Age(ing) question, and registration

[Sciurus-Rex]

If my 40th birthday is in March, can I register for a U.S. veterans event scheduled for April?

[Frank Pratt]

Originally Posted by Sciurus-Rex

If my 40th birthday is in March, can I register for a U.S. veterans event scheduled for April?

I assume you mean March/April 2006. The only thing that matters is your age on January 1st of the season. Since you will be 39 on 1/1/06, you will not yet be eligible for Veteran events. Your first season of eligibility will be 2006/2007. This means you can fence in Veteran events held on or after August 1, 2006.

[Frank Pratt]

Originally Posted by Frank Pratt

I assume you mean March/April 2006. The only thing that matters is your age on January 1st of the season. Since you will be 39 on 1/1/06, you will not yet be eligible for Veteran events. Your first season of eligibility will be 2006/2007. This means you can fence in Veteran events held on or after August 1, 2006.

I take that back; my answer is correct, but the guidelines I cited above are outdated. The USFA is going by birth year now, not the fencer’s birthday on Jan. 1 of the competition season. The Veteran age group for this season included all fencers born in 1964 or prior, which means all fencers born 1965 and prior will be eligible for Veteran events next season. So assuming you will turn 40 in March 2006 (eg. born in '66,) You will not be eligible for veteran events until the 2006/2007 season.

Click here for a full explanation of these guidelines.

Sorry for any confusion I caused!