Help your child understand how to lose, and you will help your child win.

I find it interesting that often the first question out of an adult’s mouth after a tournament is, “Did you win?” We are so focussed on winning. I have seen parents really upset when their child loses a bout. I will admit, I have certainly been there. I have had to take a quick walk around the block at a NAC, after watching Stafford blow an 8 point lead and lose. All that money. Flights, hotels, travel expenses. For what? I’ve been so upset. But, I have a great poker face. I’ve developed it out of necessity, because that is what my son needs. He needs to see me shrug my shoulders and say, “Oh, well. No big deal.” It sometimes takes me a minute. Or two. He needs that from me because he is so overwhelmed with disappointment, frustration, and anger at himself. And I see him after he loses. He beats himself up. Nothing I say will ever be as harsh as what he is saying to himself. How do I know that? He told me. When he told me that, I realized I needed to change, to find a way to help him deal with losing. And I started to think about losing. What it means.

Losing is not a dirty word.

In the beginning, Stafford lost all of the time. It wasn’t a question of if, but when. And when he lost, we would talk about why he lost. There were lessons to be learned. We talked about goals more than we talked about winning. I refer to some of them in other blogs. One of them was to stop walking off the end of the strip. The result of accomplishing that goal, was, of course, learning how to defend on the strip, and not giving away points, and of course, that affected the score, and eventually, the fencing got better and the score got better. But the focus was not on winning. Winning is a funny thing. When my son wins, it is, “Yay! I won!” But when he loses, it is, “Why did I lose? What did I do wrong? What do I need to fix? Improve? Change?” Sometimes the issue is mental, or emotional. Sometimes it is technical. Sometimes, it can be all three. When Stafford won Y12 at Summer Nationals in 2016, I was elated. So proud. And after we finished celebrating, one of the first things I said to him was, just remember, you are going to lose again. Eventually. The first tournament after Summer Nationals, he lost. That lesson was an easy one, though it involved emotions and his mental strength. Don’t walk around acting like you are unbeatable, because you are not. And you have a target on your back now. You have to keep focused.

In 2017-18, Stafford really struggled. He had qualified for his first World Cup, but barely, and he really needed to do well in the October NAC in order to have enough points to qualify for the next one. So, what happened? All of that pressure was overwhelming. He fell apart on the strip. I shrugged. I knew how much he wanted it. I knew that we would have to figure out how to deal with the pressure. But how? We talked about it. Then, the same thing happened in November. After a brisk walk around the convention center in Kansas City, I put on my poker face and went in to help my son figure out how to deal with the pressure. This was a much more complicated lesson. And a much more important thing to learn how to deal with than how to stop walking off the end of the strip. It took months. And we tackled it in many different ways, from many different angles. At the March NAC, in the Y14 team event, Stafford’s team took Gold, and he was the team anchor. He also placed fifth in Y14. All of our hard work (mostly his) in tackling how to deal with the pressure started to pay off. This summer in Saint Louis, at Summer Nationals, Stafford took home three medals in four events. There is no way he could have achieved those results without having lost so completely in October and November.

I know this sounds crazy, but appreciate all of those losses, and make them mean something. As your child progresses in fencing, fencing itself gets more sophisticated, and the pressure gets intense. In Y10, a child just has to show up at a regional event to qualify for Summer Nationals, and they are guaranteed to get out of pools and experience at least one Direct Elimination bout through Y14. But everything changes in Cadet. The bottom 20% out of pools get eliminated and don’t even make it to the DEs. Everything gets much more competitive, and much more stressful. Helping your child through those early losses, helping him find a way to make his fencing stronger, or helping her control her emotions on the strip, will pay off so much more in the long run than some medal. Stafford has a lot of medals. He might remember when he got each of them. But I bet he remembers the losses more. And the lessons learned.

There is another element to losing that I think is important, which I touch on briefly in the beginning here. I believe it is important to model appropriate behavior as an adult when your child loses. I try to show Stafford how to lose by being an example. I try my best to never show any anger or frustration. I don’t yell at him, or berate him. It’s not easy, sometimes. And I never mention the expenses or in any way hold him responsible for that. “I paid all this money and for what? you lost! All those lessons, flights, etc.” After all, it was my choice to pay for those lessons, and I made the reservations, I bought the tickets. And, I knew, because I am an adult, that my child might lose. So when your child loses, as she eventually will, don’t punish her for your choices. Instead, take a moment, or take a walk, and then go back to your child, who is probably much more upset than you are, and see if you can help. Be supportive, encouraging, positive. As an adult, when I lose, I don’t want the people I care about to yell at me. Or lecture me. I expect some support.

Losing will also help your child learn about sportsmanship. In fencing, fencers have to shake their opponent’s hand and salute the referee when the bout ends. I have seen fencers throw their masks, refuse to shake hands, and basically throw temper tantrums. That behavior can result in a black card, and elimination from the tournament. When a child loses, I have seen parents yell at the referee, at the coach, at their child. It is like a parent temper tantrum. And I expect to see that same behavior from the child eventually. Because that is what they are being taught. I believe we have a huge responsibility to help our children become successful participants in society and in the world. We all want our children to succeed. But true success encompasses failure. So work on your poker face. I do.

Referee Bill Gelnaw checks the point of Lucas Schrimsher at the Modern Pentathlon World Cup in Pomona, California, February 24, 2017.

What is a referee?

A referee or simply ref is the person of authority in a variety of sports who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on-the-fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. – Wikipedia

I love that this definition mentions sportsmanship. Fencing emphasizes sportsmanship in so many ways. I value this emphasis on sportsmanship, and believe it is important for my son to understand what sportsmanship really means.

Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one’s competitors.

There is a reason why a fencer salutes the referee at the beginning of the bout. And why a fencer shakes hands with the referee at the conclusion of the bout. These gestures, the salute and the handshake, signify the respect that the fencer must show throughout the bout, to his opponent, the ref, and the sport itself. The salute to the ref at the beginning is recognition of the role the ref plays, and the authority he has on the strip. The handshake at the end means, “Thank you. I respect the work you did enforcing the rules and presiding over the bout.”

I appreciate that there is a dress code for referees, in sort of the same way that there is a uniform for fencers. Referees almost always dress well, a coat and tie for men, a skirt or slacks for women. This shows an attitude of respect towards the sport, the fencers, and the important role the referee plays in the world of fencing.

Who are these referees?

They are you.

Fencing referees are mostly fencers who got involved in refereeing or fencing parents who got involved in refereeing. Several fencing parents who started refereeing, either to help (a small amount) with the expense of fencing, or because they wanted something to do while at tournaments with their fencers, have continued to referee long after their fencers have left for college or even left the sport of fencing altogether. They enjoy the sport, the people, and the travel. They get paid very little. No ref is in this for the money. Some referees have had amazing fencing careers. Some referees have never fenced. It’s not necessary to have any previous experience as a fencer before becoming a ref. George Porter, for example, is one of the top refs in our Division, yet he never competed as a fencer.

If you are standing behind a referee in the security line at the airport on the way to a NAC, or checking in at a hotel, if you find yourself getting into an elevator with one, introduce yourself. Say, “Hello.” They appreciate it. And they have a lot they can teach parents and fencers, and some great stories.

You will discover, as your fencer competes, that you will see the same refs at many different tournaments. Some of the local refs are also refereeing on the national and international level. If they are on the international circuit, they have gone through a lot of training and have a lot of experience. Often, the lesser experienced are reffing in local tournaments, getting a sense of what goes into refereeing, making the calls, defending calls, and learning to interpret the rules. Older fencers will often have their first reffing experience at their own club, refereeing younger fencers at an unrated tournament.

Much like young fencers learning how to fence, you may also encounter young referees on your fencer’s strip, learning how to ref. Be patient with these kids. They might grow into great referees. Support them. Don’t yell at them or argue with them heatedly. If you have a question about a call, ask it. And then listen, respectfully, to the explanation. But don’t humiliate the young ref, berate him, or chastise her. If it is a misunderstanding of a rule, if for example, you think the young ref has misunderstood the meaning of “one action” for example, talk to the bout committee (quietly) after the bout is over, and suggest that someone might want to review that particular rule with the ref. You might also discover that in fact you were the one who has misunderstood the rule—another good reason not to get upset in front of your fencer and make a scene. Also, if you have a problem with a young referee reffing your fencer’s bout, say if it is a semifinal of an RYC, for example, prior to the bout, you can go to the bout committee and voice your concerns about his or her experience at this level of competition. Otherwise, do your part in helping to encourage the ref. Support his or her efforts, recognizing that he might be nervous, or she might be shy.

The Referee and Your Fencer’s Safety

Believe it or not, one of the referee’s tasks is to make sure that your fencer is safe. This means not just those tricky corps à corps calls, but also making sure jackets are zipped up, mask bibs are down, shoes are tied, etc. The referee understands that a hole in a sock could potentially catch a sword tip and cause some serious physical damage. I have been sent on a frantic search for a safety pin because the Velcro on the jacket is no longer working. I wasn’t happy about it, but I recognized that it was a safety issue, not that the ref was trying to keep my son from fencing. (By the way, I always have a safety pin or two with me, now.) If a referee asks that something be fixed on a uniform, fix it. And thank him.

‘Ball and Strike’ Calls

Like a baseball umpire, a fencing referee has to make judgment calls on many rulings that are close (can be decided either way). As an example, what one referee would call “simple and immediate” (the one action rule), another would determine as not completed in one motion or too late after the opponent went out of the strip. The rule itself may be clear (just like the strike zone in baseball), but a quick, definitive ruling (which is required) on a close call will often get one set of fencer, coach and parents outraged. Every batter striking out feels that the pitch was out of the strike zone, and every pitcher walking a batter feels that the pitch was right-down-the-middle—when a ruling can go either way, depending on the referee, one will be right and the other will be wrong. That’s sports.

I think refs appreciate it when fencers acknowledge touches that are questionable (like that ‘floor’ touch that you know really hit your foot). Likewise, fencers should inform the ref if they think they were awarded a touch that they really didn’t deserve (e.g., getting a point for hitting the floor and the ref awarded it as a toe touch). This is a sign of good sportsmanship. Eventually, you will probably see all of the top fencers do this. They understand, after years of competing, that winning is important but it is also important how you win.

Bias

There are specific guidelines restricting a referee from directing a bout that he/she may have conflicting interests in (same club, relationship, etc.). Generally speaking, a referee directing a bout does not see the individual fencers, but only the fencing actions. Thus, fencers should recognize that a call, even a wrong call, was based on what the referee believed he/she saw in the sequence between “fence” and “halt”—not who a fencer is. If there are legitimate questions of bias, those should be addressed with the bout committee, of course. But, mistakes by a referee sometimes happen during fast and pressure-filled action, just like a fencer’s own fencing is not perfect in such circumstances either.

Referee as Teacher

I have seen wonderful lessons in action watching interactions between some referees and fencers. One young fencer gave his opponent the finger on the strip. Black card. Which is of course the appropriate response. But that wasn’t the end of the story. A black card certainly got the point (slight pun there) across, but this wonderful referee went a bit further. He had the fencer sit next to him at the bout committee table for the rest of the event, as fencers checked in for other events, returned bout slips, etc. and gave him some wonderful lessons about how the tournament works, scoring, and other advice.

I love the March NAC because it is focused on the younger fencers, Y10, Y12, and Y14 only. This is the first NAC for many fencers and a learning experience in so many ways. The referees know this too. Often, they take extra time to explain to the fencers some of the rules and expectations. I’ve seen a ref explain how pool bouts work and how important it is for a fencer to listen for his name and to be ready. You can literally see fencers growing in confidence from the first day of check in to the final day of competition. The referee has a lot to do with this transformation. A referee can ref your fencer’s bouts for years, showing up at local, regional, national, and even international events. And referees get to know the fencers. They watch with genuine interest as fencers become successful and they want fencers to succeed.

Attend a Referee Clinic

If you really want to understand some of the finer, more intricate points of fencing calls and reffing, attend a clinic. And have your fencer do one as well. You will learn so much. It is a complicated sport. And all three weapons have very different rules. Once you start to be able to see some of the finer points of fencing in action, (in epee that might be passing or one action for example), you will have more appreciation for the role the referee plays in the life of the bout on the strip. Once you put yourself in the position of making calls, and having people around you disagree with you, you will have more empathy for the ref. And, who knows, you might decide, like many other parents, that you enjoy reffing and being a part of this wonderful world of fencing, competition and sportsmanship.

Fencers should be a referee for a tournament (many local tournaments have self-ref opportunities). When a fencer experiences making difficult judgment calls as a referee, he/she comes to the realization that refereeing a bout is not easy. In every difficult or “close” call, each fencer feels strongly that the ruling should be in his/her favor, resulting in one side being convinced that the referee made the wrong ruling.

Respecting the Referee

I recently heard two things that I found disturbing.

• Parents received red cards at Summer Nationals for yelling at the referee.
• People no longer want to referee because of the abuse they take from parents strip-side (not coaches, parents).

If I knew one of these parents, I might suggest to him or her, please tell your child you made a mistake. That you respect the system, the referees, and the sport, and that you got caught up in the heat of battle, and you acted inappropriately. Your child needs to know that you are willing to admit when you were wrong, and that you are willing to do something about it. Even if you know the call was wrong, you need to show that you respect the authority of the referee making the call. That is what this is about. Not about who was right and who was wrong about the call. At the end of the day, the referee makes the call. It is his or her strip, and the call is dependent on what the ref saw. Not what the parent saw. And don’t ask the ref to review the footage you just shot of the point, proving that the other fencer was off the strip, or the touch hit the floor not your child’s toe. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is what the ref saw. And modeling sportsmanship means that you respect that. And you teach your child to respect that. There will be bad calls. There will be those details the ref didn’t see, or that he saw differently. That is just a fact. It will happen. It happens in other sports, too. Deal with it. And model the appropriate behavior for your child. Because one of these days, you won’t be strip-side and your fencer will model your behavior and will get a black card.

Teach your child by modeling the kind of behavior that will help your child be successful and strengthen your child’s understanding of sportsmanship. Regardless of whether a referee is new to the position or has been reffing for years, all referees deserve the respect that sportsmanship demands. Does that mean you should not question a call? Of course not. But ask yourself, are you questioning a call for a legitimate reason, or because you want your fencer to win? And how are you questioning the call? Are you asking why a particular call was made, or what it was based on? And, after the briefest of moments, because you are interrupting the rhythm of the bout, the focus of the fencers, etc., are you graciously accepting the call after it was explained to you, or perhaps though still respectfully disagreeing, nevertheless allowing the referee to continue to do his or her job, respecting his or her authority? Or are you angry and accusing, saying that the referee is blind, made a bad call, is an idiot, etc.? Are you using offensive language? That also sends a powerful message to your child.

Good sportsmanship is a part of developing life skills such as a sense of fairness, consideration of others, respect for authority, fellow competitors, oneself, and the sport, fair play, dealing with adversity and failure, discipline, responsibility, goal setting, and honor.

The relationship your fencer develops with referees will be indicative of his or her sense of sportsmanship, and can set the tone for years of competing.

Your child is not just learning how to fence. Your child is learning about himself or herself in so many different ways, learning how to successfully participate in the world. As a parent, show him how it’s done.

Shortage of Referees

There is a shortage of available referees in the sport. Why? Low pay, long hours, weekend work are not the only reasons for the lack of enough referees. Most referees participate to support the kids and support the sport; but referees often do not receive the equivalent support from the fencers and the fencing governing body. And without referees, the sport of fencing cannot survive.

Stafford Moosekian, Coach Tigran Shaginian, Irene Yeu and her mother Veronica, en route to Austria for a 2017 Cadet World Cup competition.

I had no idea when my son started fencing, that in a few years we would be traveling all over the country and even internationally, going to new cities, and having some great adventures together. There is a lot of stress and pressure involved in these trips, especially as fencing becomes a more and more important part of life. It is helpful, I think, to remember that there is more to this life than bouts and training and results, and I try to mix in some fun and unique experiences while traveling. When we went to a tiny town in Austria for the World Cup in October, after all of the fencing was over, we traveled to Vienna and spent a day exploring the city before flying home. Luckily, we get along well and enjoy traveling together, and through trial and error, together we have come up with a healthy routine to minimize the stress of traveling for competitive fencing. Stafford is an active part of this process. I try to involve him and expect him to remember ways that he can avoid stress, so it is not all on my shoulders. Please bear in mind, this blog is only my experience. While writing this, I have been talking to several other families about their experiences. This blog offers solutions that I have found in dealing with time change, unexpected travel delays, packing, but most importantly, trying to make the experience not only low stress, but also fun. In the end, of course, you will have to figure out what works best for your family and fencer.

In 2017-18, Stafford and I went to Kansas City, Anaheim, Memphis, Baltimore, Virginia Beach, and Vienna, Austria, with Saint Louis still to come. We also hit regional tournaments in San Diego and Escondido. And we anticipate the same amount of travel next year, barring injuries, etc. We have learned a lot on the road, and with each trip, we learn more. One of my biggest goals, as a mother and fellow traveler, is to avoid stress, support my son’s goals and make the experience of traveling and competing a positive one.

Your child is going to be under a lot of stress before a tournament. You are also going to be under a fair amount of stress. At least I am, and for me the stress is spread out among several issues, including packing (and not forgetting anything), logistics of getting from here to there, reservations, weather concerns, and finances. 2017-18 was especially stressful due to snowstorms, a closed airport in Norfolk, thunderstorms in Dallas, and other issues. Anticipation is an important element of avoiding stress. Keeping in mind what “might” happen, can certainly help if and when it actually does happen. And it is important to realize that some things you can control and some things you can’t. When things happen that are just out of your control, it helps to be able to roll with the situation and show your child that everything will be fine. Easier said than done.

Planning how to get where you are going can set the tone for the entire experience. Because of work and school issues, we typically leave the day before the event. Some people have the luxury of leaving two days before the event. I have not yet seen the need to do that. Note – this does not include international events, when you leave several days before the event.

Getting there – Basic travel tips

Sign up for TSA Precheck or, better yet, Global Entry. Global Entry costs $100, and it comes with TSA PreCheck. This has saved countless hours in security lines. It makes a difference and is a great investment. If you have an American Express platinum card, at this time you can sign up and they will reimburse the membership fee. For more info: Global Entry

Tripit Pro, TripCase, Triplist, helpful apps for travel, packing, etc. Tripit Pro and Tripcase keep track of your reservations, including flights, hotels, trains, etc. You can get notifications on delays, etc. Very helpful. In Triplist, you can create packing lists or import lists from excel, etc., and use them repeatedly. Tripcase and Triplist link together. I have created a fencing equipment list and a packing list that I shared with my son. As he packs his stuff he checks it off the list. It gives him a sense of independence and responsibility. It also keeps me calm. Don’t think however that means I don’t review everything on the way to the airport. And yes, we almost always have to pull over and check in the bag to make sure.

Hotel Suggestions

Book Your Hotel Early. USA Fencing releases the North American Cup schedule usually some time in May. In fact, the schedule for 2018-19 is already available online. Once they announce the schedule, they also include hotels at a discount rate. You will be charged, at this point in time though it could change, $4.50 at the time of booking for your room. Make your reservations for the duration of the event because the day schedule will not be available until closer to the tournament time. Last year USA Fencing announced the location for Summer Nationals in 2018 in April of 2017. I reserved a room, a double, at the Hilton, from June 27th through July 7th. I now know I need the room from the 27th through the 4th. It is much easier to change a reservation that to scramble for a room closer to the time. Figure for Summer Nationals there are several thousand fencers coming into town. Better safe than sorry.

The closer the hotel, the better. I recommend choosing hotels that connect to the venue during winter months on the East coast, for obvious reasons. Nothing is worse than watching fencers struggle through snow or an icy wind with those big bags. I also recommend choosing hotels close to the venue for the rest of the NACs. Some fencing families intentionally stay far away from the convention centers so as not to be overwhelmed by all of the fencers visible all the time during these events. And sometimes, you can find cheaper rooms further away. However, for me personally, I know that Stafford is not going to be jumping out of bed at 5:30am to get to the venue by 7:00am. Especially if there is a time change. My goal is to make sure he gets a good night’s sleep, get him up, get him fed, and get him to the venue not only by close of check in, but with enough time to check and make sure his weapons are working, warm up, get in a few practice bouts. Often, the first day starts with equipment check, which can also take a lot of time.

A word about equipment check – if you are not able to get everything checked the day before the actual fencing event, and the event starts early in the morning, be prepared to wait in line with your fencer’s equipment. I want Stafford to be focused on warming up. A light jog around the venue, jumping rope, etc. In these instances, I am happy to stand in line so he can prepare. And sometimes, that line can be long.

Also, these trips have proven a great opportunity to give Stafford a bit of freedom. When he was 11 or 12, I would let him go to the convention center by himself after we had gone together once. He loved the feeling of independence, and, if our hotel adjoined the convention center, or was across the street, I didn’t have to worry as much that he might get lost or forget to look both ways before crossing those streets.

Sign up for rewards programs at hotels.

Try to Book a Direct Flight to the Event. Nothing is worse than flying in to some new city for a tournament, and having to worry about making a connection. And, lets face it, even if you have tons of time between flights, there are always those unexpected problems. Your first flight gets delayed so you miss your connection, or, after racing to the next gate, you find your connecting flight is stuck in Atlanta due to a tropical storm. You’ve already invested a lot in this event, not just the entry fees, but also the training and the time and emotion that goes into training. Why risk missing the actual event? Fly direct.

Try to Book an Early Flight. If you are on an early flight and something happens to your flight, you are far more likely to be able to catch the next flight. If you are leaving later in the day, there might not be a later flight. Most of the NACs are in the Midwest or on the East Coast. Being from California, we have the serious disadvantage of dealing with a time change. If we are going to the East Coast, we have a three hour difference. The March NAC always lands on the weekend that the time springs forward. I have a great photo of my son on his way to check in at 7:00am, which was 4:00am our time. Getting up early to catch a flight helps kids (and parents) fall asleep early that night. I take any help I can get. Another reason for an early flight is so your child can get to weapons check the day before the event.

Get to the Airport Early. This is a great way to start the trip and avoid unneeded stress. When I am running late, I get impatient. I snap at my son and usually we race out the door without something. And then, we both arrive at the airport frustrated and annoyed with each other. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport, check in, and get through security.

Carry on the Mask, Glove, Fencing Shoes, and Jacket. Do not check them. Another important reason to book a direct flight is you have a better chance of getting all of your bags, including that fencing bag. Nothing is worse than the face of a fencer as he watches all of the other fencers claim their fencing bags at the end of the flight, and realizes his bag is not actually going to appear. I have seen fencers have to buy all new equipment the morning of the event. New glove, new mask, new jacket. So much for the glove that finally got worn in so it fits the hand perfectly. Weapons are easy to replace, and once your child is competing at the national level you will become familiar with the armorer and become accustomed to purchasing new weapons as well as repairing those blades that worked perfectly that morning. But masks, gloves, and shoes are important personal items, much harder to replace. And masks are expensive. One of our fencers lost her bag on a flight and it was delivered to the hotel at 3:00am. So that fencer and mom had a stressful night worrying about getting up early enough to replace the equipment, and then, the mother had to go down at 3:00am to claim it when it arrived, so neither got much sleep. I am happy to report that the fencer did very well the next day, despite the added stress. And she carries her mask, glove, shoes, and jacket with her now.

Checking That Fencing Bag. I strongly recommend investing in a good fencing bag for traveling. We use a Leon Paul bag. A lot of fencers use a hard plastic case that is for golf bags. If an airline asks what the bag is when you are checking in, say it is sports equipment (which it is). If you say weapons or swords, you might get an uninformed baggage checker who is going to get concerned. If you are checking in your bag online ahead of time, just say it is a regular bag. If there are any issues with it, you can always deal with it at the airport. At worst, there might be an extra fee. I have never heard of a bag being refused, so don’t over worry about this. I almost never have any issues with traveling with a fencing bag. Southwest just checks them right through, and they don’t charge any baggage fee for the first bag. Some airlines will actually try to charge extra saying it is a bulky item. International Tip: A fencing mom whose daughter traveled to several World Cups gave me some great advice. If you are going to a World Cup and are traveling with another fencer, divide up the swords between fencing bags. This improves the odds that you both will have at least two swords. Hopefully both bags make it, but just in case….

Bring Food for the Flight. This might seem obvious, but bring food for your fencer. I pack my carry on with food for my son, cliff bars, chips, fruit, Hawaiian rolls, pretzels, etc. You can’t take liquids through security, and so, for some reason, a lot of people think you can’t take food. You can. And you can bring it from home and avoid waiting in long lines for overpriced food at the airport once you get past security.

Booking Your Return Flight. I try to book a flight leaving the day after my son fences. You never know how long these events will last, and having to worry about making a flight the night of an event when you would like to just focus on supporting your fencer is a drag. And your fencer can sense that tension. It is a challenge no matter what, but you certainly don’t need to add the stress of seeing the time frame slowly close on catching your late afternoon or evening flight. You can spot those parents a mile away, bent over ipads or squinting at phone screens, trying to figure out what flights are available the next morning, calling the hotels to add another night’s stay. Traveling on Southwest has definite advantages, as you can cancel a flight up to 20 minutes before, and get a full refund and apply that full fare to travel the next day. No penalties. Thank you, Southwest! And, I make a reservation for the next afternoon, not early in the morning. It is a luxury, which doesn’t actually cost anything more, after all, you have already paid for the hotel room for that night. Really, the only cost is time. And I think it is well worth it. If you are leaving in the afternoon the next day, you get to wake up without stress and just enjoy a little break from fencing, school, and work a little mini-vacation. And you have time to yourselves. So often during these NACs, all day is spent at the venue. My son and I have so many great memories of cities that we would not have even seen if we didn’t stay that extra half-day. In Milwaukee, for example, after a long weekend of fencing, because we chose to fly out in the afternoon the day after fencing, we were able to sleep in, go say hi to our friends who were fencing on Monday, and then take a great walk along the river and explore the city. That was the only time we had on that trip that wasn’t either in the hotel or in the convention center. In Kansas City, when it was raining, we had a fierce couple of ping pong games on the top floor of our hotel before we checked out. We didn’t even know our hotel had a ping pong table before that last morning. This isn’t just about fencing. Or at least, in my opinion, it shouldn’t be.

Have Some Fun! Research the cities. In the past two years we have been to Dallas, Seattle, Cleveland, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Salt Lake City, Memphis, Virginia Beach, and Saint Louis. We are getting a chance to see cities that we might never have visited otherwise. It is nice to take some time to really experience these places. Find a local restaurant. Try the local flavors. Memphis and Kansas City have great barbeque. Milwaukee has a great river walk. Also, if we have a free day between events, we will try to get a group of the kids together and go to a movie. It is great to find a way to forget about the fencing and all of the stress for a while. I hate that phrase “making memories” because it seems to take spontaneity out of the equation. Enjoy. Even if everything goes wrong, it can be great. And, my philosophy is nothing ever really goes wrong. It just changes. This is all a great adventure. So, are you ready?

Colette Shvager (right, UFA) scores with a counter-attack against Julie Gaeta (Precision) in the Y14 Women’s Foil event at the 2017 SoCal Division Summer Nationals Qualifiers in Thousand Oaks.

Promotion

In Y10, Y12, and Y14, all fencers in all tournaments, regardless of how well they did in pools, move on, or are promoted to the Direct Elimination round. In Cadet and Junior national and international events, the bottom 20% of fencers out of pools are eliminated and do not move on to the next round.

Direct Elimination Seeding

Direct Elimination placement is based on the results of the pool bouts. The number one seeded fencer out of pools would be the fencer who won the highest percentage of his pool bouts with the highest number of indicator points. He would be ranked number one, and at the very top of the tableau. (Tableau is the break down of the elimination round. Each round in the tableau is called a table. The rounds are tables of: 512 / 256 / 128 / 64 / 32 / 16 / 8 / 4 / 2. ) The fencer seeded number two out of pools would be at the very bottom of the tableau.

Starting with the smaller, local tournament, using the example from the Pools blog, there were 13 fencers, so looking at the tableau, it starts at table of 16 (16 slots), with three fencers getting a bye to the next round. Take a look:

Because this tournament is finished, you can see the score of each bout. The first score is always the top name, the second score, the bottom name. So, in the final, Tommy Wells beat Stafford Moosekian, and the score was Tommy 15- Stafford 13.

Now let’s go on to the more complicated Cadet event from the same blog.

Because this event was a national event, 20% of the fencers were eliminated, so only the top 130 advanced to the Direct Eliminations. The 130 fencers are then divided into pods, based on seeding. Only 2 fencers, who placed 127, 128, 129, and 130, did not receive a bye into the next level – 128.

Typically, the fencer who is seeded second out of pools is at the very bottom of the tableau, the idea being that the top two fencers eventually meet each other in the final round.

Here is the top section of the Direct Elimination round:

The tableau is made of up all the fencers divided into groups of fencers called pods. Fencers will first face fencers within their pod. If your fencer wins the pod, he or she will next face the winner from another pod. In this event, there were 4 pods, and each pod consisted of 33 fencers. (The photo above shows only a part of the pod.) The quarter finals or the semi finals, depending on the size of the tournament, will be the top fencers from each pod facing another. So pod 1 faces pod 2, and pod 3 faces pod 4, etc.

Each Direct Elimination bout goes to 15 touches, with three periods that last three minutes each. There is a one minute break between each period, so two breaks per bout. ( Y10 events only go to 10 touches.) The bout ends when either a fencer reaches 15 touches, or the time runs out. In the event of a tie at the end of the final period, there is a one minute extended period, during which either fencer can score a final touch. In this situation, double touches do not count. At the beginning of this extended period, there is an electronic coin toss – a random mechanical assignment of “priority” which means that if neither fencer scores a touch, the fencer who was awarded “priority” wins.

During the one minute rest, fencers often get a quick visit from the coach and a chance to get a drink. Fencers should bring a bottle of water, gatorade, etc., to the strip or have someone stripside with something, as fencers are not allowed to leave the strip until the bout is over.

Fencers should salute the opponent and referee at the beginning and end of each period.

This blog is about Direct Eliminations and how they work. However, there are a lot of rules that fencers need to be aware of, as well as a code of conduct on the strip that must be followed. Sometimes a fencer might want to question a ref’s call which is fine, but it should be done respectfully. Fencing rules can be found in the rules handbook, and with experience, fencers will learn what they are, remember them, and in some cases, use them to gain advantage.

Happy fencing!

Addendum

This very useful information for determining a fencer’s Direct Elimination opponent was provide to us by Fencing Dad. Thanks, Fencing Dad!

Great article! For the impatient fencers: Kids often want to know who they are going to fence when the seedings come out after the pools (but before the tableau is posted). The formula is the following: Table (minus) your Seed (plus) one. So, if there are 17 fencers and you are seeded 16th after pools, here is the calculation: 32 (table) – 16 (your seed) + 1 = 17 (your opponent). So, you fence the 17th seed. (The winner of that match means you are in the next table — so, 16 (table) – 16 (winner of the match takes the better seeded seat) + 1 = 1 (thus, the winner of 16th vs 17th will fence the 1st seed). Another example: If you are seeded 15th after pools, it is 32 – 15 + 1 = 18 (since no one is 18th seed, you have no one to fence, so you get a bye; then go down to the next table: 16 (next table) – 15 + 1 = 2 — so, you will fence the 2nd seed.

Benjamin Kim (Avant Garde Fencers Club) vs Joshua Li (Z Fencing) in Y14 Men’s Saber at the SoCal Division Summer Nationals Qualifiers, April 2, 2017.

How exactly does a tournament work?

An event in a fencing tournament consists of two parts, the first – Pools, and the second part, Direct Eliminations, which is based on the outcome of the pools.

Time

One of the biggest questions that new fencing families have is how long will an event take? My experience? If there are over 30 fencers, plan to be at the event all day. If there are less than 30 fencers, plan for at least three hours. There can be all kinds of delays, some small, some huge. An example of a small delay, at a small tournament, a fencer who has signed up is caught in traffic and because he has called ahead and is making all efforts to arrive on time, the organizers agree to hold the close of registration a few more minutes. A large delay? Sometimes, at larger tournaments, if there are not enough referees or strips, pools can be flighted. This means the pools will be divided into two groups. The first group will begin at the original, announced time and the second group will either begin at a later specified time, or will simply be assigned to a strip and will begin when the first pool has concluded. This past Junior Olympics in Memphis, TN, Cadet Men’s Epee was flighted, so the first round of pools started at 8:00am, and the second one at 10:00am.

If your fencer is a beginning fencer, chances are he or she will be nervous at the prospect of fencing in a tournament. Whether the tournament is large or small, if you can make the tournament the focus for the day, it can help your fencer feel more confident about fencing. This doesn’t mean focus on results or winning. This means try not to have other events competing for attention with a tournament, so your focus is not pulled away from supporting your child to worrying about whether or not you will be able to make the next event, etc. Another recommendation is to maybe plan a celebratory family dinner, or even go to dinner with other fencers after the event. Whether or not your fencer comes home with a medal, he or she will have new experiences to review, things to celebrate as well as learn from, and always a story to tell. Enjoy!

Pools

Things to know before Pools begin-

Pools are posted generally 15 minutes after the close of registration (though there can be unforeseen circumstances that can delay the start, right?). When check-in closes, the bout committee take a few minutes to figure out the seeding based on who has checked in to the event. Then the pools are assembled. This cannot be done ahead of time because it is always possible that a fencer has not shown up for whatever reason. Be sure and listen to the loudspeaker or referees calling out fencers’ names and strip assignments.

When pools are announced, fencers should be ready to grab their gear and make their way to the strip where the pool will take place. If a fencer is late reporting to the strip, he will be “called” to the strip. After second call, the fencer can get a yellow card.

Pools for bigger tournaments will be available online. Ask at check-in for the link if available. Pools for smaller tournaments will be printed out and posted on walls of the venue.

At the strip, fencers “check in” with the ref assigned to the pool. Checking in means letting the ref know he or she is at the strip. Fencers will also need to show the referee that all of their equipment passed inspection and that they are wearing chest protectors if required, and underarm protectors beneath their jackets. Fencers are required to have two working weapons. For more info on what you need to know before a tournament, go to: Your First Tournament – Part One: Getting to the Strip.

Prior to pools, fencers should check their weapons and make sure they work. They can do this by hooking the weapon up at the end of a strip and then testing the tip. You can also invest in a kit so that you are able to test the weapon at home before you arrive. The referee will check the weapon on the strip at the beginning of each and every pool bout, but your fencer should check and make sure his or her weapon is good to go before reporting for the pool.

They should check and make sure that no screws are missing from the tips prior to the start of pools.

Weapons that do not work will be taken from the fencer when the ref is checking the weapons prior the bout. Fencers should remember to get the sword after the conclusion of the bout. A parent can take the sword to the armorer to get it repaired. The sooner the better as often there is a wait time for repairs. If the weapon does not work at the beginning of the bout, the fencer will get a yellow card, which is basically a warning, however, two yellow cards become a red card and the opponent gets a point. If the second weapon doesn’t work, the fencer will receive a red card. This has happened, and it is a foolish way to lose a point. Fencers can get yellow cards for other things during a bout, so that yellow card can be a problem. Luckily, the yellow card goes away at the end of the bout.

If a weapon passes the test at the beginning of the bout, but fails during the bout, which does happen, there is no penalty.

A fencer must salute his or her opponent and the referee at the beginning and end of every pool bout.

How Pools Work

Pools are made up of all of the fencers entered (and checked in) in the event, with the top seeded fencers each getting their own pools.

Seeding works like this: Let’s say there are 35 fencers, or 5 pools of 7. The top seed is placed in the 1st pool, the 2nd seed in the 2nd pool, and so on, until each pool has one fencer. Then it goes into reverse. The 6th seed is placed in the 5th pool, the 7th seed in the 4th pool, and so on back to the 1st pool, until all pools have 2 fencers. Then the process reverses again and the 11th seed is placed in the 1st pool, the 12th seed in the 2nd pool, and so on. This zig-zag pattern continues until all the pools are filled.

In larger events, such as RYCs, SYCs, and NACs (see The Fencing Tournament – When Do We Start? Where Do We Go? for a breakdown) seeding going into a tournament is determined by the fencers’ national rankings and then their rating (A, B, C, D, E, or U- unrated). If there are a number of fencers who are rated C18 (C is the rating, 18 is the year – so 2018) but none of these fencers have national points, the seeding of these fencers will be randomly assigned, below those with B ratings, but above those with a C17.

In addition, every effort is made to try to put fencers from the same club in separate pools. Using an example from Summer Nationals 2017, the Cadet Epee event had 162 fencers, divided up into 24 pools, 18 pools of seven fencers and six pools of six fencers. The top 24 fencers were all in separate pools.

Pool Structure

Each fencer fences every other fencer in their pool.

Each pool bout is to 5 touches in a three minute period.

When a fencer reaches five touches, that bout is over, whether the time is up or not.
In addition, if neither fencer gets five touches, then whoever has the most touches after 3 minutes wins the bout.

In the event of a tie at the end of three minutes, there is a one-minute tie-break, with one fencer randomly given priority, meaning if neither fencer makes a touch in the one minute period, the fencer who has priority wins. Typically, the scoring machine has the ability to randomly assign priority. I have also seen a coin toss decide the priority.

At the end of the pool bouts, each fencer is asked to review the score sheet and then sign his or her name. Referees can and occasionally do make mistakes. Make sure your fencer really looks at the sheet before signing. I keep track of all of Stafford’s pools in Notes on my phone and then show it to him to review before looking at the score sheet just to refresh his memory. The more your fencer competes, the more he or she will remember the bout scores.

Your fencer should always shake hands with the referee after signing the pool sheet.

Scoring out of pools

Once all of the bouts in the pool are finished, scores are added up and seeding is decided for the next round – the direct eliminations.

The seeding is based first of all on the number of victories a fencer has.

Then it is based on the indicator. Here is how the indicator is figured out: The number of touches a fencer scored is added up and the number of touches scored against the fencer is subtracted from that number. Every touch counts.

Then the scores are added up, giving priority to those who win all of their bouts, and then the final tally. So, a fencer who has won all of the pool bouts, let’s say for example 5 bouts at 1-0, and ends up with a +5 will be seeded higher out of pools than a fencers who won 4 of 5 bouts and also came out with a +5 or higher.

Promotion to the next round

In Y10, Y12, and Y14 events, 100% of the fencers are promoted to the Direct Eliminations whether in local, regional, or national tournaments. This way, younger, less experienced fencers are able to fence more and gain experience in a tournament atmosphere. In Cadet, Junior, and Division national events, the bottom 20% are eliminated and do not move on to the direct eliminations.

Here are pool results for a smaller, local tournament:
13 fencers – 2 pools, one of 7, one of 6

First out of Pool #1 – Ryan Lee, who won all of his pools, scored 30 touches, and received 10 touches. So his indicator is 20 (30 – 10).

First out of Pool #2 – Tommy Wells, who won all of his pools, scoring 25 touches and receiving 12, so his indicator is 13. Remember, Tommy had a smaller pool so though he won them all, he would come in behind the other fencer in a larger pool who also won all of his or her pools.

So, seeding out of pools – Lee #1 and Wells #2.

Who came out third? Three boys had 4 victories, Wilson Zhu (ind. 6), Stafford Moosekian (ind. 12), and Zikun Wei (ind. 10). You would think from the indicator that Stafford would have come out third – but- he lost two bouts, whereas Zikun only lost one. Remember one pool was 7 and one 6. So, though they have the same number of victories, Stafford lost two, so Zikun took the third place out of pools. Make sense?

Here is another example: in the much bigger tournament, the 2017 Summer Nationals Cadet Men’s Epee Event, using Stafford Moosekian as an example:

Stafford won 4 bouts scored 22 touches, received 21 touches. By the way, V5 means he scored 5 touches. You can win the bout V1, meaning with only one touch scored, which would change your touches scored number but not the number of victories you have. Stafford’s indicator is 22-21, so +1. If he had received more touches than he had scored, the indicator would be a negative number (like Michael Mun or Nicholas Candela in this example).

Once the seeding from pools is posted, fencers have a few minutes to verify their indicator and seeding before the next round, the Direct Eliminations, begins.

Stafford came out of pools seeded at 60. You can see the two boys who placed ahead of Stafford had the same indicator, +1, but because they scored more touches, they placed ahead of him. Tristan Szapery, because he had 4 victories but his indicator, at 0, is the lowest of those who earned 4 victories, brings up the bottom of the group who had 4 victories. The boy right under him had a higher indicator, but he only won 3 of his bouts, so he will be seeded just below those who won 4.

Once pools are done, take a deep breath. Your fencer has some time to relax, anywhere from 20 minutes at smaller tournaments to much longer if pools are flighted and your fencer is in the first round of pools. He should get something light to eat. Fruit, a sandwich, etc. Be sure she hydrates, as well. Gatorade or Vitamin Water help replenish electrolytes. Also, many fencers like to change into a clean t-shirt for the next part of the tournament – the Direct Eliminations.

After the seeding is posted for the Direct Eliminations, your fencer has a few minutes during which he or she should start to warm up, do some stretches, maybe even do a warm up bout.

Next – Direct Eliminations!

Daniel Oganesian (Swords, left) discusses strategy with Thien Scofield (Allez) at the 2017 Musketeers Region Youth Circuit in Northridge, Calif.

Fencing Competitions – Recommendations for Beginning Fencers and Parents

Once your child starts competing, everything changes. In a great way. Your child is going to start to put into action the things he or she has worked on in classes and during private lessons. Your child will gain self-confidence, make new friends, and have some fun.

Below are some suggestions to help make the experience a successful one, regardless of how your child does in the tournament. This is the second part of a series meant to help guide new fencers and families through the tournament experience. Later posts will explore how a tournament works (seeding, pools, DE’s), travel tips, etc.

Getting There

Being prepared helps you get out of the door and on the freeway (for some reason the tournament location always involves a freeway in California!) and helps your child focus on fencing. Typically, the calmer the parent is, the calmer the child is. Planning ahead by figuring out the route to take to the tournament and getting all of the equipment together in advance is a great way to avoid chaos in the morning, especially as events often start early.

Here is a list of what you need for a competition:

Required Equipment

(Put your name on everything! Not just your initials, as someone else might have the same initials)

Mask

Swords – Two are required – at least three is recommended. Your child could be disqualified if he or she does not have a working weapon. Also, Y10 fencers use a shorter blade. If your child is fencing in a Y10 event and a Y12 event, you should have at least four swords, two shorter, two longer.

Underarm Protector

Chest Protector (mandatory for girls of all ages and for boys in Y10 and Y12.

Fencing Pants

Fencing Jacket – Two notes on the fencing jacket:

It is a good idea to invest in a club patch that should be sewn onto the non-fencing arm of the fencing jacket. This patch not only shows club pride, but, more importantly, helps coaches find their fencers in a sea of white uniforms in the larger tournaments. Coaches are often running between strips helping their students, and easily spotting that patch can make a big difference.

The last name on the back is required at national competitions only. (Note – There is always a vendor at national events who is able to put the name on the back. Be sure and do this before the event. It can take a while if there is a line. If you are going to your first national competition, get the name put on the jacket the day before, when you do your equipment check. Do not just write the name on the back in pen. This can, depending on the referee, lead to a red card each and every time your fencer gets on the strip to fence.)

Lamé (foil and saber, only)

Fencing Socks (knee socks – you don’t have to have fencing socks, but you must have long socks. They don’t have to be white.)

Two Body Cords

Two Mask Cords (foil and saber, only)

Recommendations

Change of Clothes – A tournament can last all day, and there is typically at least 45 minutes to a few hours if pools are flighted (more on that in a later blog) between pools and the direct elimination portion of the tournament. Mary Huang, a veteran fencer, suggests that you “bring a couple of extra tee shirts and for girls, extra sports bras to change into after pools and before each DE. Taking a few minutes to change out of a wet shirt and rinse your face is a great way to mentally and physically refresh and reset.”

Club Warm Up Jacket – Most fencing clubs have club jackets with the club logo. This jacket is a great investment in a number of ways. It builds team or club morale, can be worn over the fencing jacket to keep your fencer’s muscles warm, and helps coaches and referees more easily spot fencers. If your fencer ends the day by standing on the podium, the club jacket should be worn.

Food and Water – Parents have all kind of helpful recommendations for what food and drink is best for their fencers. The first rule, really, is to bring something you know your fencer will eat. Every child is different – some want a big breakfast, some are too nervous to eat, some want to eat throughout the day, some seem to be able to eat nothing but air until the fencing is over. You will have to figure out what works best with your child. And it changes as children grow and get older. Some good recommendations are: bananas, m&m’s for a little added energy when fencing a long day (that sugar boost right before a bout late in the tournament can be a real help), pretzels, Cliff bars. Mary Huang, a veteran fencer, recommends PB&J sandwiches which “provide quick energy, the bread is a longer energy source, and the peanut butter provides staying power Easy to make and pack.” It is best to stay away from something big between the pools and the direct eliminations, as that can sometimes cause stomach cramps. But it is important to keep your fencer’s energy up, so have options available. Also, it can’t be overemphasized the importance of keeping your fencer hydrated. A leading cause of cramping and headaches is lack of hydration. We suggest water and Gatorade or Vitamin Water. You can almost always purchase drinks and bananas and some sort of snack at the venue, but not always, so don’t count on that.

A Small Cooler – Helpful for keeping drinks and snacks cool and in one place.

A Towel. Pretty self-explanatory (hand towel, not a bath towel).

A Chair. One of those fold-out camping stools or chairs. There are not always a lot of places to sit. You might want one for yourself as well. Believe it or not there is a lot of waiting around at a tournament.

The Night Before

Pack everything your fencer needs ahead of time, so there is no last minute panic.

Make sure your fencer gets a good night’s sleep.

Competition Day

Plan to arrive at least an hour before the close of check in for your fencer’s event.

Check In – Parents – have your fencer check him or herself in at the check in desk upon arrival. Do not do it for them. This will help give them a sense of independence, and start a habit that will last for hopefully, several years. The items that will be needed to check in are:

• US Fencing Card – on your phone or printed out. You can log in to USA Fencing, and take a screenshot of the membership card. It has a bar code which can be scanned.
• Proof of Age – birth certificate copy if you have not yet gotten your child’s age verified through US Fencing.

Equipment Check – Immediately after checking in, your fencer should take his or her equipment to the Equipment Check. You can ask where that is located at check-in. The items that need to be checked are:

• Mask
• Glove
• Two body cords
• Two mask cords (foil and saber, only)
• Lamé (foil and saber, only)

Equipment Check is for your fencer’s safety. The armorer is looking for holes in gloves, masks that might be damaged or cracked in some way, and body cords, to make sure that they are functioning correctly. Weapons are checked on the strip at the beginning of each bout.

Warm Up – After Weapons Check, your fencer needs to get dressed and then start to warm up. Fencers should stretch out and then a light jog around the venue is a good way to start. Jumping jacks are also good, and some fencers bring a jump rope to warm up with.

Fencers should also try to fence at least two warm up bouts with other fencers. Encourage them to look for someone they don’t know to fence. They fence the same people at the club all the time. This is a great chance to fence someone new.

Once check-in is closed, Pools will be announced. This posting might be online but should also be posted somewhere in the venue. Your child should find out which strip he or she will be fencing on, and proceed to that strip will all of the equipment (that has been checked at Weapons Check) and swords, and be ready to start fencing.

Good luck!

The next blog will detail the structure of tournaments – seeding, pools, and the direct eliminations.

Aden Soto-Ulev (right, UFA) scores against Soren Llido (OC Div.) in Y10 foil action at the SoCal Musketeers RYC, Sept. 23, 2017.

One of the most confusing things to figure out, once your fencer is ready to compete, is how to find tournaments and how to know which ones to go to. Some children can’t wait to compete and some find the idea of competing intimidating at first. When the conversation turns to when instead of if, it is important that your child start competing at a level that is appropriate. You want to encourage him or her, and fencing against much better or more experienced fencers can be demoralizing, especially at first. Talk to your coach. Talk to your child.

Before your child can compete in any tournament, he or she must have a USA Fencing membership. Most clubs have USA Fencing sanctioned tournaments that take part in the USA Fencing insurance program. You will be asked for proof of membership when you arrive at each and every tournament. You will also need a proof of age for your child at a tournament, until you are able to have USA Fencing verify the age, so be sure and have a copy of a birth certificate when you go to tournaments. Individual Competitive Membership costs $75 a year. Here is the link to sign up.

This blog will not deal with specifics regarding earning points or qualifying for Summer Nationals or the July Challenge. Please refer to the USA Fencing website, as those specifics change frequently at the beginning of each year. There is a link to the Athlete Handbook at the end of this blog, for further reference.

Events and Age Categories

• Y means Youth
• Y8 – Fencers aged 8 and under (These events are uncommon; usually events start at Y10)
• Y10 – Fencers aged 10 and under, and so on through Y14
• Cadet – Fencers ages 13–17
• Junior – Fencers ages 13–20

Though here I use ages for convenience sake, USA Fencing uses the birth year as a determining factor for the age groups. Refer to the USA Fencing Athlete Handbook for the current birth years for each category.

Mixed events mean boys and girls fence together.

Basic recommendations for beginner fencers

Ask your coach if he or she thinks your child is ready to go to a tournament.

Once your fencer has gone to one or two tournaments (minimum) and the experience has been positive, maybe your fencer is ready to take on beginning fencers in the next age category up. Ask your coach. The coach will know if your 9 year old should stick with the age category Y10, or if he or she is ready to be fencing against 12 year olds, for example. Depending on your child’s physicality (Is he tall for his age? Is she strong for her age?) and demeanor on the strip (Is he confident? Does she tend to walk off the back of the strip when facing more assertive fencers?), if you have an 9 year old who feels confident and eager to compete, then maybe he or she should be encouraged to fence up to Y12. Ask the coach. Remember – Y10 uses shorter blades – if your child is fencing up, a longer blade will be required.

The current best website for upcoming tournament information is AskFred.

To narrow your search, enter the weapon (epee, foil, or saber), and how many miles from your home you would like to search. All the tournaments will be listed that have been submitted to AskFred. Be sure and check the website frequently as events get added all the time.

Local Tournaments

For new fencers, local tournaments are the best place to start.

Many local clubs have “unrated” tournaments – these are typically tournaments for younger or beginner fencers. Some of the local clubs have a series of tournaments with fencers earning points each time they compete in one of the series. Those points are added together for some kind of prize at the end for the top points winner, typically a medal or trophy.

These local tournaments are great for new fencers for a number of reasons.

Fencers face a lot of pressure on the strip, even at the beginning level.

As your child begins to compete, he or she will learn a lot. He will learn how to win and how to lose. She will learn how to think on the strip and how to keep calm. If you have the option of having one of your coaches from your club come and coach, your fencer will start to learn how to listen and think on the strip. Not all coaches are willing to go to these tournaments, and they will charge a fee, so this is somewhat of a luxury, if even available. You can always ask. Whether at a tournament at this level, or at an RYC or SYC (detailed later in this blog) if your coach attends, your coach will also learn a lot about your child- how he or she deals with pressure and what has (or has not) been learned from all of those classes and private lessons.

Once your child has competed in a few local tournaments and has achieved some nice results, talk to your coach about moving up to the next level of competition. Your coach is the best source for questions like this.

Another thing to consider is the pressure your young fencer faces. Once you move up to regional tournaments (details in the next section) it will probably involve travel, whether a road trip, or a plane flight. Just the fact that you are disrupting the routine and investing in the travel, packing, etc., puts more pressure on your young fencer. Make sure he or she, and you, are ready.

RYCs, SYCs, RJCs, RJCCs, ROCs, and NACs – What they mean and what you need to know

RYC: Regional Youth Circuit

USA Fencing has divided the US into six regions. California is in Region 4. This region includes the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah.

A Regional Youth Circuit tournament is for fencers within the specific region. Be sure you know which region you are in. At these tournaments, fencers can earn points towards qualifying for Summer Nationals and the Youth Challenge (details below). Fencers showing up for tournaments in the wrong region can fence but will not earn any points.

At RYCs, fencers can earn regional points that count towards qualifying for the Summer Nationals, the final competition on the national level, taking place at the end of June and the beginning of July.

Regional points are awarded to all of the fencers, however the number of points awarded depends on how many fencers are competing in an event, and is too complicated for this blog. The first place finisher however, always earns 100 points.

RYCs are more competitive than the smaller local tournaments, especially in Southern California, where there are a lot of very strong fencers, and of course, chasing those points also makes the tournaments more competitive.

USA Fencing only takes the top three results, so the highest score possible would be 300 through the year, if a fencer won three RYCs. Fencers are welcome to fence in all of the RYCs they are able to attend.

SYC: Super Youth Circuit

Fencers from any region can compete in an SYC tournament. USA Fencing will only take the top result however, regardless of how many times a fencer competes in an SYC.

SYCs are more competitive that RYCs and attract fencers from all over the US.

RJCC: Regional Junior and Cadet Circuit

These are regional tournaments for fencers who are Cadet or Junior aged. Again, the R means regional so make sure you are planning on attending an RJCC in your region.

Fencers can earn points for the July Challenge at these events, and they are very competitive.

ROC: Regional Open Circuit

This is included here, just to give a basic understanding of what a ROC is. These tournaments are open to any fencers over 13 years old. Fencers can qualify to fence in the Division II and Div 1A events at summer nationals with points earned from these tournaments. Only older beginning fencers should attend an ROC as they will be fencing against fencers of all ages who typically have a lot of experience and are very strong.

NAC: North American Cup

The North American Cup Tournaments are a series of tournaments organized by USA Fencing (Y10, Y12, Y14, Cadet, Junior, Div I, Div II, Div III, Vet Open, Vet Age, Wheelchair, and Cadet/Y14/Junior/Senior Team).

NACs rotate through cities across the country. You can find more info on the USA Fencing Website.

The March NAC is the one that has events for Y10, Y12, and Y14. If your child is ready to really step it up a level, this is the one to attend.

Before signing up for this one, talk to your coach. Make sure your child is ready. Remember, you want to set your child up for success, which does not necessarily mean winning, but also how to accept defeat and learn from it. There is a lot of pressure at a NAC. Talk to (and listen to) your child about going.

The March NAC is typically very kid-friendly. There will be lots of children who are competing at a NAC for the first time.

Your coach will probably be traveling to this event with other fencers, and you should seriously consider investing in coaching for a NAC. It is a great opportunity for your child to learn a lot, about fencing, sportsmanship, etc. A coach can really help make the experience a positive one.

Referees usually take a little extra time on the strip and between pool bouts to explain the rules to the young fencers, and encourage them to be self-sufficient and ask questions. This also helps make the experience a positive one.

Good news! If there are a lot of first time young fencers, that means there are a lot of first time fencing parents at the NAC. You are not alone! Ask questions, compare notes. You, too, can learn a lot, about how to help your young fencer deal with the pressure; with losing, and about where a good restaurant is for dinner! Chances are, if your child stays with fencing, you will be seeing these other parents a lot in the future. Introduce yourself. Enjoy!

Summer Nationals

All fencers have to qualify for this tournament. Luckily, USA Fencing wants to encourage young fencers to participate, so they have made the path fairly simple. Fencers in Y10 only have to compete in an RYC. Placing first or last, the result is irrelevant. If a fencer participates, he or she has qualified to fence at summer nationals.

Take a moment to download the USA Fencing Athlete Handbook for much more detailed information on tournaments.

Ready? Fence!

Kathryn’s son, Stafford, on his way to the venue at the 2016 Summer Nationals in Dallas, Texas.

“The Importance of Goals” deals with looking at the year ahead and laying out a sort of roadmap to follow, deciding on goals that are within reach and do-able.

But what makes them do-able? How you get from here to there? Medals, rankings, and ratings are important tangible evidence of success. But, you can’t get the results without putting in the effort. Personal goals or tasks that are within your fencer’s control can help keep your fencer moving forward even if and when those end goals remain somewhat elusive. Personal goals will help your fencer be successful whether winning or losing. And, setting them up and working on them will play an important role in helping your fencer reach those more tangible goals.

When my son started fencing, medals and competition were frankly not even a part of the conversation. My son was extremely shy as a young boy, something that he shares with a lot of fencers. At 8 years old, he basically lived in a hoodie, sometimes even two. He preferred not to speak up and when he did, you had to lean forward to hear. As a parent, I wanted to find a way, hopefully a fun way, to help him feel more confident. Fencing, I thought, might be a perfect solution. First of all, he gets to wear a mask (certainly more interesting than those two hoodies). Second of all, he gets to hold a sword. He liked Star Wars, so, I reasoned; let’s give it a shot.

Our first fencing goals had nothing to do with medals, rankings, points, etc. These goals had little to do even with fencing. The main goal at that time was for Stafford to be more confident and assertive. How do you get there?

One of Staff’s first basic tasks he set for himself in fencing was to literally be able to stay on the strip when fencing. It was more comfortable to walk off the end of the strip when a fencer came towards him, which was a direct result of not being able or willing to assert himself. At one of my son’s very first tournaments, Staff walked backwards off the end of the strip giving his opponent a point. His coach, who was watching, said, “Don’t walk off the end of a strip again. That is like quitting. Worse, it is like you are hitting yourself. If your opponent is going to get a point, make it one he has to earn.” Right then and there, Staff made that a goal. It was on his mind every time he fenced. I think that was maybe the last time Staff walked off the end to avoid a touch. Now, it is so ingrained in his fencing that he no longer even thinks about it. That’s not to say he hasn’t heard, “One foot! One foot! Go forward!” during a bout to make him aware that he is at the end, but I swear that foot has stayed glued on the strip every time until he has been able to take that step forward again. That goal certainly helped him become more assertive. I can remember him, after losing a bout during those early tournaments, saying, “Well, at least I didn’t walk off the strip!” Even though he lost, he knew a way in which he had also triumphed. And he could name it, which is important. It was a specific task that he had set for himself.

These tasks are important because they are under the fencer’s control. They can be something that helps your fencer prepare for competition, and they can be tasks your fencer wants to accomplish on the strip. And they are not dependent on results.

Stafford is always working on something in his fencing. Whether it is a specific flick of the wrist, or keeping emotions under control, he has his hands full. He is a teen-age boy, and as he gets into those teen years, he’s got growing pains, which make life and fencing so much more complicated. Certainly the fact that his shoe size went from 8 to 12 in four months makes fencing more complicated. Anyone who has seen a German Shepard puppy get tangled up with his own paws can imagine how a 14-year old can have problems. With suddenly huge feet and a wing span that seems to rival a 747, he has a lunge and reach that keep changing, and constantly is having to re-evaluate the distance between him and the other fencer on the strip. Very frustrating.

The teen years are complicated by emotional growing pains as well. Life in high school just becomes complicated and more emotional, right? Stakes for everything seem higher, and trying to navigate socially, trying to be “cool,” and survive through a day at school without somehow attracting negative attention, can become the goal for the day. There are the pressures of schoolwork, and those college conversations are starting. Pile on top of all of that, the emotions swirling around winning and losing in fencing, so much focused on just 15 minutes, and yet we expect our teenagers to control all of those emotions and conduct themselves at such a heightened level. As I write this, I am thinking, wow, that is asking a lot. How on earth can my son deal with all of this? Yet, I will still ask that of my son. More important, he asks this of himself. That is part of the game he signed up for. We talk about these pressures and ways he might help get prepared when those emotions seem to get the better of him on the strip. Frustration can easily turn to anger, when a touch is missed or the score, seemingly a done deal, suddenly tips the other way in a matter of seconds.

One thing that helps when that frustration is overwhelming, is to have enough physical stamina and muscle memory solid enough that even when your brain freezes, your hand does not. So, personal tasks include ways to get in great shape, and also ways to increase muscle memory – to just fence, not think. My son works on his point control on his own every day. There is a golf ball on a string, permanently tied to an overhead light in our living room. Every day it is lowered to chest level so he can practice his point control. Different kinds of touches. Over and over and over again.

In addition to improving his coordination and muscle memory, some of Staff’s personal tasks focus on controlling his emotions, not getting frustrated, and, hand in hand with that, being patient. There is an older fencer Staff really admires because he has such control over his emotions. Staff likes that he can’t tell when this fencer finishes a bout, if he has won or lost. When Staff fences these days, he tries to stay calm and just focus on the touch. Whether he wins or loses the bout, if he is able to accomplish keeping his emotions under control, he has won. It is of course difficult to work on this if he’s not actually competing. Situational bouts in class can’t really provide that rush of nerves and emotion. So right now, we are going to every tournament we can, RYCs, Opens, NACs, etc. Putting him in the situation where he can work on these issues. Opens, by the way, are great for this. Senior fencers bring a different type of experience and strength to the strip. They want to win of course, but they go about it a bit differently. What they might lack in pure teen adrenaline, they make up for in strength, strategy, and patience. In class, his coach is also great at setting up situations, “fencers on this side of the room are down 10- 14,” etc. But nothing really compares to keeping your head in battle, so to speak.

Right now, Staff has those tangible, specific goals he wants to reach this year. He now wants to qualify for the next World Cup. He would like to medal in Cadet at a NAC. In addition, he has personal tasks that he is responsible for. He has a daily workout routine. He has an agenda for his practice bouts in class and during open fencing. I am sure he has other personal goals that I don’t even know about. I hope so. At the end of each day, he wants to be able to say he did something that day to become stronger, faster, better. These tasks help him become more confident, more self-determined. He is already a winner, regardless of the score.

Regional Recognition Patches.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu

As tournament season gets into full swing, this seems like a good time to talk about goals. Here are a few of my thoughts on goals – their importance, how to set them, change them, and keep things healthy.

I think setting goals is a great way to start off a season of fencing. And it is important to be realistic. Is your child just starting fencing? Then help him or her decide what goals might be attainable, what are the stretches, and try to keep “pie in the sky” goals out of the discussion. You want to encourage not discourage your fencer. And if goals are quickly reached, celebrate! Then, together, set new ones. By the way, there are short-term goals too. My son and I also always discuss the events before each tournament and what the goal is for that particular event.

Here are a few goals we had when competing in the first couple of years (and all of these goals still apply, by the way):

Win all the bouts in your pool. This is a good one, because it is clear and straightforward.

Come out of pools ranked first in the seeding. This is a great goal because when a fencer begins to understand that every touch matters, (every touch scored against the fencer is subtracted from the total touches made, and affects the seeding for the next round) the approach to the pool bouts becomes more focused. (Stafford has had a goal of having a perfect pool, with no touches scored against him. He has yet to achieve this. Not sure he ever will, but it’s fun to watch him try.)

Earn a medal. Local tournaments or national tournaments, medals are medals. They are cool. And in fencing, you have to earn them. You don’t get them for just showing up.

Beat “that guy”! At a certain point, there will be some fencer that seems to be unbeatable. Name him or her. Then, make beating that fencer a goal. Early on in fencing, we had a terrible tournament. My son was nervous, had stomach cramps, wanted to leave, and begged me to take him home. We had paid the entry fee, driven all this way, I even found a great parking space (again, parking is important!) so no way were we just going to leave. And of course, his fencing at that tournament was not the best. Lost most of his pool bouts. Then came the Direct Eliminations. And my son would be fencing against him. Mr. Unbeatable. And my son beat him. I think my son was eliminated in the next round, but it didn’t even matter. He had proved something to himself. He could beat that guy. He might not win again the next time, but now he knows he can do it. And guess what – There will always be a next “that guy.” Stafford beat a fencer this summer whom he thought was truly unbeatable. He had nicknamed him The Demi-God. And now, my son has the next that guy on his radar.

I know that Stafford is now a “that guy” to a few younger fencers. I love that. There is a wonderful family in Northern California with two young fencers. The mom told me at one of the tournaments, when our boys were about to fence each other, that her son was so excited to fence my son. That he had been disappointed that they had not yet met on the strip. He couldn’t wait. He didn’t expect to win; he just wanted to fence him. That day, her son did not beat Stafford, but I’m betting that one day he will.

Every August, Stafford and I discuss the past year’s results and talk about goals for the upcoming year. We started this when he was ten, and we have found that it is very helpful to have specific attainable goals that span the year. And I feel it is important to have him be a part of the discussion, so that it is not just me telling him my expectations. We list several, knowing that they can change and evolve through the year.

The first thing we do when setting goals is to look at where my son is coming from, how did he do the year before? Set your fencer up for success, not failure.

In 2015-16, my son’s goals were clear, and all attainable, though some were a definite reach.

Goal 1. The Regional US Fencing Patch

Did you know that US Fencing awards patches in each region to the top three fencers in regional tournaments (RYCs- regional youth circuit)? This is a great incentive for young fencers and a lot of parents don’t even know about this. The patches are given out at Summer Nationals. In 2014-15, Stafford came in 4^th in the region, just missing getting a patch. But, Stafford was fencing well, and at each tournament he seemed to grow in confidence, skill, and determination. So, the patch went on the list.

Goal 2. Win an SYC

He had not yet won a sectional tournament, but had come in second, so it was perfectly reasonable to believe that it was attainable. So he set that as his second goal. By the way, he did not achieve this goal. He won his first SYC the next year.

Goal 3. Qualify for Junior Olympics

This goal was a reach. And he missed qualifying by one, placing fourth in the qualifiers. I was fine with that though. He had just turned 12, fencing against 15 and 16 year olds, and really wasn’t ready, in a number of ways. So, we kept that goal for 2016-17, and he went to his first JO’s last February.

Goal 3. Medal at a NAC (North American Cup)

By the time the March North American Cup rolled around, Stafford had already won a couple of regional tournaments and was currently ranked number one in our region (close to earning that patch!). Walking to the car from school one day shortly before leaving for Salt Lake City where the March NAC would be taking place, Stafford asked me, “Where do you think I should end up in the tournament? Do you think I could make top 8?” Well, of course, I wanted to say, “Actually, I think you could win it.” Which he could. California is one of the most competitive arenas. I think that the top three fencers in Southern California are almost always in the top eight in the nation in any given age group. Technically at this time he was number one, but there were easily five or so other fencers who could beat him on any given day. Just as he could beat them on any given day. So, I did not tell him I thought he should win. I pointed out that he was number one in the region, and SoCal is one of the most competitive, so he could certainly place in the top 8. But I thought he could make the top 3. “Really?” That made him think. He hadn’t put together his success in the regional tournaments with what that might mean nationally. “Sure,” I replied. “Why not?”

In Salt Lake City, Stafford took the bronze. It was his first national medal. He achieved his goal of placing in the top 8. On Instagram and Facebook, US Fencing posted a shot of the top four medalists. That was pretty cool. And he got a patch that said Bronze Medal Y12 National. When he got his regional patch at that year’s Summer Nationals it was almost an afterthought.

One of the wonderful outcomes of achieving goals is the gaining in confidence. Once my son won the bronze in Salt Lake City, his fencing, his focus and determination, and his true enjoyment of fencing blossomed. He went on to win the Y12 event at Summer Nationals.

It is important to remember that all of the smaller goals from the past years led to where he is now. All of those goals were stepping-stones to his maturing as a competitor and gaining self-confidence as a fencer and as a young man.

We have had fun planning our goals this year. One of them has already been reached, when we went to the World Cup in Austria in October.

USA Cadet Men’s Epee Team in Klagenfurt, Austria, October 2017.

Five years ago, my son competed in his first tournament. After eight months of fencing classes and constantly saying he was not interested in competing, my son unexpectedly announced at the end of a class that he thought he might like to try entering a tournament after all. It turned out there was a regional tournament the very next weekend. I had no idea what a regional tournament was. His coach said we should sign up on the US Fencing website, go to the tournament, and however he did, as long as he competed, he would qualify for Summer Nationals. Summer Nationals? I had no idea what that meant. But the coach seemed to think it was a good thing for him to do, so okay.

I signed him up for a competitive membership at US Fencing, and we went to the tournament that weekend. It was a disaster on so many levels. Though we did find a great parking spot, right in front. I found out later finding parking was almost as competitive as the fencing itself. Who knew?

The tournament at LAIFC (Los Angeles International Fencing Center) was an RYC (Regional Youth Circuit). There were a number of different events going on, so though there were only 14 fencers in my son’s Y10 (Youth ages 10 and under) event, the place was crowded with fencers, parents, coaches. It was overwhelming. And we had no idea what to do, where to go, etc. Luckily, a very nice mother at the desk, Ellen, who I still see all the time at tournaments, introduced herself and gave a quick rundown of what we needed to know. How the tournament worked, pools, DE’s (Direct Eliminations), and that we needed two body cords for example. The basics.

My son lost all but one pool bout, and that one he won by one touch (point). He lost his first DE. As fast as it had started, it was over. My son, still wearing his mask, shook hands with the opponent and with the referee. Then he picked up his bag and carried everything straight out to our car in that prime spot. He put his gear in the trunk, got in the back seat. We rode home in silence, with the exception of very quiet crying coming from the back seat, muffled slightly by the mask he was still wearing. “Oh, well,” I thought. “At least he tried.”

Two weeks later, much to my surprise, he wanted to try again. Luckily there was another tournament coming up that weekend. This time is was just a little local tournament. Much less intimidating. That afternoon, again, I drove back with a boy wearing a fencing mask crying in the back seat. But this time, about half way home, I heard this tearful little voice say, “So, when is the next tournament?” And we were in.

He came in last in the next tournament as well. But he took his mask off on the way home. We were making progress.

Summer Nationals took place in Anaheim that year. We went because we didn’t have to travel on a plane, so it would not be too expensive. Why not go? It would be a good experience. We drove down the day before his Y10 event. As we pulled in to the hotel, it was a sea of fencing bags. Every single person, young and old, was pulling a fencing bag behind them. My son sat in the back seat, looking out the window in horror. “I can’t do this.” I knew exactly how he was feeling. It was an intimidating sight. “Tell you what,” I said. “I’ve already paid for the room. Let’s just check in. The convention center is attached to the hotel. We can just walk over and find your coach, and look around and see what it is like. And if you don’t want to fence, that’s fine. You don’t have to. No pressure.” He ended up placing 41 out of 60. More important, though, he fenced. He was 9. And he has never looked back. That was in 2012.

What is amazing to me, and what I certainly didn’t know at the time, was that a lot of those fencers are still competing. These boys have grown up together. They see each other at tournaments across the country. They follow each other on snap chat and Instagram. They text each other. My son has friends from across the country, from New York and Texas.

He will go to his first international competition, a World Cup in Austria in four weeks. He, we, have come a long way. We have learned a lot.

I am starting this blog to help other parents, new to fencing, understand how wonderful this sport is, how it works, and how to support their child through success and failure. I will cover basics, from the first competition to how to cope with injuries. I would love feedback, welcome follow up questions, topic suggestions, and any stock tips you care to share!