<p>Joining a club now is a good idea, because it means he can fence various partners of all levels. He should have at least one private lesson a week, which will help his skills, but the more actual bouting, the better! Yes, the coach may tell him when it is time to start competing, but you can go ahead and enter small local tourneys–starting in 8th grade is perfect. It’s a great way to learn how they’re run and give him a chance to work out the butterflies. It will also help to familiarize yourself with the USFA and rankings etc. It takes a while to figure everything out! But rankings don’t mean all that much–sometimes it’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Don’t worry about them too much. Check out the USFA site for local clubs and info, and askfred.net for upcoming tournaments etc. as well as chatrooms. Go to some of the local clubs’ tourneys for his weapon to gain experience–he may end up last or close to it now, but think of the improvement–he’ll be able to compare his progress over the years. My son is an independent fencer (no school team) who started competing once or twice in 8th and 9th grade, was able to put it into high gear this year (10th) and has been to Jr. Olympics, qualified for Nationals in 3 events and has had an amazing year–he loves it. Good luck and have fun!</p>