By Ron Lane
When one achieves success, and wishes to continue, one must first stop and do an honest assessment, embracing both the highs and lows of the past year’s activities.
Often when doing so, and the total success when listed, is beyond all expectations, this gives encouragement for the future and above all, an intense feeling of pride and achievement.
However and perhaps most important, it gives one the opportunity to not only recognise but also acknowledge all involved and give them a well-deserved thank you.
As we all know there is no “I” in club success. Such has been the case for the Impact Amateur Boxing Academy in Cooroy.
When the club’s members – coaches, fighters, trainers, family and support group – gathered in Lions Park Noosaville for their Christmas and presentation of club awards barbecue on 13 December, there was indeed an immense feeling of pride, not only in their achievements, but also the club spirit.
Their gymnasium – nestled amongst the trees just off Blueberry Drive, Cudgerie Estate – is small and is known as the House of Pain.
To achieve last year’s results is something in which both the sporting and the non-sporting community of Noosa District should take notice – and celebrate – for these are achievements of our youth.
Sitting in the family home of Impact’s owner and head coach Mark Evans and wife Mel, I had before me all the relevant information regarding the club’s achievements over the last twelve months.
To say that they were outstanding is indeed being modest.
First of all was the total number of bouts that this local team of sixteen boxers, both male and female, had contested; it was 113 bouts for a total of 83 wins. A very impressive result.
Next, the outstanding achievements gained by team members. It started with five Australian championships, five State Championships and seven Wide Bay. Add to this a total of six Australian Golden Glove Titles and we have a national club record second to none.
Then came the results of their international tournaments. From Poland members returned home with a total of five gold and two silver medals and from Ireland two returned having won the very coveted Celtic Belt Championships.
Regarding the Ireland International Tournament, the Celtic Cup, (which was the overall team championship) was won by the Queensland team which consisted of twelve fighters, five of whom came from our local Impact Club.
In keeping with advanced training programs, three of Impact’s young girls, Taylah Robertson, Ella Boot and Chloe Halley have recently returned from a four day training camp at the AIS in Canberra.
“Their program,” said Mark, “was full on with three training sessions a day followed by fitness testing, and then lectures on nutrition and recovery.” Interesting to note all was done under the supervision of Amanda Groake, Britain’s High Performance Female Coach.
Also for Ella Boot, this rounded off a great competition year for she went undefeated – indeed a great achievement.
“It has indeed been an outstanding year,” said Mark.
“I cannot speak highly enough, not only of the boxing squad but all our team. Without the families, workers, supporters and sponsors, these results would be impossible. Nothing was too much of a problem; all we had to do was to ask and help was there.”
It is a little known fact that apart from his full on commitment to the Impact club, owner/coach Mark Evans has also been, for approximately four years, involved in an outstanding program at the Cooroy State School; a program that is for benefit of children with special needs.
When questioned about the success of this project he replied with a laugh – “I have been told by some staff people that if some children become a bit unruly during class, they are told that if they don’t behave they will not be allowed to attend Mark’s boxing school. This, I am told usually works wonders.”
The concept of these classes is first to have fun while learning about basic fitness, and second being gently introduced to that all important virtue of self-discipline.
When one attends a normal training night at the Impact gym, both the fun factor and the self-discipline become obvious. On top of this the quite nature of the athletes and their good manners are noticeable.
“We like to think that we don’t just teach fitness and boxing but also how they should conduct themselves in everyday life. Always remember that some of the kids who walk through our doors could be street kids. Our club plays a part in helping to build character for the years ahead,” Mark said.
“It is interesting to note that this attitude is also practiced at our other boxing club, the Noosa Box Office run by Israel Kani.”
With the occasional young fighter moving to Noosa District to train at the Impact club, the problem of employment sometimes arises.
Therefore it is not uncommon for Mark – who earns his living as a painting contractor – to sometimes provide employment thus assisting them to get on their feet.
This, plus the club’s attitude to their sport, does wonders toward creating a team spirit that is second to none.
In the area of administration and promotion, the Impact club again this year organised and ran the annual Young Guns Boxing Tournament at Cooroy. Proudly hosted by the Noosa District State High School, this event – with teams from all over the state attending – was in its fifth year.
Again it was an outstanding success.
Another major for Mark was his election to the position of President of Boxing Queensland.
Such has been his performance, his re-election to the position for the fourth coming year was unanimous.
Among his achievements was the successful meeting in New Caledonia with the National President of Boxing New Caledonia Nico Marto.
The purpose of this was to establish a working relationship regarding tournaments between Queensland and Caledonia.
The success of this meeting, which was also attended by a Fijian official, was a massive step forward in helping to consolidate amateur boxing in the South Pacific region.
With relationship between these countries plus tournaments and training camps involving Thailand and the Philippines, the unheralded sport of amateur boxing is starting to spread.
With Australia about to host the Commonwealth Games, (and don’t forget they are just down the road on the Gold Coast) the positive and progressive attitude of Noosa Districts boxing fraternity could not come at a better time.
The Games now being a reality, Mark has been talking with Scotland’s Mike Keane, (Olympic coach) and Craig McAvoy, regarding the visit to Queensland of the Scottish elite boxing squad. This will consist of a team of ten athletes and two coaches.
“Boxing in Scotland is very big and this trip is to prepare them for the Games,” Mark said.
“At the end of the training camp we are hoping for an international tournament – Queensland vs Scotland. If this happened we have several boxers in the Noosa District (Impact and NBO clubs) who could make the state team and possibly the Australian team for the Games.”
Add to this Mark’s ability to formulate grounds for possible international tournaments with countries such as Ireland, Scotland and Poland, and we could safely say that the future of the sport is in good hands.
In a time when drugs, binge drinking and the coward’s punch takes precedent when media talks about the youth of today, not to acknowledge the positive achievements of our sporting youth, their coaches and families would not only be unforgivable but above all, un-Australian.
So to our young athletes at the Impact Boxing Academy, plus coaches and parents, we say well done.
We are proud of the fact that you are – Our People.
