Academy of Fencing Masters Blog

One of the things that are most amazing about fencing is the international nature of our sport. We have a rich and diverse group of people who practice fencing, and they are embedded in clubs all over the country.  This is an aspect of fencing that we herald regularly for our youth fencers because connecting with people from varied backgrounds is a wonderful way to enrich their understanding of themselves and of their place in the world. It’s a beautiful aspect of our sport, but it’s not...

As a parent, you want your child to have the best of both worlds - a great education and the opportunity to excel in their chosen sport of fencing. One of the things that participating in a sport like fencing gives (or should give) kids is a sense of equilibrium. Life shouldn't be all about school and family responsibilities, just as it shouldn't be all about work and family responsibilities for parents. (FYI - fencing for adults has the same benefits as fencing for kids.) Unfortunately, life...

Are shorter fencers at a disadvantage? Isn't my child too short to succeed in fencing? This question is much more common than some might think and is one that parents of prospective fencers ask all the time. For many aspiring fencers, height is a determining factor for beginning or even continuing their career in the sport. Many people think that it is super important to be very tall with the epee but okay to be short in foil. That’s only a myth! Being short is not a disadvantage at all in...

How long to push a child into staying in a sport is an important question. It gets right to the balancing act that parents walk as they work to scaffold their children’s development while also giving kids the right amount of autonomy to grow into independent individuals.  This is an age-old parenting conundrum, and it’s one that we get over and over again. Knowing when to give up on something is a difficult decision, and it’s one that parents are often torn over because they want what’s...