Table of Contents
Foreword Richard Cohen 1
1 En garde: Welcome to fencing 4
2 Ready: Some basic fencing rules 11
3 Fence: How does fencing work? 20
4 Environment and culture: Researching the best club and coach for your child 30
5 Dos and don'ts: How to support your young fencer 39
6 Positive communication: Getting along with your coach, fellow parents and club-mates 49
7 Winning versus improving: Relative Age Effect, playing the long game and avoiding shortcuts 59
8 Athlete responsibility: The importance of self-sufficiency 67
9 Sports psychology 101: Attitude, resilience and dealing with pressure 74
10 From local to national: Competitions, rankings and goals 84
11 International competitions: What to expect when you fence abroad 93
12 Fit to fence: Physiology, strength and conditioning, and nutrition 101
Conclusion 111
Glossary of fencing terms 113
About the authors 128