Juniors

tigers

Stockport Tigers is the name of the junior section of the club. The members are generally aged 10 - 15 years. We meet at 8:00pm until 9:00pm on Wednesday evenings at the same venue as the senior club. Most of the older children then stay to train with the Senior Club.

We aim to provide children with a sound technical introduction to fencing, in a safe and fun environment. We actively encourage children and their parents to join and/or become engaged with the youth structures of British Fencing, who are the national governing body for the sport. Competition is the natural context for a duelling sport and there are a wide range of events regionally and nationally, suitable for all ages and abilities.

The Coaches at Stockport Tigers are registered, insured and DBS checked. All of them are highly experienced and have also fenced individually at the Senior Club.

If you wish to apply for your child to have a place or arrange a taster session then do email us. We will need to know:


      Your child's name
      Your child's date of birth
      Whether your child is left or right handed (fencing kit is orientated)
      Whether your child is average size for age (we like to get a reasonable fit)
      Whether your child has any medical conditions relevant to exercise or fencing e.g. diabetes, asthma, heart conditions, allergies,
      ADHD (we are an inclusive club and just want to ensure everyone can be kept safe).

Parents or an adult guardian are required to stay with their child for the duration of the session. Children must be accompanied at all times. We also ask parents to volunteer to assist us at sessions from time to time.

Starting Age

We recognise that the sessions may start too lat for younger children. Therefore we suggest that an ideal age for a child to start fencing with us would be 10 - 11 years.

The minimum age for children starting with us is 8 years old. We have found that at younger ages children struggle to maintain posture because the weapon is simply too heavy for them (even in a child size). Fencing is like dance or music, in which unwanted muscle tension can inhibit precision and posture. Intellectual and emotional development is also helpful for fencing, so that the children have greater insight into technique and safety.


We are happy to explain training options which are progressive and realistic for any child.

Cost

As a community club we aim to make fencing as affordable as we can and assist wherever possible with kit, lessons and shared transport. We are ambitious for all the children to become competitive fencers, subject to their age and ability. As a community club that is a particular challenge and can only be realistic with active parental support. Like many sports and activities, additional cost is inevitable as children progress.

Subscriptions

The subscription for the sessions is £10 per session or £35 per month. This includes individual tuition and use of club equipment. There are no other hidden charges.

Kit

Full kit is provided the children and at no additional cost. If a child continues fencing for more than a couple of terms, we expect parents gradually to acquire their own kit and can assist to source it at reasonable cost. The cost of a full set of fencing kit is comparable to the cost of a computer games console and accessories.

Lessons

Fencing is an unusual sport in that, much like learning a musical instrument, regular individual lessons are necessary to make progress. Indeed, most club and competitive fencers continue with lessons throughout their careers. We try to provide the children with sufficient support to reach novice competition standard and then find a way to give lessons to those who wish to continue. We have capacity to give lessons free of additional charge.

Competitions

It will be necessary for your child to join British Fencing and there will be occasional competition entry fees. We don't provide transport and our coaches do not take fencers to competitions and recommend that if your child does enter a competition, you come along to watch and support them.