Summer can seem far off as we sit here in mid-January, but it’s not nearly as far off as you might think. Time flies through the spring semester of school in the blink of an eye. Now is a great time to start preparing for fencing summer camps.
No matter where your fencing club is, it’s certain that they’re already getting their plans together for summer camp. Dates are being set and coaches are making out their curricula. If there’s anything that can be said about the sport of fencing, it’s that fencers tend to be planners. That’s because solid planning makes for better training.
Whether your family is new to fencing or has been doing this for a long time, figuring out fencing summer camp in the winter is a good idea. Here are five reasons why winter is the perfect time to plan for fencing summer camp.
1. You might not get in later
There are just so many spots at the best fencing summer camps, and the bottom line is that they fill up quickly. Top camps fill up VERY quickly, and those places will be gone if you wait a few weeks. Even if you’re able to get a spot should you wait until April, it might not be for the week that is most convenient for you, or it might not be with the coach that you want to be with.
The last thing that you want to be dealing with in May is a waiting list. That puts all your summer plans into limbo, and it simply causes you a great deal of grief that you just don’t want to be dealing with. Why go through all of that drama when you can just make it happen now with a bit of effort and planning?
One of the worst things feelings as a parent is when your child really wants to do something and they miss out because you didn’t plan well ahead of time. Or when you have something that you know your child will love to do, like fencing, but they don’t get to do it. Check this one off your list, then don’t worry about it. When other families are scrambling for those last few spots, you’ll be able to sit back and relax. Beat the crowd – book your fencing summer camp now!
2. Budgeting is easier
There are budgetary requirements that go along with fencing summer camp, and those can be significant for families. Booking early is definitely not going to cost you any extra money, and in some instances, it can even save you money.
Fencing clubs sometimes run early bird discounts to encourage people to sign up for fencing summer camp early. That can add up to some significant savings, particularly if you have siblings who want to try out fencing or if you’re planning to send your child to more than one camp. The other issue is that waiting until late can result in late fees at some clubs, another thing you just don’t want to find yourself dealing with! Sometimes fencing clubs will let you put a deposit down to secure your child’s spot, then pay the balance later. This lets you spread those payments out over time, but it only works if you book early!
3. Planning other activities is easier
Getting fencing summer camp nailed down early can make it much easier to schedule everything else that your child wants to do this summer. For that matter, it makes it easier to schedule the things that the rest of your family wants to do this summer.
Whether it’s a vacation, a home remodel, other camps, sports, summer programs, or anything else fun or not fun that could be on the docket for the warm months of the year, you’ll be able to prevent sticky conflicts that might turn into big problems by signing up for fencing summer camp early. Whatever is on the calendar first tends to take precedent over the things that come later, so make fencing summer camp a priority by scheduling it now.
Think about it – with fencing summer camp already planned, you’ll have a starting place. And what better starting place is there than fencing? Then you can start thinking about that trip to the beach or scheduling a visit to grandma’s.
4. Motivation starts now
Fencing summer camp is a perfect motivation for fencers to get better and get focused. These camps are truly transformative for children, no matter what their level might be. Through the end of year tests at school and the big academic pressures that come with the end of the year, kids who are already signed up for summer camp to learn fencing know that they’ve got something awesome to look forward to once that final bell rings in May.
A massive challenge that parents find themselves facing today is helping kids to sustain an interest in the activities that they’re pursuing. We so often see kids that sign up for some sport or activity, only to lose interest and want to quit before they’ve had a change to achieve mastery. It’s a battle that parents everywhere struggle with. One way to help kids sustain interest is to give them big things to participate in – like summer camp!
The other way that signing up early for fencing summer camp helps young fencers to stay motivated is that it shows them that this is a long game, that planning and goal setting have an arc that is months long (or longer). You’re helping them to see that developing a skill like fencing takes time and commitment. Learning to plan future training is a wonderful skill to have, and it’s one that kids need.
5. Summer camp is perfect for introducing new fencers
Fencing summer camps are a great way to introduce kids to the fencing. It’s just difficult to overstate how well they work to get kids interested and engaged!
By going ahead and planning for fencing summer camp now, you can start planning a gradual introduction to fencing with your child between now and the summer. That way when they actually go to the fencing camp, they will be fired up and eager to start fencing. They might even want it so much that the fencing camp experience will be one of their best camp experiences, which we all want all of our kids to have. Here are some ideas of how to do it.
- Suggest books about fencing to your child, like the Spiderwick Chronicles for elementary school kids or 3 Musketeers by Dumas for middle schoolers
- Watch movies about fencing together – The Princess Bride, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Musketeers and more.You can even make it as a family movie night!
- Introduce “real” fencing from the sport – like the Olympics, world championships, etc. There’s plenty of video and information online for these!
As with every activity for children, you can lead them towards this in a nice natural way so the kids would want this camp long before it starts. The more excited a child is about getting involved, the more likely they are to really enjoy it. Just as with anything that we experience in life, building up anticipation makes events much more fun and enjoyable.
As we’ve all experienced, things can start to get a little crazy as the winter rolls into the spring. There are going to be lots of demands coming for summer, and that last day of school will be here before you know it. Figuring out and locking in your fencing summer camp spots now just makes everything easier! Contact your local fencing club today to find out about dates and how to get involved.
Tim Morehouse
Thanks for sharing this kind of stuff.