Student boxers demonstrate sparring skills

Hopwood Hall Boxing Academy Students show the Army how it is done

Students from Hopwood Hall College joined students from across the North West at an “Army Day Out” recently.

Some of the students involved were from the College’s Boxing Academy.

Boxing Academy Manager Jimmy Barker was delighted when they were asked to put on a display for the Army Boxing Display Team when they attended the event.

The Army had heard about the innovative form of boxing competition they do at the College which is called ‘Skills Spar’.
The Skills Spar is a new form of boxing competition which is specially tailored for young people.
Although the competitions resemble ‘normal’ boxing, the specially adapted Skills Spar competitions are quite different from a normal boxing match in that they have been modified to suit the youngsters’ ages, size, ability, skill level and experience.
They also use simpler rules, plus fun training and coaching and are safe for the young people.

So, the Boxing Academy students demonstrated Skill Sparing to the Army Boxing Team for a couple of hours. They then went to the display tent which was packed all day with students from other colleges watching with interest the boxing demonstrations from the Hopwood Hall College students.

The Coach of the Army Boxing Display Team the Royal Fusiliers was extremely impressed by the high level of skills and fitness of the Hopwood Hall students; so much so, that he enquired about attending the Boxing Academy at Hopwood Hall College with his team for a training session in the near future with the Academy’s coaches and students. Mr Barker, of course said yes.