How much will it cost for my child to fence?
Updated on August 12, 2022 to reflect costs in 2022/2023 season
Fencing is an expensive sport at the competitive level. While the costs for a beginner start out quite low, they will rise quite rapidly as soon as your fencer transitions to competitive fencing.
Parent maxim - Maximize opportunity at minimum cost
There are several components to the costs you will incur when your child fences:
club dues and coaching fees
US Fencing membership fees
tournament fees
strip coaching fees and coach travel expenses
travel expenses
equipment and uniform costs
There is a wide range to the costs you can potentially incur, depending on the club you join, the equipment you buy, the number and type of tournaments you enter your child in, and how frequently you travel to tournaments.
Competitive fencing is, of course, much more expensive, simply because you need to invest in coaching, and you need to travel to tournaments during the fencing season.
For example, a 15 year old competitive fencer working to earn national points may compete at 5 to 6 national level competitions during the year, incurring total travel costs of between $10,000 and $20,000 for the fencer traveling with one parent. When the other expenses listed above are added to the cost of travel, fencing families are committing to total expenses of anywhere between $25,000 to $45,000 every year for their teenage fencer to compete at the national level and earn national points. The cost of international travel to European Cadet events and Junior World Cups for qualified fencers can add an additional $20,00 to $40,000 to the bill as the all in costs per event can exceed $5,000.
If your fencer qualifies for the Cadet and Junior World Championship, US Fencing will pay for your fencer’s travel and hotel costs to the competition. You must still pay for the coach’s travel costs as well as your own travel costs to the Championship.
With the Covid-19 pandemic, airfares have gone up as airlines have cut back on seat capacity. You can expect and increase of between 10% and 20% to your travel bill.
feeder clubs to highly selective colleges in division 1
CLUBS AND COACHES PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN PREPARING FENCERS FOR RECRUITMENT TO THE IVY LEAGUE AND ELITE COLLEGES.
Find out who these feeder clubs and coaches are to the most selective fencing colleges in Division 1.
club dues and coaching fees
Recreational clubs vary greatly in how they charge for dues and coaching, and you should speak to the individual clubs to figure this out. They are relatively inexpensive compared to competitive clubs.
Competitive clubs will typically charge you a monthly membership fee ranging from $70 to $150. Some clubs charge this fee on an annual basis, so you may write a check, for example, for $1,500 or more on August 1 every year to cover club membership costs.
Group class prices vary depending on age and skill level, and can range from $200 to $500 a month. This fee gives your fencer access to regular group classes which usually include footwork and fencing drills, and open bouting sessions at the club, usually up to 3 times a week for 2 hours each time.
Private lessons are 20 minutes long, and range in costs from $35 to $65 per session. Most competitive fencers take a minimum of 2 private lessons a week, with many taking 3 or more a week.
Some clubs separate out their group classes into footwork, physical conditioning and general group classes. Costs vary by club. Other clubs charge a lump sum for all services including private lessons and strip coaching, others break it out on an ala carte basis.
Your total costs for club fees and coaching fees can range from a low of $200 (for a recreational club) to upwards of $2,000 a month, depending on the club, the total number of private lessons and other chargeable group classes you sign your fencer up for.
Some clubs run month long introductory beginners’ classes priced anywhere from $125 to $250 per month. This is a good option to start with, if it is available.
For beginners, start at the minimum level of classes and build up from there. While it is necessary to get your child good training to succeed as a competitive fencer, there is no need to spend unnecessary amounts of money for your fencer to succeed. Use your judgment and common sense in deciding what works best.
US Fencing Membership Fees
Membership fees are mandatory for all fencers for club liability insurance purposes as well as to gain eligibility to fence in tournaments.
There are several levels of US Fencing membership (see categories HERE). The 3 most relevant are:
Non-competitive
$15 a year. Allows your fencer to train at the club, and compete in unsanctioned tournaments.
Competitive
$90 a year. Valid during the fencing season from August 1 to July 31 annually. Competitive membership allows your fencer to compete at all US Fencing sanctioned tournaments during that season.
Access (formerly Supporting)
US Fencing charges entry fees of $5 per day to all North America Cups (NACs) and national championships for spectators. Parents who join US Fencing as Supporting members (now known as Access Members) for an annual fee of $25 will not have to pay entry fees when attending NACs and national championships with their fencer.
Tournament Fees
Fees vary substantially between local, regional and national tournaments.
Local Tournaments
Local tournaments organized by local clubs, charge anywhere between $20 to $45 per event. These tournaments are typically held at club premises, and are self-refereeing for senior events. These tournaments may or may not be sanctioned. Sanctioned events require fencers to have competitive US Fencing membership.
Regional Tournaments (RYC, SYC, RJCC and ROC)
These sanctioned regional tournaments are qualifying tournaments for national championships and the July Challenge.
Tournament organizers, usually local fencing clubs are required to follow the tournament rules for national qualifying events including hiring qualified and certified referees. Many of these tournaments are quite large, and require the organizers to rent space at local gymnasiums or conference facilities to host the tournament.
Fencers can earn regional points (RYC, RJCC and ROC) and national points (SYC) at these regional events. Fencers can also earn ratings classifications, when the event rating requirements are met.
Fees are usually split between a registration fee and an event fee. Event fees are refundable, if a fencer withdraws by the withdrawal deadline. Registration fees are typically not refundable.
RYC - usually $35 to $40 registration fee, and $45 to $55 event fee per event
SYC - usually $35 to $40 registration, and $45 to $55 event fee per event
RJCC - usually $35 to $45 registration fee, and $45 to $55 event fee per event
ROC - usually $35 to $45 registration fee, and $45 to $55 event fee per event
SJCC - usually $40 registration fee, and $55 event fee per event (none scheduled for 2022/2023 season)
Late registration is usually charged at double or triple the regular fee
National Tournaments (NAC, National Championship, Summer Nationals/July Challenge)
All national tournaments are organized by US Fencing. They are sanctioned tournaments where fencers can earn national points and rating classifications, where event rating requirements are met.
Registration Fees - $105
Event Fees - $95 per event
Failure to notify US Fencing of withdrawal from a national event at least 24 hours before the start of an event subjects the fencer to a $250 fine per event.
strip coaching fees
Strip coaching fees are incurred when the coach attends a tournament to coach your fencer during bouts. A few clubs include the cost of strip coaching fees in their regular group class fees, but it is far more common for strip coaching fees to be charged as they are incurred.
Coaches from competitive clubs rarely attend local tournaments, but they will usually attend regional and national tournaments.
Strip coaching fees are typically calculated for the entire tournament, and then divided among participating fencers from the same club on a per event basis. The typical coaching fee ranges between $200 to $400 a day per coach. All transportation, accommodation and meal costs incurred by the coaches are payable by fencers and their families. These costs are added up and divided by the total number of events collectively fenced by fencers from the club to derive a per event fee. If a fencer participates in 2 events, then that fencer pays the per event fee X 2.
For parents, these costs can range from $50 per event for a regional tournament to $300 per event or more for national tournaments (where there is airfare, multi-day hotel rooms, meals, and multi-day coaching fees for several coaches to be paid for).
For the elite group of fencers who travel internationally, they can expect expect the strip coaching fees to be much higher to cover the higher international travel costs and the fact that there will be fewer participants to share the costs with.
Travel expenses
For a competitive fencer, travel expenses represent the largest component of total fencing costs.
For competitive fencers chasing national points, these costs rise significantly starting in the Y14 age group. Most fencers travel with, at least, one accompanying parent so you need to factor in the cost of your plane tickets, accommodation and meals for 2 people.
Note that for logistical and SafeSport reasons, it is usually not practical for your minor aged fencer to travel with the coach without an accompanying parent. Note that airlines charge extra fees for unaccompanied minors under age 14 and hotels will not check-in an unaccompanied individual under age 18.
Y10 and Y12 Fencers
In the Y10 and Y12 age groups, tournament experience is largely gained at regional tournaments which are also qualifying tournaments for Summer Nationals . These regional tournaments are always closer to home (either driving distance or a short flight away). You don't need to go to all tournaments, so you are in a good position to control your costs here.
There are effectively only 2 national competitions for Y10 and Y12 fencers, the March NAC and Summer Nationals. Depending on where you live, and where US Fencing chooses to hold the March NAC and Summer Nationals, you may be able to keep your total travel expenses to less than $1,000 per tournament, though costs can rise as high as $3,000 if you have to travel coast to coast, and you choose to stay in a 5 star hotel connected to the tournament venue.
If you live on the West Coast, you can expect your travel expenses to national tournaments to be much higher due to flight costs, and the need for extra hotel nights when tournaments are held in the Mid-West or on the East Coast. For example, flights from the San Francisco Bay Area to Philadelphia for Summer Nationals 2021 averaged $1,200 per person, flights from Los Angeles to Charlotte, North Carolina for a January NAC in 2019 ranged as high as $1,200 per person. And flights to many mid-west destinations from the West Coast routinely cost between $600 and $800 per person. Flights from the East Coast to points West are also expensive in these times of Covid-19 ranging about $700 per person to places like Salt lake City.
Many Y10 fencers skip the national competitions until at least the 2nd year of Y10, when they have more fencing experience under their belts.
Y14 Fencers
Starting in the Y14 age group, the opportunity to participate in an increased number of national tournaments can increase your travel expenses substantially. In addition to the March NAC and Summer Nationals, Y14 fencers can compete in the October NAC, November NAC and Junior Olympics (though many fencers wait till the 2nd year of Y14 to go to JOs).
A Y14 fencer can also consider competing at the December NAC and January NAC, as well as the April NAC if they are competitive at the Junior and Division 1 levels.
Most Y14 competitive fencers will go to an average of 3 national tournaments per year, with travel expenses ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 per NAC, and more for Summer Nationals due to the greater number of events and hence greater number of hotel nights and additional meal costs.
Travel expenses to regional tournaments may increase as your fencer steps up to RJCCs and ROCs, though attendance at RYCs and SYCs should decrease in the 2nd year of Y14.
Cadet and Junior
Cadet and Junior fencers attend an average of 4 national tournaments a year in addition to a certain number of local and regional tournaments. Most Cadet and Junior fencers are eligible to compete at all NACs except the March NAC (Y10, Y12 and Y14), as well as at Junior Olympics, the April Division 1 Championship and Summer Nationals/July Challenge.
Expect to incur substantial travel expenses during these 4 to 5 years of your fencer's career in the Cadet and Junior age groups. Travel expenses to national competitions can range from $1,000 to $3,000 per tournament, and more for Summer Nationals when your stay may be longer.
Regional tournaments include RJCCs and ROCs, of which there are usually about 6 to 10 per region. You select just a few to compete in. Going to those competitions within driving distance only will help control your costs.
International
No more than 200 fencers each year incur international travel expenses for Cadet and Junior events fenced internationally as competitors representing the United States. These fencers must usually rank within the top 20 to 25 of the Cadet for international cadet events and in the top 12 of Junior National Points List for Junior World Cups.
Designated International Cadet events are held in Europe, and Junior World Cups range across the continents.
Registration fees, travel expenses and strip coaching fees can run you anywhere between $3,000 to $5,000 per event or more depending on whether you accompany your fencer on these trips.
There are several international tournaments that fencers can compete in without pre-qualification, and for which no national points are awarded. These include the Foil Paris Marathon in February and the Pan Am Youth Championship in July. Expect the costs of travelling to these events to be expensive.
Equipment and uniform costs
There is no need to start your fencer off with expensive equipment or uniforms. Certainly, at the Y10 and Y12 levels, there is no need to buy FIE level gear from Allstar, Uhlmann or Leon Paul.
There are brands (Absolute and Linea) that provide good value for beginner uniforms, lames, masks, wires and swords. Practice starter sets cost as little as $150.
It is possible to fully equip your fencer with complete tournament gear listed below for about $800:
- Mask
- Lame
- Jacket
- Plastron (under-arm protector)
- Breeches
- 2 body wires
- 2 mask cords
- 2 fully assembled weapons
- fencing shoes and socks
- fencing bag
Once your fencer starts on a regular tournament schedule, you will need to maintain a minimum of 3 working weapons at any one time. Fencers in the Y14 and older age groups frequently travel with at least 4 working weapons to tournaments, to account for breakage and malfunctions.
Note that a set of the gear listed above at the FIE level would, at a minimum, cost you $1600 or more. FIE level weapons alone cost anywhere from $130 to $200 per weapon fully assembled. Unless your fencer competes internationally, it is not necessary to buy all your equipment and uniform at the FIE level. US Fencing does not require FIE level gear at national, regional or local competitions, though most fencers will switch to FIE gear as they gain experience at the national level. You can expect your competitive fencer to cycle through between 8 and 10 weapons a year, as blades break and cannot be repaired.
Remember also that your fencer is a growing child and may need new uniforms and shoes, at least, twice a year if not more.
what you can expect to spend in total
Recreational fencers have a lot of leeway in how much money they spend on their fencing. Travel to national tournaments, which form the biggest cost component for a competitive fencer, are completely optional for a recreational fencer.
For parents of competitive fencers, you can expect that your initial annual costs of $5,000 to $15,000 for your Y10 and Y12 fencer will increase quite quickly in the Y14, Cadet and Junior years.
Those costs can range anywhere between $20,000 to $45,000 annually, depending on:
the club you choose and the fees they charge
the number of national tournaments your fencer attends
the equipment and uniform you buy, and
the style that you choose to travel in.
These cost estimates do not include the cost of international travel that are incurred by parents of the elite fencers who compete as representatives of the United States. You can expect your costs for international travel to range between $3,000 and $5,000 per event
Fencing is a very expensive sport indeed!
For parents who have made the commitment for their child to fence competitively, the experience is usually worthwhile and rewarding. There is the additional incentive that your fencer may become an athlete recruit to an elite college. You can read more about how fencing can help your fencer get into college HERE.
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