We’ve been working hard to provide you with a consolidated resource for all the things parents need to know when they’re new to fencing. Our new book, “Parents’ Guide to Fencing: Everything You Need to Know to Start Your Child in the Sport of Fencing,” is available for download HERE. We encourage you to read it and share it freely with other fencing parents!

The book covers the basics of fencing (including terminology, ratings, and major fencing organizations), fencing competitions (why to compete, what to expect), the equipment needed, and more. We’ve taken the information presented at our AFM parent orientations and organized it into one concise resource.

If you’ve attended one of our parent orientations, some of this information will be a great review, but we’ve also included additional insights. We strongly encourage you to read through the guide from start to finish, whether you’re a brand new parent or you’ve got a year or two under your belt. You may even want to print it out and keep it around as a quick resource when heading to competitions or when you need a refresher on a certain topic. We’ve included tables and graphs that will definitely come in handy.

You may find yourself revisiting certain sections as times goes on. What if …

  • You forget what “right-of-way” means and want a quick reminder.
  • Your child is advancing in skill and you need to start learning about ratings and points.
  • You’re heading to your first competition and nervous you’ll forget important items.
  • Your ready to buy your own equipment, but aren’t sure where to start.

At AFM, we’ve always valued your role as parents in the development of your children as athletes. We see you as our partners. After all, we’re parents too, and we know how important our support is to our children’s success. This book is just another way of enabling this system of support, but not just for parents at our club: our hope is that this book is shared beyond our club and even beyond our region.

Please head on over to this link and download our book. Again, it’s free and we encourage you to share it! We’ve created this book to help as many parents as we can to become an integral part of supporting their children as they dive into the exciting sport of fencing.