About — Rounds Academy

CEO & Head Coach

João Basto

My name is João Basto, and I am the CEO and Head Coach of Rounds Academy.

I began my coaching career in 2000, driven by a deep passion for boxing and by the transformative impact sport can have on people's lives. Since then, I have dedicated my path to the technical, physical, and mental development of athletes, building a solid foundation of knowledge and experience over more than two decades.

In 2008, I began my journey in competitive boxing, further deepening my approach to high-performance training while working with athletes in demanding, results-driven environments.

Over the years, I have also invested in my academic and professional development, strengthening my expertise inside and outside the ring. I am a Level II Boxing Coach and a 2 Star IBA Coach, and I hold a Postgraduate Diploma in Gym and Health Club Management as well as an MBA in Sports Management, a combination that allows me to unite technical knowledge with a strategic and sustainable vision of coaching and sports management.

In 2015, I founded Rounds Academy with a clear vision: to create a space where boxing is taught with rigor, method, and purpose. More than a gym, Rounds Academy is an academy built around individual growth, where every person, regardless of level, finds professional guidance, high standards, and an environment focused on progress.

I believe boxing goes far beyond fighting. It is a tool for discipline, self-improvement, and character building. That is the philosophy with which I lead Rounds Academy every single day.

Rounds Academy is built on a continuous commitment to excellence, education, and human development through sport.

Coaching Since 2000

More than two decades of experience

Competition Since 2008

High-performance boxing pathway

National Coach Level II

Portuguese Boxing Federation

IBA 2 Star Coach

International Boxing Association

Postgrad. Gyms & Health Clubs

Specialised training

MBA Sports Management

Leadership and strategy

Train With Us

Our Story

Built for Champions

The founding principles that drive everything we do at Rounds Academy.

Loyalty

In our club, no one evolves alone. Loyalty starts with yourself — it means showing up, respecting and supporting your training partners. It means trusting the process and keeping your commitment.

Trust

Trust is built one session at a time. It means believing in your own work, in the process, in the method. In the ring, trust strengthens you with every step you take.

Honesty

Being honest means recognising your own limits, mistakes and progress. In training there is no room for illusions: either you do the work or you don't. Honesty creates more self-aware, resilient athletes ready for the next step.

Perseverance

Boxing is repetition, effort and constant overcoming. Perseverance is carrying on even when the body tires and the mind wants to stop. It means coming back the next day and doing better, regardless of the difficulties.

Honor

Honouring yourself and the community you are part of. In boxing, honour means competing with dignity, respecting the rules and maintaining integrity inside and outside the ring. Win or lose, but always with character.

Discipline

The foundation of everything. Discipline means keeping to your schedule, following the training plan, taking care of your body and mind, staying focused on your goals. Without discipline there is no consistent progress or lasting results.

Courage

In boxing, courage is not the absence of fear — it is acting in spite of it. Courage means stepping into the ring, facing your own limits and stepping out of your comfort zone. It means accepting challenges and carrying on even when there are doubts.

Respect

In boxing and in life, respect is fundamental. Respecting your coach, your training partners and your opponents creates a safe, competitive and healthy environment where everyone can grow.