Challenging times lie ahead for Charlestown BC, and amateur boxing
By Stuart Tynan
FOR many codes of amateur sport, the Covid-19 pandemic has taken a serious toll and leaves a uncertain path for its future. Darren Fahey, head coach at Charlestown Boxing Club and the secretary of the Mayo Boxing County Board, is more aware than most of the challenges that lie ahead.
"It's knocked us for six, the effect Covid has had on the club and the sport," he told The Connaught Telegraph.
"It wasn't in a strong position before Covid. We had seen a decline in numbers coming through the doors. Apart from the fiscal costs, I think the actual cost is our traction as a sporting offering. I think that's something that's going to take a long time to recover from."
It's difficult for Fahey to see how long it will truly take until the club's doors reopen, but he is braced for some boxers to not return.
"We're certainly gonna lose boxers. It's an acquired skill and it takes a long time to acquire those skill sets. It takes years to develop a boxer, and to get them some level of competence. People think boxing is just fighting but it's much more than that."
Darren is talking from experience. He gave up boxing himself for two years as a teenager. When he returned, he found it 'very, very hard' and was never quite the same again.
There is also the financial side of things for the club. He outlined: "All clubs are facing challenges and we all have different circumstances. But from our own viewpoint, we go from hand-to-mouth. We don't have the numbers to sustain us so we rely on getting a good number of people through the door. We won't know fully until we get back. We build up members to go on to the next season but we won't have that now.
"Here we have rent, utilities as well as affiliation and insurance costs. Most boxing clubs would be renting their premises.
"Our landlord, who owns the gym, recently passed away from Covid back in January. We've been going since 2011 and have had three different homes.
"But a lot of boxing clubs are facing these challenges. You would think clubs in Dublin would have no end of places available but they are facing the same challenges like we are."
When asked about if were any grants and potential funding available, he said: "We've talked to the local sports partnership and told us to go to our governing body. We did that and they sent us some digital applications. We filled them in but we never heard anything back."
Darren added: "Sometimes people in boxing don't like to admit this but we're a minority sport, basically. It might be unthinkable if a town lost its GAA club but it's not the case with boxing. I've been fundraising with boxing and we are met with a lot of apathy."
So are boxing clubs, the way they can bring in the youth and give them some discipline and structure, not given enough credit?
"Yes, I don't think we're given enough (credit). I think the voluntary sports sector in Ireland as a whole is underappreciated.
"I'm acutely aware that a lot of people and organisations are in dire need of assistance at this time. I therefore think it important that any case a sports club might make for assistance is thoroughly justified. So it's crucial the public understands the vital role the voluntary sector fills in the physical and mental development of the children of rural Ireland."
Darren went on to say: "Boxing clubs rely on a few volunteers. I get some help from parents occasionally. For the first five years, I was subsidising the club out of my own pocket. We always just about break even. What we always strive to do so is to have enough in the kitty for next season's affiliation and there never is much after that.
"We're fortunate to have success with three current champions in the club so we're up and down to Dublin a lot also. I feel what this has highlighted is that the government undervalues the voluntary sports sector."
For guys like Darren in boxing and many other volunteers in sport, for all the sacrifices they have made, it's more than time for the relevant bodies to give these individuals the support they need.