and the sport. As such, the coach assumes a position of trust--a theme that permeates this website. The following observations about the nature and commitment of the guardianship come from a long-time trainer of amateur boxers. I am pleased to be able to share them with you and appreciate the author's permission to do so. If you have any comments, please sent them to me via e-mail so I can forward them to the coach.

The "social worker" aspect is one aspect of being a boxing coach that is often overlooked. A boxing coach gets drawn into deeper commitments to the young athletes in his charge than coaches in most other sports. Why does this seem to be? Some of the relevant factors may include:

• the nature of the sport. It is about the giving and receiving of pain and it is critical that a bond of trust develops between the boxer and his coach.

• it is an individual sport, the relationship is between each boxer and his coach in a far more individualistic way than in team sports or in sports where the pain factor is not so pronounced.

• the sport has a special appeal to vulnerable individuals who often lack security at home. Despite their tough exterior, young hoodlums are in as much need of a loving, trusting relationship as anyone else. Perhaps more so. This is particularly true for boys who lack positive male role models at home. Wrapping it up in the context of a macho sport like boxing provides an opportunity for the boxing coach which is denied to others who would seek to help but do not have an entree.

• expressions of aggression or violence can be as frightening to the perpetrator as to the victim or witness. Boxing legitimizes aggression and violence, but at the same time places secure boundaries around it and ensures it is carried out in safety. Rather than leading to destruction (which is the result of unfettered aggression and violence) it leads to constructive outcomes both internally (self knowledge, self discipline, self esteem, etc.) and externally (praise, accomplishment, respect for rules and opponents, etc.).

For kids who know they have a problem with aggression and violence, boxing is an ideal outlet and discipline (quite the contrary to the populist view which holds that boxing encourages aggression and violence). The coach is an integral part of this process and in effect personifies it, he enables it to happen and is respected for it - at the other end of the scale the victims of aggression or violence can be helped to develop more self confidence, and indeed some self-defense or fighting skills, through sensitive coaching in a boxing club. Whereas they may never make the grade as competitive boxers they can be helped to avoid the worst excesses of being bullied and to develop greater self respect (self esteem) as a result. Again they will recognize the coach's contribution in this process - boys and young men like to have a macho image of themselves. Being strong and good at fighting is high status stuff. They know that hard training and skills coaching will improve their fighting abilities and add to their "hardman" image. They may complain about the toughness of the regime in the gym but deep down they know it can help to deliver what they want, and the coach who insists on them working through the pain barrier is respected for it.