Women’s Coach Development Programme spotlight: Michelle Dean (The Lion Gym)

The Yorkshire-based coach is hoping her involvement in the England Boxing Women’s Coach Development Programme will help improve her confidence and her coaching abilities.

How did you first get involved in boxing?

I answered an advert for volunteers at the gym. I was looking at completing my personal training qualifications and wanted experience in a gym, so I started helping in classes and after a year I did my coaching qualification. I’ve been at the gym ever since.

How pleased are you to be involved in a programme that is actively bidding to push women’s and girls’ boxing forward?

I’m very pleased to be part of this programme. I really want to see more females taking part in boxing in the gym and, by having programmes like this, hopefully, when they stop boxing, they’ll look to get into coaching.

What do you hope to get out of the WCDP that can improve you as a coach?

I want to improve my coaching overall and my confidence in my abilities as a coach. I’m also looking forward to gaining more knowledge from the other coaches, as well as my head coach.

How much will attending the WCDP help you in your club environment?

I’ll take the things that I’ve from the programme back to the gym and help support the boxers in their development and bring in different ideas. Increasing my confidence in my coaching will help me to push forward with my development which will have a positive impact on the boxers and people attending classes.

Who are your biggest boxing inspirations?

I’m inspired by Katie Taylor who has pushed women’s boxing forward over the past few years onto a bigger stage. My head coach, Kal, is also an inspiration. What he gives to the boxers at the gym is inspiring and he’s also taught me what I know and pushed me forward to be better at every point of my coaching journey.

The boxers at the gym are also a big inspiration. Seeing them come from not knowing anything or being unfit and progressing to achieve their own goals is inspiring and is exactly what pushes me forward to achieve my own