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Post by MartyAnderson on Jul 16, 2011 10:58:02 GMT -6
My 7 year-old son has expressed an interest in fencing. I never fenced but friends from my college days did. I know it's not like Pirates of the Caribbean and there are a lot of rules for safety.
My questions are, how safe is fencing for someone as young as my son? There seem to be a lot of different fencing clubs out there. Do they all have the same minimum age for a beginner?
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Post by JEC on Jul 16, 2011 11:04:30 GMT -6
My son began fencing at that age. He got hooked into the sport, and now fences in college. Where is your location?
Most likely, your child will start with foil. Fencing is safer than football or soccer, but teaching safety rules (and enforcing their application) are critical to keep it that way.
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Post by fencingdad on Jul 16, 2011 15:09:56 GMT -6
Unfortunately, you're asking a question that can't be answered. There is some risk, which is reduced when kids are taught safety rules and coaches are paying some attention to whether the rules are being followed. It is not reduced to zero. Is it safer than other risky activities that a seven year old might engage in? I wouldn't feel comfortable making a statement about that.
There could be some advantages to starting to fence when you're 7. I wouldn't know how to quantify those either.
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Post by Dan Gorman on Jul 16, 2011 17:39:29 GMT -6
Repeated sports studies have shown fencing to be safer than almost any other sport your child might compete in. One study had us number two to lawn bowling. We're safer than football, baseball, golf, tennis, soccer, swimming, track and field, cross country, basketball, and just about any other sport out there. The worst injury I've seen in 20+ years of fencing practice involved a warm-up game of tag. Others have seen worse, but it's incredibly rare. I am a full-time coach at Salle Mauro Fencing Academy and have for the past 8 years. I've taught hundreds of kids in that time and never had a fencing injury beyond a bruise. Check out our website at www.sallemauro.com and feel free to send me any questions at dan@sallemauro.com. If you're in Houston, you can also stop by and check out our beginner classes to get a feel for how it works. We meet Monday and Wednesday from 4-5:30pm and Saturday mornings from 9:30-11am. As for starting ages, clubs vary, but it's getting younger. Traditionally kids would start about 10-12, but we lose too many kids to other sports and start as early as 5 in many clubs now. Hope this helps. Dan Gorman
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Post by grace on Jul 16, 2011 19:53:14 GMT -6
Lots of parents want to be assured that fencing is a safe sport for their chidren. I used to have a club in the Corpus Christi area where I coached lots of kids, and was always happy to explain that fencing is one of the safest sports around. I used to refer to an article that was posted in the United States Fencing Coaches Association that dealt specifically with this issue. And, yes, in that particular study, fencing was even safer than golfing. Sometimes kids get bruised from attacks not being executed properly... or being off target... etc. However, the seven years my club was in existence, none of the kids sustained any injuries worse than a small bruise. And even those type of injuries were very rare, especially with the younger kids. I actually have worked with kids that were as young as 5. However, I recommend that they be older than that because with maturity, they will have a longer attention span to actually learn the sport. However, the younger they learn the sport, the better they will become at it. Kids that are introduced to it at a young age will forever have an advantage over others that are just learning. Furthermore, it is good to allow younger fencers to fence with older fencers during practice. The more experience kids get, the better. There are actually tournaments just for kids and some of the youngest kids fence in the Mopeto division. My daughter started fencing when she was 11 and fenced in the Junior Olympics twice (7th and 8th grade). The main reason she quit fencing was because she sustained a knee injury in track and did not want to do all the therapy necessary for her to keep competing. So, I'd worry more about my kid participating in basketball, track, and football rather than fencing! AND of course, it's important for the coach to always have a watchful eye, and be on the alert with youngsters so kids are taught to always practice good safety techniques.
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Post by grace on Jul 16, 2011 20:06:02 GMT -6
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Post by fencingdad on Jul 16, 2011 22:20:50 GMT -6
Picture a 7 year old fencer without his mask on is standing near another 7 year old fencer waving his blade around. The risk of an eye injury probably depend on how quickly that behavior can be stopped. My child has never had an eye injury, but I wouldn't tell another parent not to worry about it. Protective eyewear anyone?
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Post by schlager7 on Jul 16, 2011 23:37:19 GMT -6
I think 6 is the youngest we have had in Galveston. Some of those in that age range stayed with it for a few years. I like to think all of those who came through our doors had fun.
Constantly enforcing safety rules is the key. I know we never had an injury beyond the odd bruise every once in a great while.
I also think the kids had a lot of fun.
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kb
Squire
Posts: 261
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Post by kb on Jul 17, 2011 6:54:32 GMT -6
All of these answers are filled with good advice. I can add only one thing-as a parent, you know your child best and know his behavior in group situations. I've seen 4 and 5 year old kiddos act with more maturity than a lot of grown up people.
Can your son follow instructions, follow safety rules, and interact safely with his classmates? If so, maybe 7 would be okay.
That being said, many clubs offer a class for kids that are young(er) than the average starting fencer.
At Woodlands Fencing Academy we offer a "Musketeer Class" on Saturday mornings. It's an hour long, gives the wee ones a taste of fencing, but is not full blown instruction. Our goal is to get them interested in fencing so that when they are older they can continue with the entry level class when they are mature enough. (first class is August 6th)
We set the age at 6-8 years old simply because so many kids that age start picking up sticks and going after their friends. Parents see this and want to find a safe, creative outlet for that swashbuckling behavior.
In the US, the competition age starts at Y-10, which is 10 and "under", but is mostly 9-10 year olds. Will your son be willing to be in classes for a few years before he's a regular competitor? Some of those 10 year olds can be pretty big!
Again, you know your child better than anyone. I would suggest visiting the salles closest to you, talk to the coach and manager, inspect the facilities and then take an intro class.
Best of luck to your son!
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Post by WoodlandsFencing on Jul 17, 2011 7:11:16 GMT -6
At our club, the Woodlands Fencing Academy, we have several classes for small children. We have a “try it” class on Saturday mornings from 9:00am to 10:00am for ages 6-8. This is a fun introduction to fencing emphasizing coordination, footwork, sportsmanship and basic fencing skills. 4 sessions monthly, join at any time. Uniform and equipment supplied. Depending on physical ability and maturity level, a young child may also be considered for a beginners class. The beginners class meets twice per week on Monday and Wednesday from 4:30pm to 6:00pm for 8 weeks. Fencers warm up, receive instruction and have bouting opportunities. Basic fencing skills are taught, along with safety, concepts of distance, timing, tactics and strategies for beginning fencers. With coach's recommendation after completing a beginner's class, a child can go into a more advanced youth class.
Our coaches use foil in the beginner's and "try it" classes--they believe this weapon is more appropriate for training very young fencers. Later epee may be introduced.
We want to train fencers who love the sport and intend to fence for a long time, so an emphasis on fun and basic skills is important.
On a personal note, my two sons started fencing at the age of 10 (now 19 and 16) and show no sign of letting up any time soon. Like JEC one of mine also fences in college. Good luck and if you have any questions, let me know. I would be happy to talk with you or to have you talk with one of our coaches. You can reach us on our website (www.woodlandsfencingacademy.com) by leaving a message at "Contact Us". I also suggest you visit some clubs in the area and ask questions of the coaches and staff. You will figure out the best fit quickly. Just let us know how we can help. Leslie
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Post by schlager7 on Jul 17, 2011 17:23:43 GMT -6
I emailed some others on this topic. I received the following from Bill Towry.
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