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If you send your kids with a team, make sure the team has plans for dinner every night or limits where kids can be. Without an adult, they should be dining at the hotel. Having younger teens out roaming in groups in strange towns in Europe or the US unaccompanied is not a good idea. Go on trips and check the supervision before letting your child go at it alone. Stay within your comfort level no matter what you hear from others.
Remember, YOU ARE IN CONTROL!
It may help to find another family who has concerns similar to yours and team up with them. Sometimes you can coordinate plans where one parent can do double duty on the trips. It takes a while to meet people you trust with your kids. Be patient and diligent.
Having a child come to serious harm for fencing is not worth it. Don’t take chances with your kid’s safety. Since 9/11 and the Iraq invasion, the world is not always a kind place for US citizens. Be as inconspicuous as possible. Traveling with an experienced coach can take a lot of worry out of competing overseas, especially if your coach is from a country besides the US.
Fencing is a great activity for kids. It is a sport that rewards intelligence and athleticism. Kids who have never done well in any other sport can do well in fencing because of their unique combinations of skills. Although this can sound like heresy, it is still just a sport. Make sure your family does the favorite activities they always have.
Having a child progress to the point of getting on world teams can seriously tax a families resources and time. You have to decide the worth of the strain of the competitions on the entire family, not just the fencer. The fencers have to leave siblings and pets behind. It can cost well over $20,000 a year to keep a fencer competing. There are definite downsides. The choice is a hard one.
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