Setting up beginner boxing classes people can book
Levels, gloves and wraps, how many on the mats: how boxing coaches can open beginner classes that people book online and keep sparring for later levels.
6 min read
Keep beginners in their own classes, as a separate service with a fixed number of places, and say exactly what happens and what to bring in the description. A beginner who books "Boxing basics" should find footwork, stance and pad work, not a room of people sparring. Each person books one place, the class disappears from your page once it's full, and moving someone up a level is your decision, made in person, not something they pick online on day one.
Separate services by level
On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page, and each slot belongs to one service with its own start and end. Use services to separate levels, so people choose the right class before they see times:
| Service | Example slot | Example places | Example price | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boxing basics (beginners) | 60 min | 12 | €15 | Stance, footwork, punches on pads; no sparring |
| Boxing fitness | 45 min | 16 | €12 | Bag work and conditioning; no contact |
| Technique (intermediate) | 75 min | 12 | €18 | Combinations, defence; by invitation after basics |
| Sparring session | 60 min | 10 | €18 | Controlled sparring; only with the coach's approval |
Places, lengths and prices are examples: set your own. Book doesn't check who books which class, so write the entry rule in each description, such as "only after the basics course" or "with the coach's approval", and call anyone who books the wrong one.
How many places
When you create a slot, you set its capacity. Each booking takes one place, and once every place is taken the class is hidden from your page. Your page doesn't show how many places are left: the class is visible while there's room.
For beginners, the real limits are the space for partner drills, the number of bags and pads, and how many people you can correct in an hour. If you run partner work, an even number of places avoids someone standing alone. If you lend gloves, the number of pairs you own is a hard limit.
What beginners need to know before booking
- What happens: warm-up, footwork, basic punches on pads or bags, conditioning, stretching.
- No sparring: say it plainly; it's what worries beginners.
- What to bring: trainers, water, a towel; hand wraps and gloves, or whether you lend them.
- Who it's for: age range, whether complete beginners are welcome, any health condition that needs a doctor's go-ahead first.
- How to pay: Book doesn't take payments, so say how and when.
The booking note
The public booking form asks for first name, last name, email and phone, and has an optional note. Ask beginners to mention any past combat sports experience and any injury, especially shoulders, wrists or back. You see the note in your new-booking email and can adapt drills before the class starts.
A beginners' course or drop-in classes?
Two ways work. A drop-in basics class runs every week at the same time: create it once and repeat it on that weekday until an end date, and beginners join whenever they like. A beginners' course runs as a fixed group over several weeks. In that case, the first session can be the one people book online, with the course dates in the description; then you book each participant into the following sessions yourself from your calendar, with their name and email so they get a confirmation for each.
Moving people up
After a few weeks, some beginners are ready for technique classes. Tell them in person, then book them into their first intermediate class yourself, or tell them they can now book those classes online. Keeping the move in your hands protects beginners, and the class, from someone jumping in too early.
Participants can't cancel online: ask them in the description to tell you if they can't make it, so you can offer the place to someone else. If you cancel a class, cancel the bookings from your list and tell people yourself, since Book doesn't email clients about changes. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.