Boxing Ontario’s Female Development Committee (FDC) hosted a Performance & Development Camp in partnership with TNT Boxing Academy in Guelph in late February. This event focused on supporting Novice athletes at the start of their competitive journeys.
The camp welcomed a group of 20 athletes from gyms across the province, providing a day of training that included a boxing warm-up and drills, pad work, technical rounds, and open sparring. Guided by the experienced camp coaches, athletes engaged in controlled, pre-matched sparring rounds designed to foster skill development in a supportive environment.
One of the persistent challenges facing women’s boxing in Ontario is finding matches and sparring partners. The FDC, alongside member gyms across the province, aim to combat these challenges by hosting regular training camps that are designed to unite female athletes from across the province—along with their coaches—to train, spar, network, and prepare for competition alongside their fellow female athletes.
Sparring camps such as these are essential to female athlete development because of the opportunities to gain experience against other female athletes of similar skill levels, divisions, and weight classes, more effectively simulating a real-life bout.
Beyond technical growth, through these camps the FDC aims to create a sense of community and shared learning. This approach is essential for retaining athletes in the sport and elevating their performance to the next level.
This year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) theme, Give to Gain, highlights the importance of collaboration and generosity: values embodied by those who volunteer their time and resources to support these camps, the athletes, and their growth in the sport of Olympic-style boxing. Boxing Ontario would like to thank TNT Boxing Academy for hosting the camp and to all the coaches who supported the camp and shared their expertise.
As outlined in the IWD Campaign, “Whether through donations, knowledge, resources, infrastructure, visibility, advocacy, education, training, mentoring, or time, contributing to women’s advancement helps create a more supportive and interconnected world.” Boxing Ontario would like to extend a special thank you to the Female Development Committee members for their commitment to support and expand opportunities for female athletes and women’s boxing in Ontario.
The next Performance & Development Camp will be taking place on March 28, 2026 in partnership with Pinnacle Boxing in Belleville. To register for camp, please visit boxingontario.com.
Get Involved:
- Host a future FDC Camp: Interested clubs can apply to host upcoming camps by visiting Boxing Ontario’s website and submitting a FDC Camp Hosting Request.
- Host all-female sparring: If your gym hosts regular all-female sparring which is open to other Boxing Ontario competitive/sparring members, please email [email protected] so you can be added to the Female Sparring in Ontario list.
- Host an all-female card: Club competition requests can be submitted at boxingontario.com.
- Become a Boxing Coach and/or Official: More and more women are enrolling in coaching courses and officiating clinics, and we need to keep the momentum going. All courses and clinics plus registration info will be posted to Boxing Ontario’s event calendar.
- Inspired to start boxing competitively or recreationally? Join a Boxing Ontario member gym!
- Stay connected: Upcoming female sparring opportunities and events will be listed on our calendar.
