need a coach

[Nicksmom]

Hi,
I'm a mom, looking for a coach and group lessons for a 6 year old. He asked for fencing lessons, and is currently taking "lessons" locally. Looking for another option. Live in Southwestern Michigan.

[Goldgar]

Hi,
I'm a mom, looking for a coach and group lessons for a 6 year old. He asked for fencing lessons, and is currently taking "lessons" locally. Looking for another option. Live in Southwestern Michigan.

Have you checked out the Michigan clubs listed on the USFA website?

http://www.usfencing.org/usfa/content/view/1742/80/

[KidLazy]

Try WMFA edit: (West Michigan Fencing Academy) or GRFA edit: (Grand Rapids Fencing Academy).

edit: Both clubs have a history of working with kids and getting results (most notable WMFA: Sam Nemecek, GRFA: Sarkisov girls).

[dridge]

I'd pat attention to KidLazy in this regard. He knows a lot.

On the other hand, don't panic. Unless your son is in danger of abandoning the sport because of last week's misstep, there's no emergency. Select the next club with care. If he doesn't learn bad habits and if he remains engaged, that should be enough for a six year-old.

Drew

[Fencergrl]

The key to finding a good program for a child as young as yours is that it's fun.

Some would recommend he doesn't enroll in fencing until he's older. I don't take kids younger than 9. Young kids are better suited for sports involving the large muscle groups not the small ones required for fencing. If I were to do a class for 6 year olds I would have a small class size, use plastic weapons, play mostly games and involve the parents (mainly for safety reasons).

I know your kid is excited about fencing and I know he wants to do it. In an adult or teen class, I would be concerned about him getting frustrated and quiting because his body isn't capable of doing what he sees others can doing easily.

Ensure his new class spends more time on games and skill development than actual fencing. This is recommended for all kids under 12. These games and drills develop coordination while letting the child feel successful at what he/ she is doing. Leon Paul offers a great course guide with their mini-epee sets (plastic weapons).

So find a class geared specifically for kids. Yes... there isn't a lot of "real fencing" and they will usually use plastic weapons. Six year olds are not small adults. They are growing children. They need a different program than an adult or teen does.

[fencerwallet]

Ensure his new class spends more time on games and skill development than actual fencing. This is recommended for all kids under 12.

So find a class geared specifically for kids. Yes... there isn't a lot of "real fencing" and they will usually use plastic weapons.

Wow. I disagree with alot of this. I do agree (as I said in another thread) that classes should be age appropriate. Under 12? There are some pretty highly skilled 12 year olds out there, who didn't get that way messing with plastic weapons.

[Fencergrl]

Let me clarify...

It's a progression. I would never give a room full of 6 year olds epees. I would keep them on the plastic blades for safety reasons and because they have small growing bodies. Once the kids understand the need for safety around weapons, I would look at introducing foils. At no point would I give a child that young an epee, it's just too heavy for them.

As the kids get older, there is less use of the plastic weapons as they have better coordination, greater strength and much better suited for learning the skills needed for fencing.

We often start the 9-12 year olds off on the plastic weapons for the basics. Very quickly, we move them to foils (by rigging the the scoring machine to think it's an epee, so we can use modified epee rules because we are an epee club).

When they can handle the weight of the blade, they get small epees, and the eventually the bigger kids end up using full sized weapons while the smaller ones use the small epees.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to kids and coaching because they develop at different rates. There are some really small 12 year olds with slight bodies and there are some really big strong ones. Kids who have been fencing a few years are different than those who are just beginning.

With kids, the most important thing is not the weapon they have in their hand... it's about making it fun for them and ensuring they develop a love for the sport.