Though people throw around the word “sport” as though it’s just one thing, that’s of course a blanket way to use the term. There are dozens of sports that have risen up to the mainstream in the United States, many more if you count those around the world. Even the world’s most widely known athletic competition, the Olympics, does not include popular sports like American football and cricket, while at the same time highlighting smaller niche sports like archery, curling, and yes fencing.
That reality got me to thinking, how niche is our niche sport? Unlike many other sports, it seems like even people who have never dreamed of fencing know at least that it is out there. The footprint of our sport is bigger than that of say rowing or polo. Maybe it’s because of the history or the movies, or because everyone picked up sticks in the backyard when they were kids. However though everyone seems to have an idea of what fencing is, the sport itself is extraordinarily small.
Fencing and tennis are not entirely different sports. Both are individual, with two opponents and a referee required. Both are prized sports in the Olympics. Both invoke a 
Something that we’ve heard people ask, more than once, is “Why should I pay so much for my child to do fencing?”
What does a revolution look like? For American fencing, it just might look like the podiums at the 2018 Fencing World Championships in Wuxi, China.
The days are long and the heat index is high which must mean we’re in the thick of summer! While many families take this time to have a relaxing vacation (and you really should), and many other families are recuperating from time and energy spent at 
