Family

Each tournament that Eleanor attends gives me information about what she needs to work on. She has been competing almost every weekend for the last two months. Eleanor and I talk about fencing in the car on the way home; I give her broad feedback on her overall progress and we analyze individual bouts. We also watch gold medal matches to get ideas about what other girls her age are doing.

When Emily comes home from college, she streams foil bouts on the living room television to discuss with her sister. My eldest daughter has a lot more experience running group classes than I do, so she manages the pre-competition routine before we split up to assist at different strips.

In three months, Eleanor will begin learning how to fence épée. I formally introduced her a few weeks ago to her new coach, who proceeded to ask us both a series of questions designed to determine my kid’s aptitude for the weapon.  Every single member of our family started out fencing foil. Eventually, all of us switched to épée except Eleanor. She is twelve years old, so there is still time to see how this plays out.

Parents ask me all the time which weapon their child should fence. I always tell them that I have no idea. For most people, how far you go in a weapon is largely based on the quality of the coach available to you along with the work you put into it.

~~~

Works Cited

Fencing Academy of Philadelphia. “The Sport of Fencing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Fencing Academy of Philadelphia.” Fencing Academy of Philadelphia, 6 Dec. 2024, https://fencefap.com/fencing-101/.

Refueling after fencing tournaments is incredibly important. Eleanor burns approximately double the usual number of calories on competition days. I look for grocery stores that stock prepared meals along with TikTok viral desserts. I buy milk, yogurt, and ice cream to boost calcium intake.

The week before each competition, I buy bread rolls and bananas to pack in a cooler bag. Chilled stainless steel bottles of water keep everything cold throughout the day and are handy to refill sports flasks in between rounds.

~~~

Works Cited

Bottoms, Lindsay. “Research Informed Practices.” Leon Paul, 16 Mar. 2022, https://www.leonpaul.com/blog/research-informed-practices/. Accessed 19 Dec. 2024.

Mehlenbeck, Robyn S., et al. “A Pilot Intervention to Increase Calcium Intake in Female Collegiate Athletes.” International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, vol. 14, no. 1, Feb. 2004, pp. 18–29. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.14.1.18.

At every fencing tournament, there is a published check-in time for your event. You need to arrive at the venue one hour beforehand to warm up since pools can start immediately. Warm-ups usually entail getting changed into gear, stretching, running, and then free fencing followed by practice bouts with another competitor in your event. This routine applies to all levels of competition. Once strips are assigned for your event, that is where you will be spending the rest of the day. I usually bring all of our bags over to the designated area.

Eleanor listens to music while we wait for her event to be called over the PA system. Fencers can be and are scratched at every tournament when they no-show for pools or direct elimination bouts.

~~~

Works Cited

Chirashnya, Igor. “Warm-up Routine Before Competitions for Young Fencers.” Academy of Fencing Masters, 18 Apr. 2024, https://academyoffencingmasters.com/…/pre-competition…/.

The night before Eleanor’s first competition, I had to scramble to find her USA Fencing membership card. You can download and print an Adobe Acrobat pdf of your card, but it’s easier to check in with a laminated card mailed by the main office in Colorado Springs. My two older children keep their cards attached to their fencing bags; Eleanor wears hers in a pink flowered badge holder.

USA Fencing annual membership begins on August 1 each year. The Access level costs $29 and allows you to register to compete in local tournaments plus work as an armorer or official.

~~~

Works Cited

Membership. https://www.usafencing.org/membership.

One month ago, Eleanor began competing in youth tournaments against other twelve-year-old girls. I waited until now to enter her in competitions because after a summer of swim team workouts, she is capable of handling the demanding fencing circuit. My kid and I are both exhausted. The two of us are constantly analyzing her fencing alongside the tactics and techniques of all her competitors. I am incredibly grateful to possess decades of expertise in fencing, but I have never coached little kids before.

This is Eleanor’s last year of eligibility in Y12 Women’s Foil. Fencers have been flying into the NYC area to attend tournaments to earn points that can qualify them for national events. These are all little kids, so it has been very helpful to watch them push themselves to the limit on the piste. I now know what is and is not possible for Eleanor to achieve until she reaches adulthood, so I am starting to get a sense of potential strategic styles.

~~~

Works Cited

Fencing 101: The Thrill of Earning National Points in Fencing. 2 Jan. 2024, http://www.usafencing.org/…/fencing-101-the-thrill-of….

Point Standings. www.usafencing.org/point-standings.