Category: Featured Stories

KINGSWAY BOXING FALL 2024 UPDATES, REGISTRATION & FESTIVAL SPECIALS

Posted on August 28, 2024September 3, 2024 by Crystal Chen

Dear KBC Family,

Virgil, our Kingsway Boxing team, and I are excited as we welcome Fall! We have some exciting news on the horizon and can’t wait to share it with you soon. A big thank you to everyone who has already secured their spots in our Fall Programs—our Junior/Youth and High Performance programs are filling up fast!

We’re proud to announce partnerships with several top fitness and martial arts professionals. This impressive lineup includes Phaedra Kennedy, who will be launching our newest strength and mobility program geared toward runners, and my Sifu, the highly experienced martial artist Makoto Kabayama, who leads our exclusive seasonal self-defence workshops.

Please help us as we schedule new classes for the fall and winter. Virgil is launching a Friday 9:15 am boxing class, and Shireen is bringing back the 12:00 pm lunch classes on Fridays at our Bloor location. I’ll be starting Thursday Technical Classes at Jutland at 6:15 pm, and we’re also restarting our Junior (7+) Program every Tuesday at 5:15 pm. Additionally, we’re seeking feedback as we expand our services, so please take 5 minutes to fill out the form: COMPLETE KBC FEEDBACK FORM

Don’t miss out! Join us this weekend at the Taste of the Kingsway and secure your tickets for this year’s Friday Night Fights The Old Mill on October 18th!

Thank you for all of your incredible support. See you at the festival this weekend or in class!

In The Meantime, Keep Your Hands Up! 👊

Jennifer Huggins | Kingsway Boxing Club

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Fall is here, and we’re excited to introduce what’s new with Kingsway Boxing and our programs!

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📅 SPECIALTY WORKSHOPS

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DID YOU KNOW KINGSWAY BOXING NOW OFFERS…

📲 Access All Scheduling & Registration Through Our Mindbody App

We’re accessible through MINDBODY App. Download: Apple or Android

✅ Drop-In Classes Offered Daily :

You can now join us every day for drop-in classes including; Boxing, Kickboxing, Strength/Conditioning, even Yoga! Book Now | View All Schedules

✅ Fall Seasonal Enrolment Is OPEN!

See below for a full listing of our High Performance programming brought to you by the top fitness/combat professionals in our country! From Self-Defence workshops to yoga, we’ve got it all! More Info/View Seasonal Programs

✅ Free Open Gym Access Now Available:

Active members and fight team are now able to access our Open Gym times. This time is meant for boxers to practice their skills and train independently to ensure progress, especially for those heading back into Competition! Book Now/View Schedules

📰 KBC NEWS & UPDATES!

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Team Kingsway Boxing Packs a Punch and Brings Home Gold at the Quebec Open!

Posted on June 4, 2024June 5, 2024 by Jennifer Huggins

Team Kingsway Boxing Club (KBC) delivered an impressive performance at the Quebec Open, coming home with a total of six medals!

The Quebec Open proved to be another impactful tournament for Team KBC, with seven registered athletes bringing home a total of six medals. The team’s impressive haul included two golds, two silvers, and two bronzes, showcasing their dedication and skill. This remarkable achievement highlights the hard work and commitment of each member, as they faced tough competition and rose to the occasion with determination and resilience.

A special note of appreciation goes out to Coaches TJ Mosher and Geoff Britnell, who dedicated their weekend to coming out alongside head coach Virgil Barrow. Their guidance, support, and expertise were invaluable in helping the team achieve success inside the ropes.

Medalists and Their Achievements

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Gold Medals:

• Kwasi Amoateng: Kwasi had an outstanding performance, winning three bouts to secure the gold medal. In his first fight, he stopped his opponent in the second round. His second bout saw him unanimously defeating a more experienced fighter. In the final bout, Kwasi faced a formidable opponent he had previously competed against twice. After losing to him in the Brampton Cup gold medal match, Kwasi won a significant match at a club show. This time, in the rubber match, Kwasi triumphed, bringing home the gold. Special shoutout to his opponents and coaches.
• Quentin Snowden: Quentin, already a Brampton Cup champion, added the Quebec Open gold to his achievements, making it a fantastic year so far. He had three bouts, with a dominant victory in the first fight. His second bout ended with a thrilling second-round knockout, and his third bout was his best performance of the competition. Q had a dominant weekend, solidifying his reputation as a top contender.

Silver Medals:

• Carson Blake: In his first fight, Carson showcased his aggression and secured a win. In his second bout, he faced a solid boxer and lost the first two rounds. However, in the third round, he demonstrated his resilience and went after his opponent, showing his potential despite conceding the gold medal. Carson’s future looks bright.
• Saeed Haje-saeed: A provincial champion and ranked third in Canada, Saeed faced the national champion in his best performance to date. Although the judges didn’t agree with his performance, he earned a silver medal and gained valuable experience.

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Bronze Medals:

• Jamal Henry: Despite losing his semifinal bout, it’s noteworthy that Jamal manages two jobs and trains only once a week. His commitment to the sport is evident, but the lack of training showed in this bout.
• Wesley Snowden: Wesley outboxed his opponent from Nova Scotia in his first fight, securing his first win. In the semifinal bout, he faced a counterpuncher and couldn’t sway the judges. Nonetheless, Wesley’s growth, both in and out of the ring, was remarkable and a testament to his hard work.

Honorable Mention:

• William Bardsley faced a challenging quarterfinal match against Keoma Ali, one of the top elite boxers in Canada, who also holds a third place standing at the latest Commonwealth Games. Despite facing an opponent with superior experience, footwork, speed, and power, Will stepped up and fought every second of every round, delivering what the team considered the best fight of the tournament. Despite suffering an elbow injury in the first round, Will fought through it with determination, showcasing the resilience that marks him as a future champion.

Coach’s Reflections

“The goal at Quebec Open was to compete to our capability, gain experience, and bring home medals. All of our boxers competed and were in every single fight this past weekend. Congratulations to all of our boxers for stepping into that ring and giving it your all.

A big shoutout to the parents and the support team for helping the fighters by feeding them, driving them, and getting them to weigh-ins. The coaches are eager to get back to the gym and keep the momentum going.”

Virgil Barrow | KBC Head Coach

With such an impressive performance at the Quebec Open, Team Kingsway Boxing is excited to continue their journey, training hard, and aiming for even greater achievements in the future.

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🎥 ASCENSION: The Story Of Kingsway Boxing | Featuring Jennifer Huggins

Posted on December 20, 2022September 2, 2024 by Jennifer Huggins

Ascension is a short film focused on International Boxing Offical, Gym Owner and Fight To End Cancer Founder, Jennifer Huggins. The feature takes a look how her gym and community engagement has had an impact that goes far beyond the sport of boxing.

ACT 1: THE SWEET SCIENCE: A look into boxing for what it truly is. A sport. An art form and the sweet science.

ACT 2: THE STORY OF KINGSWAY BOXING: The formation and rise of Kingsway Boxing and Jennifer Huggins.

ACT 3: THE FIGHT TO END CANCER: The inspiration and creation behind the life-changing “Fight to End Cancer” charity.

ACT 4: THE COMMUNITY: A look into the community that Kingsway and Jen have built and inspired.

ACT 5: THE FUTURE: After accomplishing so much already, what’s next for Jen and Kingsway?

“The eight of us were tasked with doing a final culminating project for school. However, once we began production on this documentary, it became apparent that we wanted to do something more than just a school project. We wanted to make something that would resonate with the audience and tell the amazing story of Kingsway Boxing and Jen Huggins.”

~ Pound 4 Pound Team

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About Pound 4 Pound Production

Over the last three months, the group that makes up Pound For Pound Productions has worked tirelessly on this documentary. There were many long nights and early mornings. However, their hard work was rewarded with a meaningful and passionate final product. The team put their heart and soul into creating this documentary, as this story deserved to be told. Pound 4 Pound Production comprises eight fourth-year RTA Sport Media students who were asked to participate in a university practicum project to demonstrate the skills they have learned in their three years. The crew consisted of David D’Amico, Frankie Iantorno, Cristian Sturino, Andriejus Simkus-Sukauskas, Marc Vicioso, Mitchell Cairns, Ben Botelho and Nicolas Ambrosio. 

The production team decided that a documentary would best fit for presenting the skills they had learned. From there, they decided to use boxing as the highlight of the documentary, as it is a sport that displays the skill, dedication and competitiveness of its fighters. At the same time, it had also become increasingly popular. One of the group members, Mitchell Cairns, who had been part of the Kingsway Boxing Club for four years, spoke about how incredible the gym and community were at KBC. From there, after interviewing Jennifer Huggins, the team decided to centre the documentary around Jennifer and how her boxing gym and community have had an impact on her that goes beyond the sport. However, once they began production on this documentary, it became apparent that they wanted to do something more than just a school project. They wanted to make something that would resonate with the audience and tell the incredible story of Kingsway Boxing and Jennifer Huggins.

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Check out our top 3 options for newcomers, including:

Kingsway Boxing Club’s Commitment To The Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM)

Posted on April 12, 2022January 13, 2024 by Jennifer Huggins

Kingsway Boxing Club has entered the list of Responsible Coaching Movement Champions Recognized By The Coaching Association Of Canada.

At Kingsway Boxing Club, we are committed to maintaining the standards of ethics, safety and respect in the sport of Boxing, for all our athletes and coaches. 💪

By adhering to the Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM), we pledge to work hard everyday to ensure that the Boxing culture at our gym is safe and aligns with the ethics’ model.

To guide sport organizations with resources to embedding safe sport practices, the Coaching Association of Canada has developed a RCM Checklist that includes resources, templates and useful links. 

OUR PLEDGE…

🥊 Kingsway Boxing Club believes in providing everyone with equal opportunity, no matter the fitness level, background, age or size.

🥊 We will work to maintain the high standard of safety and ethics across all of our programs and ensure that the Boxing culture here is as welcoming and safe as possible!

🥊 We will encourage open dialogue between our athletes, coaches and community to ensure we are always improving building stronger and safer interactions.

Kingsway Boxing Club’s Acceptance of the UCCMS

The Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) is a cornerstone in ensuring all stakeholders commit to safety in sport. The universal code of conduct applies to all participants, administrators, athletes, coaches and officials who work within the national sports system in Canada. The universal code of conduct is meant to achieve a safe and welcoming environment for all participants.

Failure To Report

You have a duty to report that is mandated by law. (Requirements vary depending on provincial or territorial legislation.) An adult participant who fails to report actual or suspected maltreatment or neglect of any kind involving a minor participant will be subject to disciplinary action under the UCCMS. 

Child Protection Legislation

If there is an instance of child abuse and neglect, who is responsible for reporting this? Much like creating a safe sport environment, we all have a responsibility to report these instances. In fact, everyone has a legal duty to report these types of acts under Canadian child welfare laws. Adults are obliged to report child maltreatment if there is knowledge or suspicion that it is occurring. This is called the duty to report. 

Step 1

If you know of or suspect a child is being abused or neglected, you have a legal obligation to report it. 

Step 2

Write down what you have seen, heard or been told and by whom. Record your observations and any actions you took. 

Step 3

Act quickly. (Do not wait for days or weeks.) You must report this maltreatment to: 

• Local police
• Local child welfare services (e.g., Children’s Aid Society or child and family service agencies) 
  • You can submit an online report of maltreatment to the Canadian Centre for Child Protection as well 
  • However, even if you make a report to it, you must also contact local authorities 
• Provincial or territorial social service ministries or departments 

📞 RESOURCES

Canadian Sport Helpline: 1-888-83SPORT(77678) or abuse-free-sport.ca/

The Canadian Sport Help Line is available to provide you with advice, guidance and resources on how to proceed/intervene appropriately in the circumstances.

Canadian Centre for Child Protection: protectchildren.ca/

If you have concerns about a child, or if you are a victim (survivor) or a family member of a victim, you may contact the Canadian Centre for Child Protection for information or support.

Kids Help Phone: 1-800-688-6868

Kids Help Phone is Canada’s only 24/7 national service offering professional counselling, information, referrals and volunteer-led text-based support for young people. Kids Help Phone’s free, anonymous services are available in both English and French.

First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness: 1-855-242-3310 or hopeforwellness.ca/

A helpline dedicated to supporting First Nations and Inuit Peoples. Service is available in Cree, Ojibway, Inuktitut, English and French. 

Trans Lifeline: 1-877-330-6366 or translifeline.org/

A helpline dedicated to the well-being of transgender people. The phone line is staffed by transgender people for transgender people. 

Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, Use and Addiction: ccsa.ca/addictions-treatment-helplines-canada

The Centre was created by the Canadian government to address and provide leadership on substance use in Canada. 

Victim Services Government of Canada: crcvc.ca/for-victims/services/

The Canadian government provides a number of services to victims of crime, including emotional support, counselling, advocacy and safety planning. 

Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP): suicideprevention.ca/

CASP’s goal is to reduce the suicide rate in Canada and to minimize the consequences of suicidal behaviour. 

More Resources Available: http://safesport.coach.ca/Toolbox

📼 COACH RESOURCES

Learn some easy next steps to implement the three pillars here: RCM Champion Now what?

Learn about the best practices on background screening process here: Best practices Background Screening

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Jan 13, 2024

PAUSE and REFLECTION

As we think back to the conversations and events we have participated in this fall, we recognize it is ever important to take time to pause and reflect on a few key issues facing the sport environment. Safe sport continues to be one of the most prevalent issues in Canadian sport. The absence of harm in the sport experience is not good enough. A values-based approach will help foster a sport culture that leaves far less room for harm and provides a greater chance for sport to deliver on its potential.

Take time to read and reflect on the following definitions as you consider the role you can play in changing the culture of sport and bringing values to the forefront.

Safe Sport: A set of policies, procedures, training, and practices that are implemented by the organization to prevent maltreatment and protect its members. Safe Sport involves the reasonable expectation that the sport environment will be free from all forms of maltreatment (i.e., abuse, neglect, bullying, harassment, and discrimination) and that it will be accessible, safe, welcoming, and inclusive.

Sport Safety: The ability to understand the factors that contribute to physical and mental health and well-being as well as physical and psychological safety including, but not limited to, environments that promote safety through education and prevention and are free of abuse, harassment, discrimination, and neglect. Sport Safety incorporates a culture of empathy, inclusion, belonging, and excellence, and one that coaches and officials strive to implement within their training and competition environments. 

Values-Based Sport: Sport that places values at the heart of all policies, practices, and programs to ensure that positive experiences foster a culture of good sport in the long term.

True Sport: An initiative of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport that promotes an approach to values-based sport that is underpinned by seven principles. When “Go For It, Play Fair, Respect Others, Keep It Fun, Stay Healthy, Include Everyone, and Give Back” are intentionally and consistently activated in sport environments, it creates positive sport experiences and leads to a good sport culture.

Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM): A call to action for sport organizations and coaches to maximize the positive benefits of sport through values-based coaching. The RCM is a Canada-wide initiative that is the result of ongoing consultations with the Canadian sport community developed in partnership by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport and the Coaching Association of Canada. It includes three distinct pillars and values, each serving to create a sport environment that is Safe, Smart, and Secure.

According to the basic tenets of the socio-ecological model to inform safe sport (figure below), everyone has a role to play in the movement. This model demonstrates the overlapping influence that numerous people and organizations have over safe sport outcomes. For example, Register-Mihalik et. al. argue that this model offers different avenues for understanding the interplay between levels of society and sport, which can be used to provide education aimed at preventing sport-related concussions.  If we use this same model to identify the risk factors in broader safe sport issues, we can target better methods for other community members, such as the sport organizers and government legislators, to impact the implementation of safe sport in the years to come.

CULTURE CHANGE WITHIN THE CANADIAN SPORT SYSTEM: PRACTICAL EXAMPLES FROM SPORT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE USING A TRUE SPORT APPROACH TO ACHIEVE SAFER SPORT

In Canada, a fundamental change in culture is required across the sport system to minimize the threats to sport and ensure a safe sport experience for all. True Sport is an approach to values-based sport that is underpinned by seven principles: Go For It, Play Fair, Respect Others, Keep It Fun, Stay Healthy, Include Everyone and Give Back. A good sport experience, one that reflects the True Sport approach, can instill character in our children, strengthen the communities where it is played, and increase opportunities for personal and podium excellence. Good sport doesn’t happen by chance, it takes intentionality. Groups such as Sport Nova Scotia, Gymnastics Canada, BC Artistic Swimming and Field Hockey Canada are actioning True Sport as a holistic, preventative, and positive approach in their safe sport strategies. They also understand that the absence of harm isn’t good enough; learn more about their journeys to deliver the kind of sport Canadians want.
 
In addition to providing athletes with sport-specific skills, coaches are also in a unique and privileged position of power. The Responsible Coaching Movement aims to protect athletes and coaches from unethical and illegal behaviour through the implementation of measures such as: the Rule of Two and background screening and ethics training. The RCM recognizes the impact that coaching can have on athletes which is why the RCM seeks to have coaches consider how they coach, not just what they coach. Through this initiative, the difference between a safe sport environment and one that elicits positive growth and personal development can be achieved. Following the introduction of the rule of two, background screening and ethics training, the next phase of the RCM focuses on identifying and addressing negative coaching behaviours, while moving toward positive coaching behaviours that can play sports a more welcoming and inclusive environment.

True Sport is an approach to values-based sport that is underpinned by seven principles. When “Go For It, Play Fair, Respect Others, Keep It Fun, Stay Healthy, Include Everyone, and Give Back” are intentionally and consistently activated on and off the field of play, it creates positive sport experiences and leads to a culture of good sport. 

Foster a values-based approach to sport by activating the True Sport Principles. 

NEXT ISSUE: March 2024

As Responsible Coaching Movement Champion we ask that you:

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March 20, 2023

Hi everyone,

Don’t miss the RCM next webinar March 22, 7-8:30 PM EST REGISTER HERE

Here is what we will cover:

• Defining Rule of Two.
• Example of how clubs implement.
• Discussion, Question and Answer.

Participants will be entered in an attendance Draw for FREE Training access and customized RCM tuque with your club logo.

Responsible Coaching Movement Webinars recording available here:

• January 23, 2023 “RCM Champion: Let’s talk Ethics Training”
• November 23, 2022 “RCM Champion: Now What?”  
• June 22, 2022 “Best Practices on Background Screening”

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December 6, 2022

Hi everyone,   This is a reminder that the CAC will be hosting Sport Safety related webinars designed for Master Coach Developers​. Here are the topics for the webinar series: 1) December 8​ – 6:30pm EST (Use of gender-neutral language and gender pronouns​​) Click here to register. 2) January 12​ – 6:30pm EST (Sport safety is not just a safe sport​) Click here to register. 3) Feb. 2​ – 6:30pm EST (Land Acknowledgements yes/no why/ when and how to make them meaningful​​) Click here to register. 4) Feb. 23​ – 6:30pm EST (Accessibility considerations for event planning (physical, learning, cognitive)​​ Click here to register 5) Mar. 8​ – 6:30pm EST (TBD)  For more information about any of the sessions mentioned above please click here.

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