Welsh Boxing
Case Study
Welsh Boxing is working to transform perceptions of boxing by embedding inclusion into coach education and club practice. Through the development of an adaptive coaching framework, the organisation is supporting coaches to create welcoming, flexible and engaging boxing environments for disabled participants across Wales.
By placing coach education at the centre of this work, Welsh Boxing is ensuring inclusion becomes part of everyday coaching practice rather than a separate or specialist offer.
The Challenge
Boxing has not always been viewed as an accessible sport for disabled participants. A lack of recognised pathways and limited confidence among coaches has contributed to misconceptions about the suitability of boxing environments for people with physical and learning impairments.
Insight gathered through Welsh Boxing’s work highlighted that the greatest barrier was not coach capability, but coach confidence. Many coaches were unsure whether their existing skills were sufficient to deliver inclusive sessions.
Welsh Boxing identified the need to:
- Reassure coaches that inclusive coaching builds on existing good practice
- Support clubs to adapt sessions without over‑complicating delivery
- Emphasise belonging, enjoyment and confidence over performance outcomes
The Approach
Welsh Boxing has adopted an education‑led, learning‑by‑doing approach focused on supporting coaches and learning directly from club environments. Central to this is the development of an adaptive coaching framework, shaped by real‑world practice rather than assumptions about disability.
Key elements of the approach include:
- Working with clubs already delivering inclusive activity to capture learning
- Supporting coaches to adapt sessions around individual capability and motivation
- Encouraging coaches to view inclusion as an extension of their existing coaching skills
- Creating pathways for people with lived experience of disability to move into coaching roles
As articulated through Welsh Boxing’s engagement with clubs, inclusive coaching is framed as coaching the person in front of you, regardless of ability.
When you're in that environment and you're seeing individuals with different disabilities engage in the sport, how engaged they are and how much they get from it, it’s incredible to see. - Gareth Evans, Welsh Boxing’s Head of Community Boxing
Supporting Coaches to Lead Inclusive Practice
Welsh Boxing places coach education at the centre of its inclusion strategy. By supporting and reassuring coaches, the organisation is working to remove perceived barriers around inclusive delivery and normalise adaptation as part of everyday practice.
This philosophy closely aligns with wider coaching guidance that emphasises safety, wellbeing and inclusion as foundational coaching responsibilities. Resources such as UK Coaching Club, including the Duty to Care Hub, provide practical guidance to help coaches build confidence, adapt sessions and create welcoming environments for all participants.
Inclusion in Practice
Pembroke & Pembroke Dock Amateur Boxing Club provides a strong example of inclusive coaching in action. The club delivers free weekly sessions attended by more than 70 participants of all abilities, creating an environment that prioritises enjoyment, confidence and community.
Small, thoughtful adaptations, combined with patient and empathetic coaching, enable participants with a wide range of impairments to engage meaningfully in sessions. Participants report improved confidence, reduced stigma and a stronger sense of identity beyond disability.
Crucially, the club has also supported individuals with disabilities to progress into coaching roles, reinforcing Welsh Boxing’s belief that lived experience strengthens inclusive delivery and leadership.