What is USA Boxing?: USA Boxing is the National Governing Body for the sport of Olympic-style boxing in the United States. USAB is a non-profit corporation and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. USAB is responsible for training, competition and development for their sport, as well as nominating athletes to the U.S. Olympic, Youth Olympic, and Pan American Teams. USAB is also recognized by the International Boxing Federation (AIBA) as the national federation responsible for the governance of the sport of boxing in the United States. All information presented here may also be found on the USA Boxing web site at: http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Boxing., however the USAB site is not well organized and you may have difficulty finding the information you are seeking. Can’t find it? Ask a coach for help with finding what you are looking for.
What is an LBC? LBC stands for Local Boxing Committee. USA Boxing is comprised of 58 different LBCs throughout the country. Many LBCs cover the entire state, while some states have several LBCs. It is the LBC’s function and responsibility to govern USA Boxing programs, clubs, and events within their jurisdiction following the rules and guidelines set by USA Boxing. The LBC approves new clubs as well as sanctioned events. You do not get to choose which LBC you belong to (with the exception of college boxers); it is determined by your home address.
Why should I join USA Boxing?
- Membership in USA Boxing provides you with secondary accident and injury insurance should you sustain an injury during an organized practice or competition.
- Membership allows you the right to participate in USA Boxing sanctioned events, from the grass roots level up to national and international competitions (must meet eligibility requirements of specific competition); plus, it’s a pathway to the Olympic Games.
- Safety of our members is of the utmost importance; our coaches and officials must pass a background screening every year and complete Safe Sport certification every 2 years.
- Membership provides the opportunity to become a certified coach and/or an official. If you want to be in your boxer’s corner, you must be registered and certified.
What does it cost an athlete to join USA Boxing?: In Arkansas, athlete memberships are $56 ($53 charged by USABoxing.org and $3 charged by the Arkansas LBC, this is the second lowest fee among the 57 LBCs across the country). Membership fees are paid online with a Visa or Master Card credit or debit card or Visa gift cards you can purchase locally. If you wish to join as a non-athlete please talk to Coach Nader about the requirements and costs.
How long is my membership good for?: Memberships are good for 1 year – January to December. All memberships expire on December 31 of the year in which you register. For example, if you register on August 1, your membership will expire five months later on December 31. Early registration begins on November 1. If you register on or after November 1, your membership will be good for the time remaining in the year, plus all of the next year.
This is my first time joining USA Boxing. What do I need to do?: Go to usaboxing.org and click on Join near the top of the page. Select Register, then select New Members. Complete the application accurately and completely. Do not forget to upload your photograph. It will be shown on your ID card when the card is printed. See an example of an ID with picture: Allan Nader ID Card If possible, use a computer that is connected to a printer. You will need to print out your confirmation page that contains your membership ID card. It is possible to print these items later once you have completed your registration. There is a video on the process at: http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Boxing/Features/2014/April/16/Introducing-How-to-Guides and there are registration tips at the back of this handout.
!!! As first-time members of USA Boxing, the next step of the registration process is very important. Your registration confirmation page will provide you further instructions on how to obtain your passbook. Without a passbook, you will not be able to participate in competition and you will not be able to spar at Morrison Boxing Gym.
Athletes must provide proof of age and citizenship, so you will have to submit a copy of your birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad or a photocopy of your passport page that includes your photo and vital statistics. No other document will be accepted as proof of citizenship. You will also have to submit 1 or 2 small, passport-size photos; one of which will be affixed to your passbook. Once you submit the required documents as instructed on your membership confirmation page, a white athlete passbook will be mailed to you from the LBC registration chair. DO NOT LOSE YOUR BOOK! All books should be turned into Coach Nader for storage at Morrison Boxing Gym. You must have your passbook with you in order to box at an event. No book, no box, no exceptions.
Why do they ask for my e-mail address?: E-mail is the primary way USA Boxing communicates with members, regarding status of your membership, upcoming events, important rule changes, and other pertinent and interesting information. As a member, you can control the types and number of emails you receive by logging in to your profile, selecting Account Settings on the left hand side of the page, and then selecting the Email Preferences tab.
How do I renew my membership?: To renew your membership, log in to usaboxing.org with the user name and password you entered when you registered. If you have no idea what those are, try “request a log in” and “forgot password” from the log in page. If that doesn’t work, call the national office (719-866-2323) and they will look up the information for you.
Once you get past the log in screen, follow the steps. If you are not automatically prompted to register, select Renew Membership in the menu options on the left hand side of the screen, under Member Area. Be sure to update your contact information if any of it has changed since you were last registered. On the final step, you will pay the membership fee with a Visa or Master Card credit or debit card, or a Visa gift card.
Print your membership card and bring it to Morrison Boxing Gym so we can place it in your passbook. The only other thing you need to do is make sure that you have proof of a current physical exam in your passbook.
What if I lose my passbook?: If you lose your passbook, you must contact the registration chair of your LBC (Local Boxing Committee). You may be charged a fee for an additional book. You will not be able to compete until you receive a new passbook.
What is a Masters Boxer?: If you want to spar or compete and you are age 41 or older, you will be classified as a Masters Boxer. If you are age 35 to 40, you may choose to box as a master or you may choose to box as senior/elite (or both) until you reach the age of 41. Masters will have a different passbook than other boxers; the masters book is yellow and will say Master on it. Masters must get a yearly physical that is more in-depth than what is required for other boxers. For more information, see Appendix H of the USA Boxing Competition Rule book, or go to USA Boxing.org and click on Boxers, then Masters Division.
Do I have to get a physical exam before I can box? Yes, it is mandatory for all boxers to get an annual physical exam/sports physical that clearly states “cleared for contact sports” or “cleared for all sports” before they can compete or spar in the Morrison Gym. A copy of your current sports physical must be included in your passbook. Please retain a copy of the physical exam form for your own records. USA Boxing has issued a new version of the Athlete’s Annual Physical Exam as of February 1, 2017 and it has a small cut-off section which will fit easily in your passbook. However there are other acceptable forms such as:
- The annual medical exam form previously released by USA Boxing;
- Annual sports exams approved by states for use in their primary school systems or colleges;
- Forms required by state boxing commissions, California is an example
Who can sign the form? Exams will not be accepted if done by Dentists, Chiropractors, EMT’s or other non-physician medical providers. Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants may sign the form. If a boxer wears braces a Braces Release Form must also be provided signed by an Orthodontist.
How current must the physical be? Exams are valid for one calendar year; for example if the physical exam is dated September 20th 2016 it will expire on September 21st, 2017.
Where are the forms located? The medical forms required to participate in any sparing at Morrison Boxing Club and in all USA Boxing sanctioned competitions are available at Morrison Boxing Club please ask any coach about them. A PDF copy of the current USA Boxing Annual Physical Exam form is also available at the following link and can be printed for your use: Annual Physical Form for Boxers Feb 1 2017
USA Boxing Registration Tips
- Registration and renewing memberships MUST be done online.
- The first time you register you will be asked to enter a User ID and password. Save these someplace you will be able to access. The national office is on Mountain Time and is only staffed 8 – 5, Monday thru Friday. Expect to leave a message and wait for someone to return your call which may take longer during holidays and tournaments.
- You will need to know the weight and height of the person you are registering in Step 4.
- If you have not competed in boxing or other combat sports (MMA, TKD, Karate etc.) before, enter “0/0” in the Wins/Losses box in Step 4.
- When you are asked what gym you represent click on “Morrison Boxing Club”, #900″.
- Just like you have to exit the zoo through the gift shop, you will have to scroll through a long list of items available for purchase in Step 5. Luckily, purchase of these items is optional.
- Check over all of your information in Step 6, especially the boxer’s name, birthdate, and gender before clicking “Join”.
- You will be directed to a Confirmation Page which you will need to print out. It will list the rest of the steps you will need to take to complete the registration process. Make a copy to keep for your records because part of the Confirmation Page will have to be mailed to the LBC registration chair.
- After you submit your materials to the LBC registration chair, it may take a couple of weeks to get your passbook. The passbook will be mailed to the athlete. Bring your passbook to Morrison Boxing Gym where it will be stored. At a competition, you cannot weigh in or get a bout matched without your passbook. These actions take place within set time limits, so Coaches do not have time to wait for you to dig up your passbook at home and show up with it.
Morrison Boxing Club 