It is sometimes
hard for me to believe that it has been eight and a half years since I walked
into that small gym at the YMCA in Woonsocket, RI for my first fencing class.
In the time since that first class, I have become literate in all things
fencing. It was not, however, an easy journey, and continues to present me with
challenges and opportunities for personal growth even now.
People inevitably ask how I became
interested in fencing and the story is a bit of an unusual one. I was watching
TV one day and saw a car commercial that contained clips of two people fencing.
This was, I assume, to highlight the car’s agility, speed, grace, etc. What
caught my attention, however, was the fencing itself. I expressed interest in
pursuing the sport and my parents soon had me signed up for classes at a club
based out of the local YMCA.
Walking into the club that first
night was a nerve-wracking experience. Twelve-year-old me was shy and
soft-spoken, so meeting new people and trying something new was not exactly in
my wheelhouse. Furthermore, I was not nor have I ever been an athletic person.
My strengths have always been academic, so my experiences with sports were few
and far between. My mind was almost immediately put at ease, though. The people
at the club were warm, welcoming, and supportive, which motivated me to keep
going back and keep trying. Soon, I was at the club three nights a week.
Of course, I didn’t get to where I
am today merely by showing up. Like anything in life, you need to practice to
improve, so I took class once or twice a week. In these classes, I learned the
skills, techniques, and thought processes necessary to be a successful fencer.
I did drills that helped to improve my footwork and bladework, the necessary
components of good fencing. I observed and discussed fencing bouts and actions
with my coaches and clubmates in order to better understand the mental aspect
of the sport. Taking class, coupled with fencing regularly with my clubmates
provided me with hours upon hours of practice, discussion, material for
analysis, and lessons.
Once I had been fencing for about
two years and felt comfortable enough to do so, I began attending competitions
in the area. This opened up whole new worlds in how I physically, mentally and
emotionally approached my fencing. I started beginning to train to keep up with
fencers who were older, stronger, faster, and more experienced than myself. I
also began to work closely with one of my coaches on strengthening my mental
game. I became increasingly well versed in keeping myself calm and composed
under pressure. These new approaches to my fencing of course affected my game
both at the club and at competitions, and I improved as an overall fencer dramatically.
I believe that the most important
literacy practice I utilize in my fencing is my position as a coach’s assistant
at my club. As a coach’s assistant, I am often responsible for leading
stretches, footwork, and other drills. I also provide support to fencers while
they are in class. This can take the form of encouragement, coaching them while
they are fencing a bout, or correcting their hands or feet so they can better
execute particular actions in the future. The reason that I think coaching has
been such an invaluable part of my fencing experience is that it has allowed me
to look at the sport from a completely different angle. It has taught me how to
be a leader, how to teach, how to analyze my own fencing, and how to be
responsible. Being a fencer and a fencer alone affords you only one viewpoint
on the sport. Being a fencer and a coach, however, allows you to see problems
with other people’s fencing as well as your own, teaches you how to deal with
those problems, and forces you to become positive, analytical, and a good role
model.
To say that fencing has had a
positive impact on my life would be an understatement. Fencing has provided me
with confidence, self-esteem, and opportunities that I did not previously have
and possibly never would. It has made me a more skilled critical thinker, a
stronger leader, and a better person than I ever was before. Being a coach is,
of course, preparing me for my future as a teacher in obvious ways. But even
just participating in the sport without coaching is helping me reach my future
goals as a teacher. Fencing has taught me the intellectual strength necessary
for educating students in an environment where not everyone is the same and
there are constant challenges to teaching the material effectively and
efficiently. It has also taught me to be persistent and focused, something that
will be invaluable as I write and rewrite lesson plans, determine how to best
teach material, and constantly push my students to be the very best that they
can be. I can say with confidence that fencing is behind only my friends and
family as the most important thing in my life, and something that has provided
me with the skills and knowledge necessary to be a successful teacher in the
future.
