<p>I’m new to posting here, though I’ve been visiting the site off and on. So, I apologize ahead of time if I’m posting in the wrong place. My son fences (saber), and we live in Spain. I would like for him to do a fencing camp in the States this summer, but I don’t know anything about the various programs I’ve seen. Are there any parents out there who are familiar with summer fencing camps? My son is 14, and he’s been fencing for about 4 years.</p>
<p>My S (a former fencer) did a one-week camp at Penn State and loved it. We chose it mostly because it was driving distance from home, but of course Penn State is also a great fencing school</p>
<p>I was going to suggest Penn State also. There’s a poster called Fencersmother. She will likely pop in and have good information.</p>
<p>Small world–my son is a sabre fencer, and we used to live in Barcelona! Are you at ASB or BFIS? Anyway–the only camp my son has been able to attend is Sankofa (sankofasabrecamp.com) a couple of years ago, which was really great because it absolutely concentrated on Sabre and was relatively small, so there was lots of personal attention. But I’ve heard that Penn State was good, and I’ve heard good things about Penn as well. Actually, I just realized you will probably be the first person to know where my user name came from!</p>
<p>the poster’s name is fencersmom I think try looking for her in the search feature.</p>
<p>Wow, what a coincidence. We are BFIS, formerly ASB. I think we have a friend in common, the woman who actually gave me the name of the fencing club here. She had a friend whose son was fencing–probably you! I will check out Sankofa. I had found the one at Penn and it looks good. Also one at Brown.</p>
<p>Merci i adeu!</p>
<p>cathymee–thanks for the reference to fencersmom. I will look her up.</p>
<p>Siusplau,</p>
<p>Does your name mean something in Catalan?</p>
<p>The USFA website <a href=“http://www.usfencing.org/usfa/[/url]”>http://www.usfencing.org/usfa/</a> posts notices of summer camps in May or June. You’ll find a lot of options there. I don’t follow sabre too closely (my kids fence foil), but I have friends who know the sabre programs and coaches pretty well, so feel free to post here or PM me with questions about specific programs and I’ll try to get the scoop.</p>
<p>And yes, fencersmother is pretty active here and I seem to recall that one of her kids fences sabre, so she should be a good resource.</p>
<p>Oh, and if you post your question here <a href=“Fencing.net Forums - Fencing.Net”>Fencing.net Forums - Fencing.Net; you’ll get a lot of quality answers very quickly.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>OK! I’m here!</p>
<p>BCNMOM, please pm me so I can figure out just what you need.</p>
<p>PennState does indeed have a great fencing camp, primarily intended for newbies and somewhat for advanced fencers approaching college age (the look-see for the coaching staff without obligating them or violating any NCAA rules). Ohio State runs a more intensive camp, not for beginners but it costs a little more (it also has lots of European fencers at it so your S will fit right in). There are several other camps around, including Sankofa, which can become quite expensive. Nellya’s sabre camp in Georgia is highly esteemed and has some very competitive fencers.</p>
<p>In the January/Feb or Mar/Apr issue of “American Fencer” magazine, there will be lots of camp ads listed; they will also be available at <a href=“http://www.usfencing.org%5B/url%5D”>www.usfencing.org</a> </p>
<p>Good luck to your son. My cousins live in Madrid and love it (stupid soccer players!)</p>
<p>Oh fencersmom, we’re so glad you came! When I first saw this post this morning, I knew you’d come as soon as you could…</p>
<p>I’m interested in this too, the kiddie fences(foil), just starting HS.</p>
<p>He’s done with the summer camp scene, will be looking for new and different challenges next summer. Maybe a fencing camp/program would fit, for a few week or two anyway.</p>
<p>monydad-</p>
<p>The top high level foil camps include:</p>
<p>MTEAM- In San Francisco, run by Greg Massialas. Greg typically runs 2 one week pre-national camps and another one week camp in August. Greg has a reputation of being a bit intense, but the quality of bouting at these camps is, in my opinion, unmatched. There will plenty of nationally ranked kids, some with international experience. Definitely not for beginners, but if your son is a competent “D” rated or higher fencer he should be fine.</p>
<p>Northwest Fencing Center- Portland, OR, run by Michael Marx. Michael has a pre-national camp and an August foil camp (as well as an August epee camp). Michael’s camps typically attract a broader spectrum of fencer: more lower level kids, more college aged kids, more fencers period. The fencers will be broken out into groups according to skill level.</p>
<p>Rochester (NY) Fencing Club- Headed by Nat Goodhartz. Nat is totally mellow and a master tactician. The only thing I don’t like about her post-nationals camp is that it is held in a non-airconditioned space above a restaurant. When we were there it was unbearable.</p>
<p>Greg and Michael are both ex-Olympians and Nat is one of the coaches for the US national team.</p>
<p>If you post more about your son’s fencing level and goals I’ll try to give you more input.</p>
<p>Resurrecting this thread to ask fencerparents: do you think the fact that your child is/was a fencer has played a positive role in his/her college admission?
If yes -what role?
Fencing is not a popular sport, and I do think it might score you a curosity point, but nothing more than that.
Not looking for another activity here - kid is already fencing.</p>
<p>Yes, I would really like to know what people out there think. Living abroad, I’m a bit out of the loop on the college admissions scene. Like anything, it probably doesn’t give you a “leg up” unless you’re Olympic-bound, eh?</p>
<p>Sherpa is giving good advice. Go to usfa website and american fencing mag. Also, Princeton and U of Penn also have camps.</p>
<p>Kelowna & bcnmom, your fencer does not have to be olympian level to have the sport help in college. D was solid national level fencer [on point totals from y10 til today], with and ivy profile (SAT I, II etc). Was recruited by Princeton, Cornell, Stanford, PSU, Duke, Northwestern, Upenn, and NDame. Decided to turn down NDame after a visit to the school (location was the problem) place was very nice. She was accepted at all these schools. Fencing, definitely helped get her in, but her grades etc made it easy on those coaches. A few years ago the NYTime NJ edition wrote and article on how college wanted students with Rapier Wits regarding fencers.</p>
<p>Hikids - congratulations to your daughter.</p>
<p>I think her multiple acceptances demonstrates the recruiting climate pretty accurately. There are a finite number of kids who have recruitable results, and of those only a limited number have the academic credentials to get into the top academic schools, even with the coach’s support. So a kid on the U20 or, better yet, senior points list who also has the requisite grades and test scores will certainly have a good shot a number of top schools.</p>
<p>Balancing nationally competitive fencing and rigorous academics is incredibly challenging, but for those who can do it the rewards are there in terms of college admissions. Scholarships, though, are a different matter. Those are few, and for the most part are available only to the Olympic/National Team level athletes.</p>
<p>Do you think the weapon makes a difference? It seems from what little I learned while trying to find a camp for my sabrist, that more people in the U.S. fence foil and epee. Would that make a sabrist more “desirable”? Or am I completely off base here?</p>
<p>Coaches recruit according to their needs; if their epeeists are nearing graduation, they’ll be looking for epeeists, etc. So the needs of the various schools will ebb and flow.</p>
<p>That being said, your observation about sabre being under represented in the US is probably correct.</p>
<p>Anecdotally, an Ivy coach recently told me that men’s sabre will be the most difficult weapon for schools to recruit from the high school class of '09.</p>
<p>Let’s hope that’s true for '11 as well, ha ha!</p>
<p>BTW, following the advice I got here, I found a great fencing camp in Hungary for my son this summer. For about 300 euros and a 130 euro plane ticket, he’s going to fence there for 10 days, with fencers from all over the world, all ages, all abilities. Should be a great experience. So, thanks to all you who helped me with this!</p>