Junior/Youth Foil/Epee Program
Our Junior/Youth program trains beginner, intermediate, and advanced fencers. Our primary goal is your improvement, and our primary expectation is your effort. Registration is open for kids, 7 and older. Our program develops physical and mental capacities that are helpful both in and out of sports including, self discipline, physical and emotional balance, sustained concentration, agility, speed, and hand/eye coordination. We stress good sportsmanship and a positive attitude. Below you will read our expectations if you choose to enroll in our program.
Student Expectations​
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Be on time and know that class is dismissed at stated time, which means that you can change and pack up your gear at that time and not earlier.
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Have appropriate warm up equipment, this means showing up to practice with athletic shoes (if you do not have fencing shoes, volleyball or court shoes are great substitutes), athletic pants or shorts that allow you to lunge and move, hair ties or clips if needed. We expect you to have your own equipment 6 months into the program.
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Follow coaches’ instructions without interruption. If you have questions, please raise your hand.
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Please inform a coach if you are arriving to class late, leaving early, or missing class. Failure to do so will result in losing out on your individual lesson that day, and you will not be able to make it up.
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When not bouting, the fencing blade is ALWAYS carried tip down.
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During class, we expect your undivided attention and focus. This means that phone use is not allowed unless it is an emergency, outside toys and games are also not permitted.
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Respect your coaches and salute before and after your individual lesson. Respect their time, when your lesson is coming up, be ready (please check the white board to see the order of lessons for the day).
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Good sportsmanship is expected. Each student is expected to salute his or her opponent and referee before and after a bout.
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Bullying is prohibited. “Bullying is an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or more persons who feel unable to stop it from happening.” (from https://www.ncab.org.au/bullying-advice/bullying-for-parents/definition-of-bullying/). If you see something, you can go up to any of the coaches and let them know.
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We expect you to have your own personal fencing goals (they can be very simple such as “I want to learn to smoothly change directions” to very complex such as “I want to win a bout with only counter attacks.”) When you share your goals with us, we will work with you to help you achieve it.
Training Includes
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exercise programs to help develop flexibility, strength and cardio-vascular conditioning
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fencing specific games, footwork, and partner drills
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supervised bouting with students in the same age and skill group
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preparation and training for local and national competitions
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individual lessons at least once per week
Schedule (Participation can include one to five sessions per week.)
