How to become a boxing coach (in-person and virtually)

If you’ve ever considered becoming a boxing coach or are just curious about the steps involved in training fighters, you’ve arrived at the right page.

There’s a well-kept secret in boxing circles that you may not already know. You don’t need to be a boxer to become a coach. Boxing is one of the world’s most inclusive sports, and there’s a space in the game for people from all walks of life, social backgrounds, races, genders, and experiences. 

In this guide we explain how you can move from a boxing fan to a boxing coach in just a few steps. This guide is for all sports fans, from former boxers wanting to return to the in a coaching capacity to those involved in the fitness industry who’d like to move into boxing. If you’re a complete boxing novice, you’re in, too. We have everything you need to get started today.

We pick the brains of a former professional fighter and current boxing coach on learning the basics, joining a gym, gaining the necessary certificates, fighter safety, and more.

Let's get started.

Introducing Whop’s boxing expert

Frankie Monkhouse is a former professional boxer. The Scotsman competed as an amateur at the world-famous Peacock Gym in London before signing professional terms with Spencer Fearon’s Hard Knocks Boxing promotion in 2012, making his debut at the UK capital’s ExCel Centre in Docklands. 

After an injury forced him to hang up the gloves in 2015 following a points win live on television, Frank turned his hand to sports writing. He’s now a respected sports gambling writer, and you can read his many informative articles, including bookie reviews and tutorials at Whop.

In addition to writing content that’s popular in the United States and the United Kingdom, Frank remains active in boxing. He relies on that background to help place readers on the right path to becoming a respected boxing trainer. He knows what it takes to make it to a professional level as a fighter and the importance of a good coach in that journey.

Why boxing is such a popular sport

Coaches help protect the future of boxing, and a good coach can be the difference between a capable fighter and a champion.

Boxing is one of the world’s oldest and most popular sports. It’s practiced and celebrated at several levels worldwide, from keep-fitters and White Collar to Olympic and professional boxing. Switch on the sports channels on your television or live-streaming app over the weekend, and chances are you’ll see a boxing card included in the primetime listings.

What are the reasons behind boxing’s past success, and what keeps the noble art popular today?

It’s an ancient game that always has and always will divide public opinion. Some love it as the sport of hitting and not being hit. Others view boxing as a brutal and outdated practice that causes severe injuries, ranging from broken bones to serious brain damage.

Then there are the coaches.

Boxing trainers and coaches usually fall into two brackets. There are the experienced coaches who have been involved in the game for decades, overseeing the careers of major stars. They tend to focus on the ‘old school’ method. Then we have the younger boxing coaches who are less experienced but have a passion for modern training methods. They rely on sports science, strength and conditioning, and intelligent weight loss practices.

Being a boxing coach takes hard work, dedication, commitment, and a desire to succeed.

Do you have to be a boxer to become a boxing coach?

While boxing coaches are often former fighters, some of the sport’s most famous trainers didn’t box themselves or didn’t make it big. Here are five world-famous coaches who never laced up the gloves themselves or were much better coaches than boxers.

5 steps to becoming a boxing coach

Let’s now dive into the thick of the article, and I’ll walk you through the journey of becoming a boxing coach in five steps. 

As you can imagine, there’s a lot more to becoming a successful boxing coach than you could fit into five steps or even one article, but the pointers below are a tried and tested way to begin your journey.

1. Understand what it means to be a coach

Ask any experienced boxing coach at any level of the game, and they’ll tell you the same thing: coaches are a lot of things to a lot of people. There’s no one-size-fits-all definition of a boxing coach, and to get ahead in the sport, you must be willing to go far beyond the role of coach. It’s all or nothing.

When training fighters, you are not only a boxing coach but also a best friend, parent, trusted source, nutritionist, keeper of secrets, financial advisor, and just about anything else your fighter may need help with. You must go into coaching with your eyes wide open and be willing to put your all into talented young fighters.

In some cases, boxers come from difficult backgrounds and need coaching, emotional support, and guidance. To be a great boxer, you need skills. But to be a championship fighter, you require a settled life surrounded by people you can trust. A good coach must ensure their fighters remain committed to their training.

Here are some of the regular tasks involved in being a boxing coach:

• Creating training and diet plans.
• Managing rest days.
• Wrapping hands.
• Organizing sparring.
• Explaining boxing tactics.
• Holding focus mitts.
• Overseeing bag work.
• Managing strength and conditioning routine.
• Monitoring hydration levels.
• Advising on distance and times of runs.

2. Get experience

The best way to gain experience as a boxing coach is to get into the gym and be around fighters and other trainers. When you are confident you have a firm grasp of understanding the role of a boxing coach and what’s required, it’s time to get started.

The first step is to contact your local boxing gym and organize a meeting at a time that’s best for both parties.

Visit the boxing gym and sit down with the head coach. Tell them your plans and goals as a boxing coach and what you believe you could bring to the team. It’s unlikely you’ll be thrown in at the deep end and asked to come in and start playing an important role in training fighters.

Instead, it’s more likely you’ll start slow, probably a couple of days a week, lending a hand with simple tasks. 

Starting at the bottom isn’t a punishment or lack of faith in your abilities; it’s merely the start of your journey. The other coaches want to see that you are committed, willing to work hard, and will turn up on time. If you want to be a boxing coach working in the corner of some top fighters at shows across the country, but you aren’t willing to do the ‘dirty’ work and start at the bottom, coaching probably isn’t for you.

No room for ego

If I could offer one piece of advice to any aspiring fighter or coach, it would be to ensure that you enter a boxing gym without an ego. There’s no place for an inflated ego in a fight camp, and it will get found out quickly. Even the best fighters turned trainers know this and leave their ego at the door. They know what they are good at and what they’re capable of, but they don’t need to bang their own drum in the gym. They allow results to do the talking while building trust with the team of fighters.

For your first few months learning the ropes as a boxing coach, you will spend almost all of your spare time in the gym. Speak to fighters, watch other coaches, and learn from both. See what works and where you think you can improve things. But keep ideas to yourself until you have fully settled in, gained the trust of the gym, and fully evaluated the situation. 

If you spot an area of training that needs improvement, approach it cautiously and slowly. If you believe the gym is in good health, simply lend a hand to keep things moving in the right direction. A successful boxing gym requires all fighters to pull in the same direction and work off the same page.

3. Get your coaching certifications

You are free to help fighters in the gym, assisting with training and fight preparation. But to work in the corners and join the coaching staff in the locker rooms, backstage, and fights, you require the correct certifications and passes.

The boxing coaching licenses you require differ depending on which state, city, or country you’re operating in as a boxing coach.

You must pass a basic boxing trainer’s coach, show an understanding and respect for the safety measures in place, and pass a security check, especially if you’ll be working with children, young adults, and vulnerable people.

To obtain your boxing licenses and pass the checks, you must complete a license application and send it to the boxing governing body that operates in your area. They will check your form and invite you in for a face-to-face meeting.

You can then discuss why you wish to be involved in the sport of boxing and your plans for the future.

If the board is happy with your plans, you’ll sit a written test. In most cases, this is a simple question and answer, and there may be multiple-choice answers. The boxing coaching test is to ensure you have a basic understanding of what’s involved in helping fighters, including the importance of protecting young boxers.

It’s a competence test, and although not everyone passes - I’ve seen a few potential coaches fail the test - it’s not difficult, especially if you have boxing knowledge and study for the exam. 

Following your meeting with the board and written exam, you’ll receive your scores and know if you’ve passed or failed, usually there and then. If you’ve passed and the board is happy to recommend you as a boxing coach, you’ll receive your license in the post within a few weeks.

When your lanyard drops in your mailbox, you are now free to join the coaching staff at fights and take your place in the team.

4. Understand the importance of fighter safety

Now that you’ve passed your boxing coaching test and have your license, it’s time to put what you’ve learned into practice. A coach’s job is to help the fighter compete to the best of their ability and as safely as possible.

I’ll never forget the advice I received from my amateur trainer and mentor when moving into boxing coaching. He said,

Above all else, you must remember you are protecting someone’s son or daughter. You must look after them like you would your own child.

That has always stuck with me through the years, and it’s a great way of reminding yourself of the importance of the job. You want to help fighters improve and win, but you also want to make sure they get home to their family safe and healthy.

You must protect your fighter both physically and emotionally. The main danger is, of course, from taking heavy punches during a boxing bout. The best way to protect against that is by teaching good defense and fight tactics. But there are other things you must cover too. 

It’s essential your fighter is in the right place mentally to fight, and they aren’t distracted by something out with the sport, such as problems at home. Giving boxing anything less than 100% is extremely dangerous, especially when competing.

You must also be confident they made the weight properly without missing meals or losing hydration. It’s your job to ensure they don’t have any injuries or underlying health issues that would stop them from boxing.

Finally, your boxer must have the proper protective equipment, including a gumshield and groin protector.

Boxer safety checklist

If you are involved in boxing, here’s a useful checklist you should run through with each of your fighters before allowing them to compete. You should bookmark this page and return to the checklist each time you need it or when you require a refresher.

• Have you taught proper form in camp, including defense?
• Has your fighter done a proper warm-up and cool-down?
• Do you have all the necessary protective gear, including a gumshield, hand wraps, gloves, protector, ice, water, Vaseline, or something similar?
• Have there been ample supervised sparring sessions?
• Have you done everything possible to limit head trauma in training?
• Is your fighter fully aware of the challenge, alert, fit, healthy, and ready to compete?
• Have you run through basic medical checks, including hydration levels?
• Is your fighter both mentally and physically ready to box?
• Do you know when it’s right to stop a fight, and are you willing to act if necessary?

5. Work fighter corners

Different boxing organizations have different rules on how many people can be in a fighter’s corner during a bout.

The least you will need to do a proper job is two: the main coach and an assistant. Some fighters have three people in their corner. I know one person isn’t enough to carry out the duties to a high standard, and anything more than three in the corner is crowded and unnecessary.

If you have a problem with too many coaches or helpers wanting to work a corner, it’s best to ask them to get as close to the ring as possible and cheer from there. In the corner, there are rules on what you can say and do with some organizations against coaching from the corner during rounds.

The same rules don’t apply to someone sitting at ringside. They can coach and shout instructions as much as they like, along with others in the audience. It’s sometimes a good idea to have a corner team of two or three people, with others strategically placed around the ring to offer guidance when needed.

Let’s look at the role of each person when three coaches are working in the corner.

Boxing corner roles

Head coach
They will enter the ring between rounds to chat with the fighter, offer advice on tactics, give them water, remove the gumshield, and help them make the most of their 60-second recovery. They are also tasked with making sure the fighter is ready for the start of the next round.

Second
The role of the second is to make sure the stool is quickly in the ring, ready for the fighter to sit down between rounds, and then removed in time for the next round. They will also wash out the gumshield between rounds and pass up anything needed by the head coach during the break.

Cuts
There’s usually a third person in a fighter’s corner, and they will deal with any cuts or damage during the break. If there are no injuries, they will apply Vaseline or similar grease to a fighter’s face between rounds or treat any heavy swelling around the eyes that may result in the fight being stopped.

As a licensed boxing coach, you can fill any of these roles in the corner. Usually, you’ll start as a second, assisting the head coach with water and cleaning the gumshield.

You can then work your way up to cover the duties of a head coach. Wrapping hands and quickly treating cuts are also special skills in a coaching team, and not all coaches are able to cover these duties. You’ll find videos online teaching how to wrap hands or treat cuts properly. You’ll also find online and in-person courses.

4 skills you need as a boxing coach

Now you know there’s an open path to becoming a boxing coach that’s perhaps more simple than you first thought. Let’s turn our attention to the skills you need. No club would expect you to walk through the door as a newbie the complete package.

Here are four skills essential to becoming a boxing coach that add value to the sport at any level.

1. Fundamental knowledge

It’s crucial that, as a coach, you understand the fundamentals of boxing. Boxing rules and regulations change depending on which level you’re operating at, from White Collar to professional boxing. Still, it pays to have a deep understanding of the sport and how it operates. The fundamentals of boxing never change, regardless of where you’re working.

Here’s what you should know about boxing when coaching fighters:

Stance
Does your fighter have an orthodox stance (right-handed) or a southpaw stance (left-handed)? They may also be a switch-hitter, meaning they are comfortable in both stances and can effortlessly move between the two.

Footwork
Your fighter must have strong and reliable footwork. They must be light on their feet, avoid crossing their legs when moving, and move with the lead foot.

Guard
The fighter must have a reliable and tight defense. Their guard should involve high hands, elbows close to the body, chin tucked in, and looking through the eyebrows. The back should be slightly arched to allow defense of both the head and body.

Punches
You must understand the basics of punches and how to throw each shot correctly. The jab is a short, straight punch delivered with the lead hand.

The cross is a powerful shot delivered by the backhand.

The lead hook is a bend-elbow shot that targets the side of an opponent’s head or body.

The rear hook is a similar shot but delivered with the most powerful hand.

The uppercut is a vertical punch with the lead or backhand aimed at the opponent’s chin or torso and is often used when fighting in close.

Combination punching is important to winning fights, and it involves combining several punches in one move.

Defense
You must teach a fighter proper defense, including how to block, parry, slip, roll, or use footwork to evade punches.

Breathing
A skill that’s often overlooked by coaches, breathing in time with punches is crucial to staying relaxed and reacting to opportunities in the ring. Fighters exhale sharply when delivering a punch and inhale during movement and defense.

Distance
A fighter must appreciate and understand distance to ensure they are punching at the right time to land. Timing is also critical to landing shots and scoring points.

Conditioning
As important as any punch or block, conditioning helps fighters perform at their best. It’s taught in training and develops stamina, strength, and speed. 

Focus
A fighter must be fully focused and mentally prepared for training or competition. Anything less than 100% focus on a fighter or their coaching team before or during a fight is dangerous to all involved, especially the boxer in competition.

2. Networking

Boxing is a community, regardless of whether your team competes at local events or internationally. It pays to network to get ahead in the sport, and there are a few easy ways to do this in modern boxing.

The quickest and best way to network is to chat with other coaches and fighters at boxing events. Introduce yourself to as many people as possible and get to know coaches working at different gyms and their best fighters. You should also become familiar with matchmakers, referees, judges, other officials, and the medical teams.

Another great way to network in boxing is to join and engage with social media posts from other gyms. Join Facebook boxing groups and add your opinions on the posts. It’s a great way to establish yourself as a trusted and familiar name in boxing.

Whop is also a fantastic place to find boxing advice and support and is often used by professional and amateur coaches and fighters.

3. Communication

Communication with fighters and other coaches is key. Make yourself available to chat with others involved in boxing. Being open and honest helps build trust and relationships. If there’s ever a question or problem, others in boxing should know you are approachable and willing to discuss matters.

As a boxing coach, you should always be open and honest in your feedback. You must learn a fighter’s nature to better understand how they react to pressure and how best to offer instructions or advice.

4. Technical skills

Boxing rules, regulations, and best practices change regularly. It’s important to stay up to date with the latest rules and amendments. It’s also best to keep pace with technology’s ever-increasing role in sports. When used correctly, tech can improve training, results, and boxing safety.

Trial new tech, read reviews, speak to other boxers, and ensure your fighters are using the best equipment the gym can afford.

Here’s a list of some training aids available in boxing today:

• Punch trackers.
• Virtual reality training tools.
• Heart rate monitors.
• Fitness trackers.
• Smart punchbags.
• Video analysis software.
• Recovery tools.
• Smart hydration systems.
• AI training apps.
• Wearable impact monitors.

As a boxing coach, you must always strive for better. Improved performance from your fighters and safer methods in training and competition. Staying up-to-date with tech and rules changes will help you become a respected boxing coach.

What is an online boxing coach?

Do you know modern boxing coaches even help train fighters remotely? You’ll see countless boxing training apps you can download to your Android or iOS device.

These are becoming increasingly popular, with users paying monthly subscriptions. You can get training plans and advice direct to your mobile device. It’s a growing industry that’s worth millions of dollars.

I must say, I have seen these remote training apps, and they’re not up to much. They give the basic ideas of boxing training, allowing you to learn in your own time and space using the equipment you have. But there’s certainly room for improvement and a gap in the market for personalized remote boxing training programs.

If you’re a boxing coach, or even an aspiring boxing coach, and like the idea of making money from your passion without leaving home and attending a gym, Whop offers a great solution. It has everything you need in one place, and you can create a training plan, offer advice, interview experienced coaches, and more. 

You can create a boxing training Whop and share your expertise with subscribers. Use Whop to help bring boxing training into the 21st century, attracting a fresh, young, and ambitious audience.

Why you should offer boxing coaching services with Whop

• Attract customers from around the globe.
• Set your fees and accept online payment.
• Give users the flexibility to train when and where they like.
• Chat with customers about their needs and wants.
• Organize your diary to include one-to-one meetings.
• Use video chat to help users with the finer details of a move.
• Offer training modules on all things boxing.
• No gym fees or rent.
• Manage your Whop using your laptop or smartphone.
• Best of all - be your own boss.

Creating your boxing coaching Whop

Here are a few interesting points to know before setting up a boxing coaching course on Whop.

• You can create a whop in seconds. Simply visit Whop and click the Start Selling tab.
• When set up, you can use the chat app on Whop for community conversations, welcoming new members, explaining moves, offering advice, and more.

• Use the video calls app for live video coaching, offering a one-to-one boxing experience from anywhere in the world.
• The calendar app allows members to book time slots with you. You can even create a course on Whop for self-led training with modules on different punches, techniques, defense, attack, nutrition, and other useful information. The options are limitless at Whop.

Sounds good, right? But how do you manage payments, set fees, and collect cash? Whop again has your back. Use the integrated payment system to process transactions securely in seconds.

Create a boxing Whop and make your first dollar on the internet. Join the next generation of internet entrepreneurs building their sports businesses in Whop’s user-friendly and secure platform.

Everything you need to get started is just a click away.

Boxing coaching FAQs

What are the benefits of remote training for you?

There’s no need to rent a gym and pay expensive rates for a prime location. Accept users from across the United States, the United Kingdom, and worldwide. Be your own boss and build an online brand.

What are the benefits of remote training for customers?

Subscribers can train when and where they like. This is ideal for those who lack the confidence to join a boxing gym. Train at a time, place, and pace that suits.

How to get started on Whop

If you’re ready to take your boxing coaching to a global audience, Whop is primed to help. Visit the website or app and click on the Start Selling button. You can then create your whop in just a few minutes through the user-friendly interface.

How to accept payments

The integrated and secure payment platform on Whop allows you to set a price, accept payments, renew subscriptions, offer discounts, and more. You are in complete control of rates while Whop keeps you secure and earning.

When is best to create a boxing whop?

The best time to start is right now. If you have a background in boxing or feel you have something to offer the industry and want to target a fresh audience, Whop offers limitless opportunities. All you need is the knowledge and desire to succeed.