Rochester Fencing Club is hosting a Super Youth Circuit (SYC) October 23-25, 2015, and this is an opportunity for all the fencers (and parents) of RFC to be positive role-models for all of our out-of-town guests. For many RFC families, this event will be your child’s first large-scale tournament. There will be many people visiting Rochester for this tournament – some from quite a distance as we have registered attendees coming in from all over North America, including California, Texas, NY, Washington DC, and Canada.
If your child continues to fence into high school, many of these other fencers (and their families) can become long-distance friends. So please consider the following:
- If your child is outgoing, encourage them to introduce themselves to visiting fencers and offer to warm-up together (some casual practice bouting) before their event. A youth fencer in a new town who doesn’t know anyone will be very grateful. Also, if you are ever out-of-town and run into the same person, there will be a friendly, familiar face waiting for your fencer. This may be the first travel event for some of these visiting fencers, and having someone just be friendly can make it a much more pleasant experience.
- Referees are people too. Many of these referees travel a long distance to ref because of their love of youth fencing. This is their hobby and passion, not their day job. Make sure your child thanks their referee after they finish their pool bouts and thank each DE ref. It’s acceptable to ask a referee to explain a call that you don’t agree with or understand, but it should always be done respectfully.
- Your fencer should always be friendly with their competitors – before, during, and after each match. Not every fencer will be pleasant back, but friendliness is contagious. Megan always tries to smile at her opponent before each bout and makes it a personal mission to get them to smile back!
- Take the opportunity to chat with the out-of-town parents. They are just as nervous and excited as you! If you start to occasionally travel for fencing, you’ll see the same parents over and over again.
- Regardless of results, always tell your child that you are proud of them, and that you love to watch them fence.
Most of all, enjoy the SYC! It’s a glimpse into the larger world of fencing and is an exciting time for you and your youth fencer!
