The USA has always belonged to the top fencing nations and has proved it by winning numerous medals in Athens and Peking in the team competitions. Only the Italians can offer a similar ability in epee, foil and saber. The Americans won the silver medal in the Men’s saber Team Event and the Women’s Foil Team event. The reason for this success is the top promotion of fencing as a college sport.
All the fencers in these very strong teams, for example, Emily Cross (Harvard), Timothy Morehouse (Brandeis), Erinn Smart (Columbia) were built up long term at college and this enabled them to reach this world class level of competition. Others like Gerek Meinhardt (Notre Dame) are still at college and thanks to their having a scholarship which enables them to receive top support and training; they have proved they are world class more than once!
Requirements for a Fencing Scholarship
In the USA there are annually 127 fencing scholarships awarded for men and 176 for women. There are of course a large number of applicants from France, Italy, Canada, etc. Without our professional assistance it is very difficult to attract the coaches’ attention to your performance. To get a scholarship you really need to be under the top 30 in Germany or the top 20 in junior sport. International placings are an additional help. However fencers without these qualifications may also have a chance. We deal with each application individually and give each one a fair evaluation of their chances of being awarded a scholarship. To find out if you have a chance, fill out our Opportunity assessment Form. It is free of charge and commits you to nothing.
Training
The college teams usually have 5 to 10 technical training units of 2 hours per week. These take place in modern sports facilities directly on campus which saves a considerable amount of time. In addition to these technical training units there are 2 to 4 units to improve strength, coordination and fitness. This training concept plus the advantage of belonging to a team and benefitting from the team spirit are the reasons behind the success of the American fencers.
Competing
In the USA there are lots of Olympic fencers and Junior World Championship fencers competing for their college teams and this guarantees a very high level of completion. The National championships can be compared to a world cup event with top players. College sport is a top opportunity for German fencers to make a step up the ladder towards competing at the highest international levels, with t he aim of taking part in the World Championships or the Olympic Games after college.
Timing
The best time to go to the USA on a sports scholarship is straight after you finish school. College coaches prefer to give scholarships to younger students, as it enables them to continually train and improve a player’s performance over a period of four years. It is also possible to go to the US for just one year. Due to the contact we have to a large number of college coaches we have been able to help athletes after they have completed their Bachelor to do their Master in the USA. The best timing is if you contact us about one year before you plan to start studying in the USA. Fencers can start studying either at the Spring Semester (January) or the Fall Semester (August).
