When The Next Generation Bonds, Your Community Grows – Cobra Fencing

I don’t want to go to ‪fencing‬ ‪practice‬, my nine year old ‪daughter‬ complains. That is your ‪sport‬ and ‪Dad‬’s, not mine. You don’t have to ‪compete‬, I respond. But since you have to come anyway, we might as well bring your ‪equipment‬. And as soon as she arrives at the club and sees her ‪friends‬? She races to change into her gear and join them.

My eldest ‪child‬ has been fencing for the last five years. Her attendance has been sporadic. My ‪‎husband‬ and I do not enter her in tournaments since her coach does not think she is ready. But in the last six months, she has begun attending practice regularly. What has changed? She now has a steady ‪friend‬. The nine year old daughter of one of our oldest fencing friends has begun taking weekday classes. The two ‪girls‬ do footwork side by side. Are paired together in drills since they share similar size and ‪athletic‬ ability. They have met in the past, but seeing each regularly? Is the highlight of my daughter’s week. This is the reason why my ‪family‬ fences – because when the next generation bonds, our ‪community‬ grows.

Six months ago, I was walking into a store when I randomly encountered the mother of my daughter’s friend. She was leaving, I was entering. I reversed course and told the store greeter that I would be back. And then I spent the next hour shopping with my mom friend. Our families see each other from time to time over brunch and birthday parties. As the kids get older, we are getting busier. I missed the baby shower for her second child because I had to work. So this opportunity to spend time together? Was precious and not to be missed.

We tried on jewelry. Talked about the challenges of juggling career with children. And? We talked about our kids. We both have nine year old daughters. Everyone plays tennis in the area where my friends live, so my mom friend was wavering between enrolling her daughter in classes nearby or sending her to fencing practice. And that is when I made her a pledge. Standing on the sidewalk, I told her I would take care of her daughter at fencing like one of my kids. If we are at a tournament, I will help make sure she gets to her strip on time for pools and direct elimination bouts. As a former nationally ranked competitor and board member at multiple national and local fencing organizations, I have a lot of experience running and competing in competitions at all levels. Why am I doing this? To help the child of another fencing family. With both parents working in the corporate world, it is difficult for one of them to be physically present at events. But also? To give my daughter a reason to go to practice.

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Kathy Zucker is an international social media Shorty Award winner, mother of three and a startup founder at companies including the Metro Moms Network®.