News – Youth Fencing Chicago

Summer Nationals

Columbus, OH – USA Fencing Summer Nationals and Championship is complete. With more than 6,200 fencers from 45 states and 10 countries, it is the largest fencing event ever held. Youth Fencing Chicago was there to participate, but also to celebrate.

Youth Fencing Chicago started because we had an idea, a goal, to help Chicago kids through fencing. The Summer Nationals was the culmination of this effort, and seeing kids succeed is every reason to celebrate! Success for us is not measured by how many fencers they can beat, but by how much self-struggle they have been able to overcome just to get here! Each kid has their own story to tell, and we’re not here to judge, we’re here to help.

To support these fencers who may not have resources to attend and compete, Youth Fencing Chicago donated two boxes of gear from our Gear Up for Summer drive to our fencing partner, Bronzeville Fencing Academy

This past week, Youth Fencing Chicago met up with Bronzeville, who has 20 kids attending. These student-athletes have worked tirelessly to qualify and we are all excited! We were honored to present Bronzeville with three scholarships totaling $1,500. The club as well as their fencers show tremendous dedication, hardwork and incredible mental resilience!

We also want to thank all who participated in our Fencer-A-Thon back in February, as well as everyone who donated to our Gear Up for Summer drive. This could not have been possible without all of your help. We look forward to your support in the future as we hope to help even more kids.

See you in the new fencing season. Wishing you a great summer!

Presenting Bronzeville Fencing Academy with 3 scholarships totaling $1500

Gear Up for Summer Drive

To ensure kids can continue to move forward, Youth Fencing Chicago is working with the Bronzeville Fencing Academy, recipient of USA Fencing’s Peter Westbrook Trailblazer Award, organizing the Gear Up For Summer collection drive. If you have fencing equipment not being used, we would love to have them. We have three convenient locations for drop-off. Again, feel free to reach out if you have any questions, or if you want to help. We will pick up the boxes after June 9, 2024

1. Northside

Windy City Fencing
Menomonee Club for Boys and Girls
1535 N Dayton St
Chicago, IL 60642

2. Southside

Bronzeville Fencing Academy
5000 S Indiana Ave
Lower Level
Chicago, IL 60615

3. Suburbs

Fencing Center of Chicago
111 S Washington Ave
ParkRidge, IL 60068

Did you know that the season for fencing is pretty much all year long? This is great because when a child stops participation in anything, there is always a chance for their development to regress. Fortunately, being a year long sport allows them to always be engaged!

However, to stay this engaged means it takes a lot of work! For many of these kids, it has been a long journey with many hurdles just to participate in fencing. They had to break the community stereotypes, convince their parents, find the a way to pay for lessons, and find a way to get to practice. For those who found their way this far, the next part was even harder – Qualifications for the USA Fencing National Championships & July Challenge (The Summer Nationals)!

Those who qualified for the The Summer Nationals prove that the extra mile was worth it! However, sadly, for some, it might end here.

By the time the Summer Nationals comes around, it would be a full fencing season and chances are, their equipment have failed and/or beginning to fail. We don't want them to stop moving forward just because they have a hole in their glove, or they don't have a replacement blade or a working body cord! Please donate your gently used equipment so we can help them succeed. You can also help by Donating Directly to help them get to Columbus this summer. Any amount would be help. – Thank you!

Fence-A-Thon Excitement

The Junior Olympic 2024 is the championship tournament to challenge kids as young as 13 years to as old as 19 years old in the Cadets and the Junior Division. This year's competition was fierce! The intense competition is the reason we chose this event to host our Fence-A-Thon. We wanted to show kids that fencing is not just about winning, but it's about setting goals, working hard and being able to learn from your mistakes. We want to show that when you put your mind to something, anything is possible. Fencing is more than just a sport, it really teaches you to analyze and to think!

With the Junior Olympic 2024 complete, so is our Fence-A-Thon 2024. We want to thank everyone who have contributed. We could not have done it without all of you! With your help, our fencers raised over $3000! All of which will go towards helping Chicago youths. Please know that your donations will be put to great use. We will continuously share pictures and stories with you on what we're doing so you’re in the know. If you have not done so, please join our newsletter or follow us on Instagram @youthfencingchicago.

You can see our results at fencingtimelive.com or click the links below:

Here are some highlights from the event

The Benefits of Youth Sports in Child Development

Through friendly competition, teamwork, and physical activity, kids have the opportunity to learn new skills, develop self-confidence, build character, and so much more. That’s why the aim of encouraging overall child development through sports supersedes any desire to top the standings. It’s these formative experiences, win or lose, that help shape future generations.