Seconds out…UCB Boxing Academy launched

University College Birmingham hopes to unearth the next generation of British boxing stars with the launch of a dedicated new academy.

The UCB Boxing Academy, the only educational facility of its type in the West Midlands, will take in its first recruits, aged 16 to 18, in September. The academy will be run by a coach accredited by the Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE)  and will be open to male and female boxers.

The Academy will be one of nine centres nationwide tasked with training elite fighters. The goal is to find and train young men and women capable of representing their country at the highest level of Olympic competition.

UCB is staging an open evening on February 26 at its centre at The Maltings in Granville Street, Birmingham, from 6pm to 8.30pm. The evening will include a practical skills session so prospective students should bring along suitable sportswear. Parents and guardians are invited to attend.

To join the academy, students will be required to take a level 2 or level 3 UCB course, including the following sports courses: BTEC Level 3 in Performance and Excellence;  BTEC Level 3 in Development, Coaching and Fitness; and Level 2 Diploma in Fitness and Exercise.

Boxers will train at least three times a week and receive specialist instruction in fitness, technique, strength and conditioning, sparring, sports therapy and rehabilitation.

Recruits identified by the ABAE as having elite potential will join the Advanced Level Apprenticeship run by the prestigious Achieving Academic and Sporting Excellence (AASE) programme. AASE is a national programme covering a range of sports and is credited with producing national and Olympic champions including swimmer Rebecca Adlington and diver Tom Daley.

UCB Boxing Academy students on the AASE programme will be placed on the British boxing performance pathway and must take a Level 3 course to fulfil the enrolment criteria.

Elaine Limond, UCB senior curriculum leader, said: “We have done a lot more boxing with students over the last few years as part of their enrichment activities and we have seen increasing numbers of students with boxing backgrounds.

“The ABAE has identified Birmingham as a hot spot for new talent and UCB is delighted to rise to the challenge of helping to uncover the nation’s future boxing stars.

“Students joining the academy must be aged between 16 and 18 on September 1, 2014, and will have experience of boxing, either through their school, a club or informally. It might be that a family member is involved in the sport or the student may have transferrable skills from another sport.

“The UCB Boxing Academy is not designed to replace students’ involvement at club level. In fact, involvement in club boxing will be strongly encouraged. The Academy should be seen as an additional opportunity to develop elite athletes, both male and female, while equipping young people with qualifications for the jobs market.”

To register for a place at the opening evening, please email Lisa Collins in UCB Marketing at l.collins@ucb.ac.uk

For further information about the UCB Boxing Academy, please email senior curriculum leader Elaine Limond at e.limond@ucb.ac.uk