Parent's Corner

In order to help simplify the process of getting younger fencers ready to bout, we have compiled a list of useful links and words of wisdom. Please check back here from time to time, as we will be continually updating this section. If you find anything that you think other parents might find useful, let us know at [email protected], and we will post it.

Why Fencing?

The first thing that many parents want to know before their children participate in any activity is "why?" There are many reasons that children should participate in athletic activities: team and individual sports help build confidence, are a great way to meet and interact with a diverse group of people, and, if continued into adulthood, are part of a healthy and active lifestyle. But why, specifically, should your child become a fencer?

Athleticism and Health

According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 20% of US children and adolescents are overweight or obese. According to the same set of statistics, more than half of all US adults are overweight or obese. Being overweight or obese can lead to severe problems later in life, such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and some forms of cancer.

One of the best ways to prevent obesity, and the problems that come with it, is to exercise. Exercise can mean going to the gym, and sitting on a stationary bike or walking on a treadmill, but these kinds of activities just don't appeal to most children. Young children and adolescents need activities that are fun and engaging, as well as healthy. Fencing is one such activity. Anyway, who hasn't seen a pirate movie and wanted to become a swashbuckler?

Fencing is a great activity for building strength, stamina, and endurance. A good fencer is one who has the strength to move quickly down the strip, the stamina to go 15 touches with an opponent without slowing down, and the endurance to fence multiple opponents with only a few minutes of rest in between. Also, unlike many other sports, fencing is an activity that people can continue to participate in as they age. The oldest active fencer at RSB over 70!

Fencing is a great activity to help keep young children and adolescents healthy, and can last a lifetime!

Honor, Tradition, and Respect

Fencing is a sport with old roots. Fencers have appeared in Egyptian murals and medieval tapestries. Modern fencing has evolved from the honor-bound dueling rituals of the Renaissance. While the aesthetics and style of fencing has changed a great deal in the last couple of thousand years, many of the old traditions of honor and respect are still very important.

In a modern bout, before the two fencers engage each other, they will remove their masks, look into each other's eyes from across the strip, and salute each other as a sign of respect. They will then salute their referee, should one be presiding, to show the same respect. In a large venue with many spectators, they will also salute the audience.

During the bout, actions can occur quickly, and it may be difficult for a referee to see exactly what happened. Even with electric scoring devices, it is commonplace, and even expected, for fencers to acknowledge when they have been hit by their opponents, or when the referee has awarded them a point that they do not deserve. This kind of humility and ability to admit to errors is almost unique to fencing. Imagine a baseball game in which the first baseman tells an umpire that a runner was actually safe after he had been called out. Imagine a hockey game without a brawl. It is hard to imagine that kind of honor and respect to the other team in hockey, baseball, or almost any other sport. However, in fencing, this kind of behavior is not only commonplace, but expected.

Finally, at the end of a bout, fencers will again remove their masks, salute, then join each other at the center of the strip to shake hands and congratulate each other on a bout well fenced. Both winning and losing are handled with grace and civility.

Many would claim that our culture is in a state of decline -- that people no longer show proper respect to each other. In this environment, we believe that the modern sport of fencing is an oasis of chivalry, civility, and honor.

Community

The RSB Club has members as young as 8, and as old as 80, from many diverse backgrounds. We have several families that fence together, and we are strong supporters of the college fencing program. Several fencers come from Incline, Lovelock, and Carson City to fence with us, while many come from economically disadvantaged areas of inner-city Sparks and Reno.

On any given night, you might see 18-year-old Connor Kenison preparing for national competition by fencing epee against men and women old enough to be his parents or grandparents, while his younger sister takes a lesson from Prevost Momberg. At the same time, you might see veteran fencer John Springgate giving advice to one of the college team's fencers, while 12-year-old River Creger referees a fast paced sabre bout.

Taken all together, RSB is supported by a strong and vibrant community. In this community, children can form strong bonds of friendship with their peers, and receive the support and encouragement of fencers with years of experience.

Cost

Compared to many other activities that your child could participate in, fencing is relatively inexpensive. A beginning fencer can walk into the RSB Academy, sign up for an eight lesson class, take one lesson a week and fence six days a week for $100. For beginners, we even provide the equipment! If your child wishes to compete, there are some additional costs -- eventually they will need equipment of their own, and will have to pay to enter tournaments -- but these are costs that only competitive fencers should expect to incur, are still total less than $250 per year for all but the highest level competitors. This compares very favorably to other activities in the Reno area.

Furthermore, if your child is interested in fencing, RSB has one of the most inexpensive fencing programs in the country. In most other cities in the country, you can expect to pay between $150 and $300 dollars every month for floor fees, and additional costs for lessons . In many of those places, you must either buy your own equipment, or rent it from the fencing organization.

The reason that it is possible for the RSB Fencing Club to provide instruction at such a cost is that the Club is a non-profit organization. Most of our instructors are dedicated fencers who volunteer their time to bring new fencers into the sport. Our floor fees and lesson fees go right back into the Academy to purchase new equipment, facility maintenance, scholarships, and grants.