As Academy of Fencing Masters continues to grow, we find ourselves needing to add more coaches to give our students the fantastic fencing training that they need. Finding the right fit for a coach is not an easy task, but after scouring the available coaches from far and wide, we have just added three incredible coaches to our roster. And we couldn’t be more excited to share the news with you!
Having the best coaches around for our fencers is important to the mission of AFM. We are constantly growing and improving – something that we ask our fencers to do as well. Providing our student with access to world class coaches is an important part of giving what we do.
Please join us in welcoming the three newest members of the Academy of Fencing Masters coaching staff to the team! These coaches bring with them the world class experience and passion that we’ve come to expect from our coaches at AFM.
Bogdan Gurinenko
If you’ve been at Fencing Summer Nationals, NAC’s or regional tournaments in the past few years, then you might already be familiar with Bogdan Gurinenko. He’s been refereeing for large tournaments around the country for some time, and he’s known for his fairness on the strip and his incredibly deep knowledge of the sport of fencing. A certified FIE referee, he’s called fencing matches at the highest levels of the sport, including Grand Prix, Cadet and Junior World Championships, the Pan American Championship, and even the World University Games. Respect and attention to detail follow Bogdan wherever he goes, and he’s build a name for himself in US fencing through his compelling and always on point coaching and refereeing skills.
Bogdan comes to us with an incredible foil pedigree. A six-time national junior foil champion, Bogdan has won his fair share of World Cup titles and has progressed all the way to the finals of the Fencing World Championships in foil. He’s also been a finalist in the European Championships and the World University Games. That’s not where his experience starts though. Coach Bogdan started his career off in the Ukraine, where he started training as a child at the age of 7. He was a competitive fencer for sixteen years!
In 2008, Bogdan graduated from Kiev National University with a Bachelor’s of Science in physical education and fencing (yes – he has a degree in fencing!). In 2011 he received his Master’s degree from the National University of Physical Education in Physical Rehabilitation. Bogdan knows his stuff not only in terms of fencing through experience, but also in terms of academic knowledge of the human body. That kind of incredible skillset and education means that he offers our foil fencers something truly remarkable! Bogdan was the coach of the Ukrainian Foil Men’s and Women’s Junior National Team for the World Cups from 2010-2012. He comes to us after having been a foil coach first at the Westchester Fencing Academy and later at the Manhattan Fencing Center. It’s a pedigree that speaks to his skill and savvy as a fencing coach.
Welcome to foil Coach Bogdan Gurinenko! We are so lucky to have you here at AFM.
Andrey Kolotilin
The AFM epee team would like to proudly welcome Andrey Kolotilin! Coming to us directly from Russia, Andrey has a long history of providing excellent coaching and phenomenal skill to fencers in his charge. He’s a fantastic epee fencer who brings a level of skill and savvy to epee that is going to help our epee fencers grow and improve.
Coach Kolotilin has a Master’s Degree in Athletic Training from the Smolensk State Academy of Physical Culture, Sports, and Tourism in Smolensk, Russia. However his academic understanding of training is dwarfed by his experience as a fencer and a fencing coach on the international stage.
Andrey’s credentials are impressive. For many years he was a member of the National Epee Team for Russia, winning medals at all levels of competition, including at World Championships and at European Championships. In 1998, he was part of the bronze medal men’s epee team from Russia that Fencing World Championships in Switzerland. Andrey is a master epee fencer who brings his talent and experience directly to our fencers at Academy of Fencing Masters.
In addition to his impressive fencing career, Andrey has a remarkable coaching career that’s focused on national teams training. Andrey has coached national teams in Russia, Kuwait and Vietnam. That’s quite the spread and very impressive! In particular, the Russian team came to be World Champions in 2003 under Coach Kolotilin. Not only that, but his Asian teams won numerous medals at international competitions in both individual and team events. Supporting fencers across cultures and all over the world has given Andrey an international perspective on fencing that’s a valuable asset to the AFM coaching staff. Two of his fencers qualified for the Olympic Games in Rio. This is the incredible level of expertise and experience that Andrey brings to his fencers, and we are certain that our epee fencers will blossom under his tutelage.
We are happy to have Andrey as part of our coaching team!
Slava Zingerman
A true NCAA legend, Slava has the kinds of fencing accomplishments that any fencer would dream about having.
Coach Zingerman is only the second man in United States History to with NCAA titles 3 times in a row. He’s also a four time All-American fencer. During his undergraduate stint at Wayne State University, he managed to squeeze in time to get his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, make the Dean’s List, and fenced forthe Wayne State University Fencing Team. All while breaking fencing records and climbing to a rank of #3 in the international fencing rankings during his competitive career and frequenting international podiums. From 2000-2009, Slava was a member of the Israeli National Team. In 2016, he was inducted into the Wayne State University Hall of Fame.
After moving into coaching, Slava continued to show incredible talent and dedication to the sport of fencing. He spent two years coaching at the Manhattan Fencing Center in New York before moving on to a coaching position at the famed New York Fencing Academy. Through those years he led his students to copious national titles and placed athletes on the national team. His mentees garnered eight medals and two champion titles at the 2016 US Fencing Summer Nationals. That ability to guide young fencers to their highest potential is one of his best qualities.
It wasn’t long before an even bigger opportunity came along for Slava. Last season he coached the Duke University Fencing Team, where he served as an assistant coach and two his epee fencers made All-American in 2017 NCAA Championship. This is a fencer who knows his way around the strip both as an incredibly skilled fencer and also as a skilled coach who understands how to guide fencers effectively.
Please join us in welcoming Slava to the Academy of Fencing Masters coaching staff! We are thrilled to have him!
Why high-quality fencing coaches are so important
We are incredibly lucky here at Academy of Fencing Masters to have coaches who are talented and focused on preparing our fencers for the great things that we know they’re capable of.
The fencing training model is centered around the personal relationships that coaches and fencers build together. It’s very much a mentor/mentee relationship. Fencing coaches invest their time, talents, and experience into their students. It’s that attention to detail, that focused and personalized training that helps fencers rise to their potential.
What’s so fantastic about Bogdan, Andrey and Slava are that they don’t just bring their own accomplishments to the student of AFM, they bring their expertise as mentors and coaches. Well rounded coaches who are invested in the success of their students are the key to success for fencers. Titles and accomplishments are important, but what sets a stellar fencing coach apart is their ability to mold and support a fencer as an individual, putting their own needs aside.
The addition of Slava, Andrey, and Bogdan to the Academy of Fencing Master’s team of talented coaches is one more step in our continued growth as a world class fencing club. We can’t wait to see how our epee and foil students expand their knowledge and understanding under these incredible coaches!
Please join us in welcoming our new fencing coaches! Feel free to leave a comment or a congrats in the comments!
Congratulations Bogdan on your new position out in California. I’m sure the weather there is beautiful and much better than winter in New York. Just wanted to thank you for all the work you did for Anya. She learned valuable lessons working with you. We’ll miss you but we are very happy for you and wish you success in your new life.