UK Coaching nominations for boxing duo

Jewellery Quarter boxing coach Mick Maguire has been selected as a finalist in Talent Development Coach of the Year category at the UK Coaching Awards 2019.

The Birmingham-based coach – who also doubles as England Boxing’s Club Support Officer for the Midlands, has made the final shortlist of three along with Danielle Brayson (swimming) and Matthew Handley (martial arts).

He will now attend the prestigious awards ceremony at The Tower Hotel London on the 5th December 2019 after being chosen by an expert judging panel.

“I am delighted to have been even nominated let alone made the Final,” said a delighted Maguire, who was in the corner of this year’s England Boxing National Amateur Championships Over-91kg winner, Delicious Orie.

“I was pleasantly surprised when I received the e-mail telling, especially as it said they had received a record number of nominations this year.

“It’s great to see boxing recognised at such a prestigious event and the development work that has contributed to me being nominated is replicated in boxing clubs across the country week in and week out.

“We have had some tremendous competitive successes at our club Jewellery Quarter over the past few seasons with National Finalists in Schools, Junior, Youth, Junior and Senior Development, and also at Senior Elite level.

I must pay homage to my coaching team at the club who have developed hugely in the past couple of years and in particular to my right hand man, Nigel Lakin, who has been constantly by my side for the past five years, night after night, within the gym and at the competitions.”

Away from his Birmingham base, Maguire has also been busy as part of The England Talent Coaching team since 2014 and has coached at countless camps and tournaments in that time.

He added: “I started with the England Team in 2014 as assistant coach to the female team under the guidance of female lead coach Amanda Coulson. To further develop female participation in boxing, I also founded the Fight Like A Girl programme in the same year and we now hold monthly squads for female boxers with upwards of 40 boxers in attendance every month.

“In 2015 the England Talent team was reshuffled and I became involved with coaching all groups from schools to senior both male and female and it is something I am still enjoying up to this very day.

“The final piece of the jigsaw fell into place for me in 2018 when I was offered the role as an England Boxing Club Support Officer, which has given me a platform to be able to assist clubs across the Midlands in the growth of community boxing programmes.

“Some of the things we have had tremendous success with include; disability boxing, refugee integration, mixed ability sessions and crime diversion and prevention programmes.

“I am extremely proud of the competition successes we have been fortunate enough to enjoy, but having the opportunity to be able to work within community development for boxing is a wonderful role to be involved in and it never fails to amaze me the depth and diversity of programmes that are being undertaken by our England Boxing clubs every year.”

Maguire has been joined on the shortlist for the awards by another boxing representative in the shape of Joe Lockley, also of Midlands region.

He has made the final three in the Changing Lives Award, along with Ben Lampert (football) and Cathy Fox (cycling).

Maguire is pictured with Jewellery Quarter boxers Orie, who is also the reigning Tri-nations Super-Heavyweight Champion and Boma Brown, the 2018 & 2019 Regional Super Heavyweight Development Champion (above), as well as with the Fight Like A Girl squad (below).