Post by schlager7 on Jul 4, 2009 16:32:15 GMT -6
Area youngster making an impact in fencing
The Courier of Montgomery County
By Jay Langley
Updated: 07.03.09
Wolfe Crouse, of Conroe, might have been destined for greatness the day he was given his name.
His birth name is Ulfric, which in Old German means “wolf king.”
Since taking up fencing less than a year ago, the 9-year-old has ruled the fencing world, qualifying for the 2009 Summer Fencing USA Nationals. The nationals take place Tuesday in Grapevine.
“I don’t know what to expect because we never expected to get this far,” Wolfe’s mother Kirsten Crouse said. “We thought he would come here and take lessons and just see what the competitive world of fencing was like.
Wolfe Crouse trains under Khariton Zazhitskiy at Alliance Fencing Academy in The Woodlands. Zazhitskiy, a Soviet Union National Champion and World Cup Finalist, began training Wolfe Crouse just nine months ago.
“He’s gone from nothing to winning medals pretty quickly,” Zazhitskiy said of his student.
The quick progress can be attributed to two things, Zazhitskiy said.
“First, he has natural talent that you cannot teach,” Zazhitskiy said. “Second, when I tell him something, he listens. He’s a great student.”
Wolfe Crouse will enter the fourth grade at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Conroe in the fall. His also competes in gymnastics but says fencing is his favorite.
“I guess my favorite part is the stabbing people,” Wolfe Crouse said.
A love for fencing runs in the Crouse family. Kirsten Crouse met her husband Rick while fencing at Sam Houston State University.
“Fencing is a great sport,” Kirsten Crouse said. “But not a lot of people know about it because it’s never shown on television. They just kind of skip over it during the Olympics.”
Because of the lack of coverage, there is a misconception about the sport, Kirsten Crouse said.
“It’s actually one of the safest sports out there for kids to get involved in,” she said. “People see the blade and they think it’s dangerous. But as a mom, I would encourage any parent to get their kids involved.”
Wolfe Crouse started out playfully fencing around the house with his parents. But once Zazhitskiy moved to the Houston area the family knew it was time to get serious.
“I would practice with him when he was little and just show him the basics,” Kirsten Crouse said. “Once I found out there was the opportunity to study with someone who had been to the World Cup, I knew we had to come to this gym.”
While making the Olympics or World Cup may be a long shot, Kirsten Crouse is already thinking about the future.
“There are tremendous opportunities for scholarships in fencing,” she said. “If he can get into a good school because of the sport, that’s all I can ask for.”
In the mean time, Wolfe Crouse is thinking about next week’s nationals.
“It’s hard to say how he will do at nationals, because he is so new to fencing,” Zazhitskiy said. “But if he keeps improving, he could be one of the best in the country.”
That improvement will hinge on one thing, Wolfe Crouse said.
“I have to continue to work hard and listen to my coach,” he said.
Copyright © 2009 - Houston Community Newspapers Online
The Courier of Montgomery County
By Jay Langley
Updated: 07.03.09
Wolfe Crouse, of Conroe, might have been destined for greatness the day he was given his name.
His birth name is Ulfric, which in Old German means “wolf king.”
Since taking up fencing less than a year ago, the 9-year-old has ruled the fencing world, qualifying for the 2009 Summer Fencing USA Nationals. The nationals take place Tuesday in Grapevine.
“I don’t know what to expect because we never expected to get this far,” Wolfe’s mother Kirsten Crouse said. “We thought he would come here and take lessons and just see what the competitive world of fencing was like.
Wolfe Crouse trains under Khariton Zazhitskiy at Alliance Fencing Academy in The Woodlands. Zazhitskiy, a Soviet Union National Champion and World Cup Finalist, began training Wolfe Crouse just nine months ago.
“He’s gone from nothing to winning medals pretty quickly,” Zazhitskiy said of his student.
The quick progress can be attributed to two things, Zazhitskiy said.
“First, he has natural talent that you cannot teach,” Zazhitskiy said. “Second, when I tell him something, he listens. He’s a great student.”
Wolfe Crouse will enter the fourth grade at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Conroe in the fall. His also competes in gymnastics but says fencing is his favorite.
“I guess my favorite part is the stabbing people,” Wolfe Crouse said.
A love for fencing runs in the Crouse family. Kirsten Crouse met her husband Rick while fencing at Sam Houston State University.
“Fencing is a great sport,” Kirsten Crouse said. “But not a lot of people know about it because it’s never shown on television. They just kind of skip over it during the Olympics.”
Because of the lack of coverage, there is a misconception about the sport, Kirsten Crouse said.
“It’s actually one of the safest sports out there for kids to get involved in,” she said. “People see the blade and they think it’s dangerous. But as a mom, I would encourage any parent to get their kids involved.”
Wolfe Crouse started out playfully fencing around the house with his parents. But once Zazhitskiy moved to the Houston area the family knew it was time to get serious.
“I would practice with him when he was little and just show him the basics,” Kirsten Crouse said. “Once I found out there was the opportunity to study with someone who had been to the World Cup, I knew we had to come to this gym.”
While making the Olympics or World Cup may be a long shot, Kirsten Crouse is already thinking about the future.
“There are tremendous opportunities for scholarships in fencing,” she said. “If he can get into a good school because of the sport, that’s all I can ask for.”
In the mean time, Wolfe Crouse is thinking about next week’s nationals.
“It’s hard to say how he will do at nationals, because he is so new to fencing,” Zazhitskiy said. “But if he keeps improving, he could be one of the best in the country.”
That improvement will hinge on one thing, Wolfe Crouse said.
“I have to continue to work hard and listen to my coach,” he said.
Copyright © 2009 - Houston Community Newspapers Online