Competing
A Parent’s Guide
Most of a tournament is waiting.
Knowing that in advance makes the first one very much easier — for you and for them.
Expect to be at the venue most of the day for about an hour of fencing.
What to packHow the day runs
Pools first
A round of short bouts against five or six fencers, all in one go.
Then the wait
Results are worked out and the table is drawn. This is most of the day.
Then the table
A knockout round, where anyone still fencing gets at least one more bout.
What parents do
It is hard to watch your child fence. Often, it’s harder than anything they are experiencing on the strip. The best coach your child has is on the fencing strip. Sometimes, it’s actually them. The best teammate they have is in the stands.
Learn the rules, understand the equipment, and become familiar with the language of fencing. It will help you better share in your child’s journey, celebrate their successes, and appreciate the sport they are growing to love. Encourage effort, celebrate improvement, and trust the coaches to coach.
Some of the greatest lessons come after a difficult loss. Let them stumble sometimes—they’ll stand up stronger because of it.
Also, please remember that referees are an essential part of our sport. They work hard in a demanding role and, like every athlete, are doing their best. Treat them with the same courtesy and respect we expect every fencer to show. Together, we create the positive community that makes fencing so special.
What to pack
Label everything. A hall full of white kit swallows anything unmarked within the hour.
Kit
- Mask
- Jacket
- Lamé
- Glove
- Breeches
- Long socks
- Fencing shoes
- Two working weapons
- Two body cords
For the day
- Water
- Snacks
- Small cash
- Comfortable shoes
- A folding chair
- Something to read
Just in case
- Plasters
- An ice pack
- A phone charger
- Insurance details
Safety and SafeSport
Fencing has one of the lowest injury rates of any combat sport — the kit is built to a standard, and equipment check exists to enforce it. Bruises happen; injuries are rare.
USA Fencing operates under the U.S. Center for SafeSport, and MFA's coaches are SafeSport certified. If anything at a tournament or at the club ever concerns you, say so to a coach — that is the whole point of the system.
The authority on this
Fencing for parents at USA Fencing ↗Their guide covers the sport nationally. Anything specific to how we do things at MFA, ask a coach.
“The best thing for being sad is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails.”
T. H. WhiteThe Once and Future King, 1958