Clubs are the cornerstone of boxing, and of Boxing Ireland. We are home to over 360 clubs, providing training to over 25,000 people.
Club leadership is a challenging and rewarding undertaking, which should be discharged to the highest possible standards.
These resources are designed to assist clubs in defining their leadership roles and responsibilities.
Club Management Committee
The Committee’s job, broadly speaking, is to ensure that the club:
• does what it was set up to do
• has enough money and does not get into debt
• is well run
This includes organising regular meetings monthly or bi-monthly, holding an Annual General Meeting and ensuring that accurate minutes are recorded and circulated to committee members within the organisation, and available to all the organisation’s members, not just the committee.
Role of the Chairperson or President
Chairing is a key role on any Management Committee. The Chairperson ensures that the Management Committee functions properly, that there is full participation during meetings, that all relevant matters are discussed and that effective decisions are made and carried out. The role of a Chairperson can be time consuming, involving work between meetings, external representation of the organisation, and supporting the organisations volunteers. Chairing an organisation requires diplomatic and leadership skills of a high level
Role of the Secretary
The secretary is a key role in supporting the chairperson. The secretary takes the minutes, deals with correspondence and responsible for organisations records such as membership forms. This person should be highly organised, efficient and an excellent communicator. Ideally they will have access and be good with technology to produce minutes. They will confirm the agenda for committee meetings with the Chairperson
Role of the Treasurer
The overall role of the Treasurer is to maintain an overview of the organisation’s financial status and to ensure that proper financial records and procedures are maintained. Including income collection, banking and payments. In small organisations the Treasurer should take a greater role in the day-to-day finances of the organisation. It is important to note that final responsibility for financial matters always rests with the management committee as a whole. This person will understand income / expenditure, be able to produce Quarterly/Annual Income & Expenditure and Account Balance for the Management Committee. They should be good with a PC.
Designated Child Safeguarding Officer
This can be one of the above roles but should not be the Head or Assistant coaches. This person is responsible for dealing with any concerns about the safeguarding of children, reporting allegations or suspicions of child abuse to Health Services Executive or Health and Social Care Trusts and/or An Garda Siochána / PSNI. This role includes record keeping / access to membership forms, being available to speak to members and parents, understanding reporting procedures, undertaking additional DSCO training and reporting allegations.
Coaching Roles
Role of a Head Coach
Takes full responsibility for the club’s coaching sessions. Maintains high ethical standards in coaching, ensure they keep up-to-date with their knowledge, skills and qualifications and prepare all coaching sessions in advance. To work with and include assistant coaches in the preparation and running of each session. To attend club management meetings and report on progress. To assist in the selection of teams. To travel to competitions with the boxers. To inform Management Committee when taking / receiving boxers for sparring and competition. To inform the Assistant Coach in advance of any sessions that cannot be attended. Should be an IABA L2 coach / booked onto the next course. This role is accountable to the management committee.
Role of Assistant Coaches
To assist with the club’s coaching sessions. To develop and maintain high ethical standards in coaching, commit to develop their coaching knowledge and skills and assist in the preparation of coaching sessions in advance. To work with the Head Coach in the preparation and running of each session. To travel to competitions with the boxers. To inform the Lead Coach in advance of any sessions that cannot be attended. They would not normally attend management committee meetings.
Additional Roles
Clubs may also opt to appoint volunteers to other key roles, as required.
Role of Communications or Marketing Lead: This role is created when an organisation wants to make a real effort in promoting the good work that it does and also when the organisation is recruiting new members. This role will lead on drafting marketing leaflets, newsletters, posters to promote the club, responsible for the set up / ongoing maintenance of a club website, Facebook page and / or Twitter page. They will also be responsible for writing and sending good news articles to the local papers and collating any marketing / PR that occurs within media about the club. This role is still accountable to the management committee.
Role of Events & Fundraising Lead: This role is for when the Management Committee require someone to lead on heading up an organised event of fundraising initiative. The role will involve organising, leading, communicating effectively with the committee, liaising with outside organisations to help or ask for sponsorship, recruiting and managing volunteers to help the role. This person would be highly organised, great communicator, a negotiator, great leader and understands that they are accountable to the management committee.
Role of Honorary President: This role is in name only, to be able to make club member who perhaps can no longer commit to the management committee their time, or have become unwell but still want to be associated with the club. This role allows them to remain a part of the committee should they wish to be involved with no voting rights. It is a way of thanking someone who has been involved in the club for many years but have stepped back from the club.
New Club Set-Up
Boxing Ireland is a growing community, and new clubs are welcome. A club which is not affiliated to Boxing Ireland may not participate in any Boxing Ireland events.
Information on setting up a new Boxing Ireland club
In order to establish a new boxing club, founder members will need to provide:
Names of club President, Treasurer, Secretary & Safeguarding Officer
Contact details President, Treasurer, Secretary & Safeguarding Officer
The names of a minimum of two Boxing Ireland qualified coaches
Evidence of current Boxing Ireland Garda Vetting/Access NI checks for all coaches and volunteers who interact with children
If Garda Vetting/Access NI checks are not in place, advice is available via National Safeguarding Manager Stephen Flynn, stephen@boxingireland.ie
Evidence that all coaches and volunteers, in addition to vetting, have undergone Safeguarding 1 learning. To book, please visit here
Intending clubs must send all of the above information to the County Board in the area in which they wish to operate. County Board contacts are available here. Should this information be shared directly with IABA staff in the first instance, it will be communicated to the relevant County Board.
Intending clubs are advised that their proposed clubhouse may be inspected for suitability by the County Board of the applicable area. County Boards may also have regard to the proximity of the intending club to existing Boxing Ireland clubs in that area.
On approval at County Board and Provincial Unit level, Boxing Ireland staff will create an online portal for the club, at which point insurance and affiliation fees are due via that portal. A newly established club may not begin accepting members, providing training, participating in competitions or taking part in Boxing Ireland workshops, seminars or courses until insurance & affiliation fees are paid.
Useful Forms, Templates and Links
This suite of resources is available to assist clubs in their administration.
AGM agenda template for a newly formed club – available here
AGM agenda template for operating clubs – available here
AGM minutes template – available here
Club Health Check Template – available here
Guidance on completing the Garda eVetting process is available here
Identification: information on the forms of identification required to complete the Garda eVetting process can be downloaded here
Online Garda eVetting Invitation Form: is available here