Five Pillars Coaching Project launches with trial in the Home Counties

The Five Pillars Coaching Project, a new Performance-led initiative aimed at coach development, has successfully completed its trial phase, which featured ten coaches from the Home Counties.

The pilot programme is part of a broader vision to expand the scheme to coaches across the country.

Led by Project Lead Carl Ellis and supported by lead National Coach Amanda Coulson and Performance Pathway Coach John Hodkinson, the programme included two intensive residential camps and a one-to-one online development session for each participating coach.

The second camp featured hands-on work with boxers from the Performance Pathway, allowing coaches to apply their learning in a high-performance environment.

Central to the project was the exploration and application of the ‘Five Pillars’ coaching framework, abbreviated as BADST: Before, After, Distance, Space, and Tempo. Coaches on the project demonstrated their understanding by identifying these concepts during video analysis sessions and by applying them in practical sessions with athletes.

This framework encompasses the technical and tactical focus of the England Boxing Performance Pathway, providing a consistent language for coaches across the Pathway.

Project co-lead John Hodkinson praised the dedication of the coaches throughout the six-month trial: “The impact this course has had for the coaches has been fantastic. I’ve seen so much growth in them during the last six months. They’ve come together, whether it was during online sessions, group learning or the residentials. It’s been a fantastic experience, and they’ve all been very enthusiastic.”

Lead National Coach Amanda Coulson, who also co-led the project, highlighted its wider purpose: “This project is about bringing club boxing and the Performance Pathway closer together. We built it to deliver the key principles of the BADST framework in a meaningful way so that clubs can take it on board.

The coaches have embraced the opportunity and are really flying with it. The second residential in particular was brilliant. We’ve piloted it with ten coaches in the Home Counties, and it’s gone really, really well. It’s something we’re excited to roll out to other regions.”

For the coaches involved, the Five Pillars framework is already making a difference back at their clubs, with Ermal Dida (Bedford ABC) saying the course brought clarity and structure: “The Five Pillars coaching project has been really beneficial for me.

“BADST is something we’ve spoken about a lot, and I’ve spent a lot of time implementing it in the gym. It gives our sessions more structure and provides simple, effective steps to help boxers improve. It’s not just useful for me as a coach, but also for the boxers – it’s a boost to help them believe in what they can achieve and how to get there”

Michelle Nelson (Bellator Boxing Academy) echoed those thoughts: “The Five Pillars coaching project has been amazing. We took a deep dive into each element of BADST and got to see it in action with the Pathway boxers.

The main thing I’ve taken from it is the confidence to implement the framework at my own club. I now feel like I truly understand it, and that’s helped me pass it on to my boxers effectively. Seeing it used in the residential camps really brought it to life. It’s already become a key part of how we run our training sessions.”

Congratulations to the first ten participants of the Five Pillars Coaching Project