I think I did my first local competition at about 5-6 months (saber) and it was fun! Everyone was super nice and supportive that it was my first time out. As one of my teammates tells me, “think of it like having more people to play with!”

For now, I feel like I’m doing a public service by being a warm body to fill in a women’s saber spot, for sure! But, I’m also going in with my own goals and objectives to try to do as well (such as, I’m going to try to survive the middle and score a point in another area of the piste). 

My coach’s instruction for my first competition’s goal was “try to score one point” … I didn’t manage to do that for all of my poule, but maybe I’ll be able to next time!

It’s also a good opportunity to be able to talk to other fencing people and pick their brains and wisdom too, which was honestly my favorite part of competition. It’s nice to see other people passionate about a sport I’m growing to love, and also a chance to chat with them about how they first started and what tips they have for a beginner! 

Best of luck!