Women In Coaching: Joanne Seward

On our latest article with UKCoaching highlighting some of boxing’s best grassroots female voices, we’re focusing on Joanne Seward, who has broken down stereotypes to become a respected coach at Poseidon Boxing Club in Southampton.

At 62 years old, Joanne continues to learn, grow, and make a difference and has no plans to slow down. Her journey is a powerful reminder that coaching doesn’t have an age limit, and it’s never too late to spark change at grassroots level.

Having first stepped into a boxing gym at the age of 52 with the aim of improving her fitness, she fell in love with the sport from the very first session.

As Joanne’s passion for the sport deepened, an opportunity to support the coaching team arose. She thoroughly enjoyed it and soon joined an England Boxing coaching programme.

“I wanted to be just as committed to the programme as I was in my first job,” she recalls. Since then, she has become a key part of the Poseidon team, playing an essential role supporting the club’s head coaches.

However, the early days weren’t easy for Joanne. “When I started the development course, I felt like the slow one at the back, because I was the one who knew the least,” she admits. “I felt like I had more to prove, but once I got further down the line, I realised it didn’t matter.”

Joanne’s story comes at a time when female coaching numbers are falling. New data from UK Coaching’s Coaching in the UK Report reveals a decline in the number of female coaches across all levels – from 44% in 2022 to 38% in 2024 – despite women making up 51% of the UK population.

In response to these figures, UK Coaching is developing a Gender Impact Strategy to create inclusive and diverse coaching environments, promote equity, and drive systemic change.

UK Coaching is committed to reversing the decline in female coaches and is continuing to work with partners on further research to understand more deeply the reasons for the drop-off.

For Joanne, having women in coaching roles is vital because women understand the world according to women: “Having female coaches is crucial because they can coach people who are similar to them,” she says.

Joanne faced challenges at her former gym, admitting that some of the men weren’t comfortable with her taking control, but she now believes those perceptions have shifted.

“It’s not an issue 90 per cent of the time now. People understand that you are there to coach,” she says.

Alongside her coaching career, Joanne has also been a boxing judge for the past two years, officiating grassroots bouts across the country. She believes women are “accepted as judges regardless of their background”, and taking up judging has provided her another way to support and guide her boxers.

Having a front-row view of matches has allowed Joanne to widen her understanding of boxing and has enriched her experiences within the sport.

Joanne’s coaching and judging journey has given her more confidence beyond the sport too, and she takes immense pride in helping others realise their potential.

“The most rewarding part of the role is seeing youngsters suddenly click and become the best version of themselves.”

Joanne hopes her journey will inspire more women to get involved, and her key message is simple but powerful.

“Believe,” she urges. “You must believe in yourself and do it. What’s the worst that can happen? Don’t let people put you down. Just believe.”

England Boxing and UK Coaching are dedicated to celebrating inspiring coaching stories from every sport, at every level, to shine a light on the unsung heroes who are building stronger clubs, communities, and futures.