A Week in My Life: Sophie Marshall, Business Administrator Apprentice

In celebration of National Apprenticeship Week, we’re taking a closer look at the vital role apprentices play within our team. Meet Sophie, our amazing apprentice, who gives us a glimpse into her week as she navigates different departments, gains hands-on experience, and contributes behind-the-scenes to the organisation.

Sophie’s journey shines a light on the incredible opportunities and learning experiences that come with an apprenticeship at England Boxing. Read all about her daily routine, the skills she’s developing, and what she loves most about her role!

Monday 

Mondays are usually spent with the Membership team, where I provide support with various tasks—which are often based around our new membership system, The Locker. This week, I processed a number of Boxing Abroad requests that had come through on the platform, ensuring everything was in place for athletes traveling internationally. I also reviewed boxers’ previous bout history, which is always an interesting part of the job.

Tuesday 

With two major events coming up on Friday and over the weekend, my focus shifted to supporting the Events team. My day involved a range of admin tasks, including checking Youth accreditations. I created a spreadsheet to log essential details like BCR1 expiry dates, bout histories, and dates of birth.

With 106 athletes competing on Saturday for the semi-finals and 84 in the finals, the workload was intense as you can imagine — but exciting!

Wednesday 

Wednesdays are dedicated to coursework. My apprenticeship involves completing several modules, which are assessed in different ways, including online tests. It’s a great balance between practical experience and academic learning, helping me develop the skills I need to progress in my career.

Thursday 

I spent the day with the Performance team, helping to plan and organise the Roaring Lions International Duel. My tasks included updating boxers’ attendance and weight trackers using data from a previous training camp. I also created new registers for future camps and even wrote the script for the emcee and sound engineers to refer to for the event—a really exciting challenge!

Friday 

The morning was all about setting up the venue: branding, arranging desks, pulling together the warm-up area, signage, and more. In the evening, I was in charge of managing the ring walks and parade, ensuring everything ran smoothly and that athletes and teams knew exactly where they needed to be. Seeing it all come together was so rewarding!

Saturday 

I started the day managing boxer accreditations, making sure each competitor had the correct pass or wristband to access the necessary areas. As the tournament progressed, I switched over to ticketing, ensuring a steady flow of spectators could get in to watch the action unfold.

Sunday

Sunday started with another round of boxer accreditations before I moved over to assist the Communications team. My main role was uploading live scores throughout the event, helping keep everyone updated on the latest results. It was a busy but exciting way to wrap up the weekend!

Reflections

One of the things I love most about my apprenticeship is the variety—it’s never boring! I get to work across so many departments, gaining invaluable experience and learning something new every day. It’s fast-paced, hands-on, and incredibly rewarding. During my time here, I also feel as though I have grown a great deal in confidence, developed my problem solving skills and built some great relationships with stakeholders.

To find out more about England Boxing’s Apprenticeship Programme, please click here.