Youth boxing?

Discussion in 'Boxing' started by Combat Sports, Jul 18, 2014.

  1. Combat Sports

    Combat Sports Formerly What Works Banned

    My daughter wrestles most of the time and is also doing some Judo and BJJ. She became fascinated with Boxing and Muay Thai and I found a gym that has had a great deal of success helping girls do well. Trying to balance the time for everything involved. A lot of people say that the best boxers are almost always people who start very young.

    I guess the crux of my question is, how critical is it that she start young if she wants to be successful later?
     
  2. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    Like most things, it certainly helps to start young.

    My advice would be, take her as much as she would like to go. Let her know that it's a commitment on both parts, like "okay, but if you want to go then you must go twice a week, no stopping and starting!". Being consistent is over half the battle ;p
     
  3. Combat Sports

    Combat Sports Formerly What Works Banned

    It was a bigger difficultly getting her to leave then getting her to go. She didn't want to stop even though she had done the full workout and more. I think some of that is her wrestling sessions are often as much as three hours long. Her coach thinks she could go to the Junior Olympics.

    What I was trying to consider is how important it is to get her in this now and weighing it against other things she does. She seems confident she can still continue to wrestle on the days she is not boxing. I guess we can try that and see how it goes.

    You do see a huge difference in the punch quality of people who boxed when they were younger.
     
  4. Remi Lessore

    Remi Lessore Valued Member

    consistency and discipline

    I took my daughter to WTF TKD when she was young. She loved it and had natural talent but when she reached 12 and was half way to black belt she said she had had enough and wanted to stop. No real reason, just trying to affirm herself
    I thought, would this be acceptable if it were about piano classes? No. We talked about it with my wife and with her.
    We made her carry on. She grumbled but did it (knowing her, it would have been impossible if she did not agree, deep down).
    I told her she could stop when she got her black, hoping she would have grown out of her rebellion by then.
    No chance - she carried on another two years and got her black first time through (it took me another two goes). And she stopped, to my dismay.

    But now, she is studying performing arts and is grateful for the poise and motor skills it gave her. And she is intent on being disciplined with her own children.

    So it's not just about success. Aiming for success is a great focus but combat sports and MAs bring a whole wealth of other benefits to kids.
     
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2014
  5. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    Sounds like you've spawned a future world champ! Best of luck to her :)
     
  6. belltoller

    belltoller OffTopic MonstreOrdinaire Supporter

    There are some some sport such as gymnastics that require participants beginning as young as possible if they want to achieve any measure of success. TKD is also something that would be better if started younger due to the flexibility that can be gained when starting at younger ages, if taught correctly.

    Boxing … I don't think it as critical to begin super young. Some doctors and parent groups are highly against starting young, but from what I've seen, kids are actually safer in the youngest groups than they would be starting in their teens as they've not developed the muscle mass to inflict damage to one another.

    But that's only an uneducated opinion.

    I do think it critical that the child be mature – mature regardless of chronological age – before they are allowed in boxing classes. I've seen some youth boxing programmes that were ruined – despite having outstanding instructors - because the instructors time was too often spent managing children who were being silly, not serious about why they were there – just ruins it for those who could learn.

    This happened with my two sons who were in a youth boxing programme for a couple of years. The class began taking in immature, silly kids and they ended up transferring to the adult boxing class –

    They learned a lot but it was very ... intense. Too intense, really.

    I don't see the quality of punch being any better for a boxer as a result of them starting at 9 rather than 14.

    Wrestling, on the other hand, one might see a definite difference in speed/agility in those who start young as opposed to those who start later.

    Ironically, I've not found any wrestling programmes here in the States that have wrestling for the very young, unlike other martial arts.
     
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2014
  7. Kuma

    Kuma Lurking about

    How old?
     
  8. Combat Sports

    Combat Sports Formerly What Works Banned

    My daughter is about to turn 9. My son just turned 7. Apparently you can compete in boxing at 8.
     
  9. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    I've heard some people say it's better to learn boxing young because it's easiertolearn head movement when you can't get knocked out by your opponent.
     
  10. Saved_in_Blood

    Saved_in_Blood Valued Member

    if she wants a career in boxing, you must accept the possibility of consequences. Yes, most of the top fighters today did start very young, but they have put in A LOT of time as well.

    Sergio Martinez didn't start boxing until he was 20 years old and now at 39? IIRC anyway he just lost to Cotto who is an elite hall of fame fighter... so that's not bad for getting a much later start.

    Boxing can really pay off if you are good enough at it, but IMO it is critical to find a coach who has an emphasis on defense. I only say that because in boxing... you get hit in the head... a lot.

    I'm not saying one should live in fear of this, but to be able to accept it as a possibility. I take KB/MT and while you do get hit in the head, often times the legs and body are just as important as far as targets go. Even many MT fighters will tell you boxers are crazy to get hit as much as they do in the head.

    However, with her doing all of the other MA's, it would make her a very complete fighter when it would come to MMA competition.

    This is all just my opinion, I'm not trying to scare you, but as a father myself and seeing and knowing what I know now, I would have (and will have) my son in BJJ or MT before I did just straight boxing, but for SD purposes. If he wanted to compete later on, that would be his choice, but I would always advise against it because of course... it's my son, I don't want to see him get hurt.
     
  11. Saved_in_Blood

    Saved_in_Blood Valued Member

    When you're young your mind does soak things up much easier yes.
     
  12. Combat Sports

    Combat Sports Formerly What Works Banned

    Her goal is MMA. But she gelled with her coach very well and he has already trained multiple female champions.
     
  13. Saved_in_Blood

    Saved_in_Blood Valued Member

    Oh ok, I cannot speak to much for MMA, as it doesn't quite do it for me like boxing does. It's good to know and learn new styles but others like to just stick with one style... at least for a while. I think I'm just getting to old and can't do some things the same way without a lot of back or whatever pain i'll wind up with the next day.

    Sounds like a good set up for her though.
     
  14. Combat Sports

    Combat Sports Formerly What Works Banned

    Normally I am on board with master one thing first, but I read some good books by experts on developing child athletes and it says to avoid allowing a child to specialize until they are in their early teens. Boxing and wrestling are different enough to qualify for that. And they both will help her with her goals.
     
  15. Saved_in_Blood

    Saved_in_Blood Valued Member

    I don't think there is anything wrong with multiple styles, but again, I do think that an emphasis on defense should be first whether boxing, MT, KB, any sort of combat art where getting hit in the head is part of it. Just about any idiot can punch (some not as well as others), but great head movement, parrying, and hands up is always something that can be improved on all IMO of course.
     
  16. aaradia

    aaradia Choy Li Fut and Yang Tai Chi Chuan Student Moderator Supporter

    Define successful.

    Are you talking about her being in college or professional level sports?

    Being able to use it in self defense?

    Win tournaments?

    Isn't her just aquiring a skill and working hard being successful? Or is there a goal you haven't mentioned?
     
  17. Saved_in_Blood

    Saved_in_Blood Valued Member

    I would imagine, like most people assume. Success comes later in life through hard work as a child or teenager, such as you would say one who just got out of college to be a doctor and now has become one is "successful" vs. saying "my child is in medical school". Success for me is the measure by which you put forth the work early one so that it pays your basic bills and needs. Sadly success for many means that plus allows you to drive around in a 70, 80,100k bimmer that's paid for.

    There's quite a stigma attached to the word "success". For instance, I have been playing the guitar since I was 13 years old... some might say I'm better than most other players that they have seen. I myself know there's plenty of people much better though, so I don't let their comments go to my head. All of my years of playing haven't paid off in the sense that I have made much money doing it, thus I don't consider myself a "successful musician". Others are terrible at it, yet they have managed to make millions.

    Quite an odd word success when you really think about it I suppose.
     
  18. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    I've always considered "succesful" to mean "the best of my ability".
     
  19. Saved_in_Blood

    Saved_in_Blood Valued Member

    We all have a different view of what the word means I think... really it's to be happy with yourself IMHO... or I guess basically what you said.
     
  20. aaradia

    aaradia Choy Li Fut and Yang Tai Chi Chuan Student Moderator Supporter

    Yes, there are lots of different views. That is why I want to know what OP meant. I think the answer to his question hinges on what he and his daughter define as successful. If the goal is to be a professional someday, the answer to his question would be different than the answer you gave.
     

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