It’s that time of year again! Everyone is thinking about the holidays right now as we start to prepare for the wonderful season of giving. The holidays just happen to fall right in the middle of fencing season, which makes it a great time to give the fencer in your life something really special. Here are some ideas for things to give the fencer in your life that will support their passion.
A Fencing Journal
Keeping a fencing journal is a highly effective method of improving as well as more deeply enjoying fencing. Fencing journals help fencers to track their techniques, their struggles, their inspirations, their triumphs, and their journey through the sport. A plain old notebook will certainly do the job, but for the holidays why not give something really special to help motivate the fencer in your life to keep that journal up? A special notebook with a picture of a fencer on it, one that has a powerful motivational quote, or even a custom notebook that you can easily have printed at any photo shop or online (imagine a fencing notebook with a picture of your fencer on it!). A great notebook is a great gift because it will help your fencer to improve while giving them a nice feeling when using it.
A fitness tracker
Cross training is a central part of improving fencing. Physical fitness matters for fencers! Whether its running on the trail or biking, cardio class or swimming laps in the pool, fencers do all kinds of exercise to improve their stamina and muscle tone for the strip. An electronic fitness tracker can make the task of keeping fit easier and less time consuming for a fencer, leaving them more headspace to focus on their training. This is one bit of wrist technology that can be of incredible benefit for athletes! There are ALL KINDS of trackers out there made by lots of different companies, but there are a few features that are especially good for fencers:
- Automatically log information into a fitness app
- Waterproof
- Small, so as not to get in the way of training
- Heart rate monitoring (for cardio training)
A motivational book
The most important body part in winning a fencing match isn’t the feet or the wrists – it’s the brain. Motivation means everything for an athlete, and it’s the thing that sets the great athletes apart from those who don’t accomplish their goals. There are dozens of great books out there for athletes, but here are just a few to give you some ideas.
This book is for fencers who really want to take their sport to the next level. For a highly competitive fencer, this book will help them to get into the right mindset to achieve their goals. Perfect for intermediate or advanced fencers!
Tween fencers can appreciate this book because it will help them to get a better handle on their mental toughness before they head off to fencing competition in a highly competitive way. This is perfect for beginners and intermediate fencers who are slightly younger.
What is the “zone”? It’s where your mind and heart go when you’re performing really well. Knowing how to get there is a big challenge, but for fencers it’s a powerful thing. This book is perfect for teen fencers and even tween fencers who want to learn how to capture that mental focus that they need on the strip.
We love science! Training that’s based on science is a powerful thing, and fencers can really benefit from the scientific basis for sport performance that’s found in this book. Definitely for slightly older fencers (think teens and adults), but just a great read.
Teen and adult fencers can get a lot out of this book, which cover similar topics to the previous mindset book on the list. What’s great here is that this book is all about what it takes for an athlete to get that mind over matter going. The hardest part about fencing isn’t the physical game, it’s the mental one!
Life is busy. It’s busy for young fencers. It’s busy for older fencers. School, work, competition, training, family, friends – so many things to juggle! This book about time management might seem out of place, but it’s a thoughtful choice if you know a fencer who is pushing to squeeze everything in without burning out.
A slackline
What is a slackline? A slackline is basically a low to the ground tightrope that goes between two trees or poles in your backyard or anywhere. Why is a great fencing gift? Fencing requires balance, and so is slacklining. It’s a whole sport unto itself, but for fencers it really helps them to learn balance and control. Totally out of the box and totally fun, but still great for a fencer of any age! This is one of those holiday gifts that the whole family can play with together, but that is really a sneaky way for fencers to work on their fencing skills.
Pictured below is the Trail Blaze Slackline, but really there are just tons of these available just about everywhere.
Agility training tools
Another actual training tool that makes a perfect gift for fencers is something like an agility ladder or agility cones. So much of good fencing is footwork and control. Practicing fencing footwork is something that should only be done under the supervision of a fencing coach, but agility footwork drills can help fencers to improve their skills at home. Plus once again, these are really fun! Over the holiday break, or anywhere really, young fencers will enjoy this kind of practice.
All you do with these is lay them down on the ground and then practice moving around them. They’ll come with a booklet with some practice exercises, or look some up online, or ask your fencing coach. A perfect way to improve fencing skill while not practicing! Injury is always a concern, so you always should consult with your fencing coach before you start this training and make a proper warm up and stretching, but these kinds of agility building tools are fairly simple and easy to use.
- GHB Pro Agility Ladder – a simple agility ladder with a carrying case.
- Pro Agility Ladder and Cones – this comes with both a simple agility ladder and cones as well. Perfect for fencers!
Olympic inspiration
Many, many fencers dream of going to the Olympics. While not everyone is going to get there, that doesn’t matter! We can still be very much inspired by the Olympic dream. You can encourage your young fencer or any fencer in your life to keep that goal up and ahead of them with some Olympic fencing gifts at the holidays. It’s definitely a fun way to get your young fencer inspired and ready to work hard to reach their dreams. The next Olympic Games are a few years away, but that doesn’t matter to fencers.
Here are some ideas.
The rings of the Olympics are famous, and the flag of the games flies all over the world. This makes a great addition to any fencer’s bedroom! Or you can always hang it proudly outside your home. This is a great piece of inspiration for a fencer!
Not only are the Olympics a great showcase for the sport of fencing (one of the original sports included in the games), they’re also an incredibly important piece of history all around. This book is great for the aspiring Olympic fencer in your life.
Long days of training can be hard on fencers. Sometimes music is the best way to get inspired to make things happen on the strip and in the club, and the music of the Olympics is a fantastic way to get a fencer inspired and ready to hit their goals.
High quality headphones/music player
Speaking of music, high quality, durable headphones and a good music player can be a great gift for a fencer. Music can be an integral part of motivation, and so the gift of music is a wonderful one for a fencer. There are so many high-tech options for listening to music now, from wireless headphones to teeny tiny players.
You can even load it up with the music or books on tape that your fencer will enjoy. These are especially helpful for competitive fencers who travel, because they can then get their focus going while they’re on the road. One of the best options for a fencing gift is music!
A Fencing Barbie
Ok, so yeah this gift idea is definitely a great gift, at least for the girl fencer in your life! Mattel recently put out the first fencing Barbie doll, based on U.S. Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad. She comes with a fencing sword and fencing mask, as well as the rest of her fencing outfit. There’s no way to deny that it’s a fun, fun gift for a fencer!
A fencing blanket
Fencers work long and hard when training. Coming home and cuddling up with a blanket is one of the best things after a long day of practice! Or how about when you’re in the car traveling on the road for hours upon hours, a blanket feels SO nice!
There are some great blankets that are fencing themed available online. You can custom order one from your local big box store too. Here are some pretty cute and fun fencing blankets. A truly useful gift for a fencer that’s also right there with their love of fencing.
- Personalized fencing blanket – This one has fencing masks and swords, but the cool part is that you can get it personalized with your favorite fencer’s name on it!
- Fencing makes life better blanket – Well, fencing does make life better! Any fencer will tell you so. This blanket is simple but lovely for your favorite fencer.
Cool fencing socks
Every fencer has to wear socks, so why not have some AMAZING fencing socks? This is one of those fun fencing gifts that some fencers would never think to get for themselves, but that are totally appreciated and bring joy! Whether your fencer wears them on the strip while they’re training or just at home on the couch while relaxing, here are some really cool fencing socks that they’re sure to get excited about.
- Fencing logo socks – These fencing socks are incredibly classy and classic. You can’t go wrong with something simple, and these are perfect for any fencer.
- Star Wars Fencing Socks – Star Wars for the win in fencing! Swordplay socks on a galactic scale.
- Narwhal Fencing Socks – Yes, that’s a narwhal in a fencing mask.
Cool fencing tshirt
While we’re on the subject of cool fencing stuff, how about a fantastic fencing tshirt? Every fencer has pride in their sport and wants to show it. Most of the avid young fencers that we know want fencing everything! Fencing tshirts are worn everywhere, from the club to the classroom. There are tons of cool fencing tshirts online, or go check out their fencing club and get a tshirt of their local club! Hoodies, sweatshirts, etc. are also perfect for cold weather. Here are a few fun fencing shirts that we really love.
- Choose Your Weapon Fencing Tshirt – No matter what weapon your fencer is fencing, this is a great tshirt!
- Vintage Fencing America Flag Tshirt – Simple, patriotic, and a shirt any fencer would love to wear!
- Fencing Funny Tshirt – Don’t Cartoon Tee – Don’t mask throw. Don’t kebab. These are important fencing tips!
- Epee. Sabre. Funny Tshirt – This tshirt is SO superfun! Off with their heads!
A charitable donation to support fencing
Not every gift has to be something that’s about the person getting it. Sometime the best gifts are those that are sharing with others! Consider donating to a fencing organization in the name of your favorite fencer. That way they can feel great about giving the gift of fencing to someone else! We love this sport so much, and we all want to see more people have the chance to participate in it.
Here are some non-profit organizations that offer great support of the fencing community. You can also ask the staff at your fencing club about local opportunities to help fencers right in your community.
- International Charity Fund For the Future of Fencing – this group is global in nature, helping fencers literally all over the world to have access to this amazing sport.
- National Fencing Foundation of Washington D.C. – helping to further the cause of fencing in our nation’s capital. This group sponsors scholarships and tournaments.
- Jamaica Fencing Foundation – Helping to promote fencing in the Caribbean, this group is a fantastic charity to donate to. Helping fencers who otherwise wouldn’t have access to the sport!
- Hurricane Relief Campaigns and Funds – These campaigns help raise funds to restore and help fencing clubs affected by hurricanes that hit our coasts in recent months
These are just three examples of fencing charities around the globe. There are SO many more! This is the kind of thing that the holidays are really about, and it’s a great way to give something back with a gift to your fencer. Every dollar helps!
LEGO fencing minifigure
This little LEGO minifigure has been featured on our blog before, but we still just love it! This is the perfect little desktop item for any fencer, or to put on the nightstand, or on the dashboard of the car, or anywhere! Small, but really cute and wonderfully made. It’s a perfect gift for any fencer, coach, or staff member.
A gift card to their fencing club
Not every gift has to be “stuff”. One of the best things that you can give to a fencer in your life is a gift card to their fencing club! These cards can be used for all kinds of expenses that are associated with their fencing passion, most notably for extra private lessons or additional classes. More training time can make all the difference for a fencer, and it’s a gift that they’re sure to appreciate. The best thing about giving a gift card is that you’re letting them choose how they spend it – because who knows better than a fencer how to train?
Gift cards are a perfect option for any fencer, and they can fit any budget.
It doesn’t matter what you give to your fencer this holiday season- they’re going to appreciate anything because it shows that you care about something they’re passionate about! Fencers are hard workers who also really enjoy the fun of their sport. Let them enjoy the holidays with a great fencing gift!
Sergey Kobzar
Another Fencing Gift – Fencing Pin.
https://m.ebay.com/itm/Fencing-Lapel-Pin-/322600250747
Unique Custom Design.
Made from Sterling Silver.
Exquisitely and Elegantly Detailed.
Limited Luxury Edition (20 pins).
Presentation Black Velvet Box Included.
Anonymous
College fencing t-shirts – harder to find than they should be…
Yelena
This list is great, very helpful, thank you so much.