Mildura coach to manage Australia’s young boxing team

OWNER and coach of Mildura’s The Boxing Cartel, Nick Wakefield, has been selected as the Australian junior boxing team’s manager for the Oceania championships in Samoa.

Wakefield will be taking a team of 15 youths from across Australia to Samoa in May to test their mettle against the best the island regions have to offer.

Wakefield said it was “an honour” to be selected for the role.

“There was an application process and then it was put before a panel of judges and I made the cut, which was great.”

Wakefield said he applied for the role to gain more experience, as well as feeling like he could bring something to the job and help the junior boxers.

“I’ve been around boxing for over a decade and I’ve competed myself and obviously now I’m a coach,” he said.

“As a coach I have good leadership qualities which I can use to help lead the young ones.”

Wakefield said they unfortunately didn’t have any fighters from Mildura on the team but it was significant for a coach from the region to be selected.

As a team manager Wakefield will provide support to the coaches and the fighters.

He said he believed it was important to nurture young boxers and teach them the values of the sport.

“Most people who don’t know a lot about boxing think it is people jumping into the ring and bashing each other but you can get a lot more from it,” he said.

“It teaches discipline, it humbles people, it gives kid that have no confidence confidence (and) it teaches people respect.

“I’ve done state football (and) state basketball but I’ve never been involved in another sport like boxing.

“Here it can teach you so many life qualities.”