En Garde: Fencing For Kids In Brooklyn
With fall sports registrations creeping up fast, talk of which teams to sign up for or the best league to join may have taken over your neighborhood’s Facebook page. If your kids are interested something new this year, switch it up a bit and let them try their hand at fencing. A sport steeped in history and relying heavily on tactics, fencing offers kids a fun way to use their mind and body together to succeed.
Check out these Brooklyn fencing schools where kids can learn from the best in the sport:
Brooklyn Fencing Center
600 Degraw Street, Carroll Gardens
718-522-5822
Open since 2003, Brooklyn Fencing Center in Carroll Gardens offers group lessons and private sessions for kids. With Child classes for ages 7-9, and Juniors classes for ages 10-17, Brooklyn Fencing Center is equipped to teach your kids from their first day with a foam sabre through to their competitive levels. This year, Brooklyn Fencing Center’s upcoming Fall term will start on Thursday, September 3, which is also the day of their Open House, where future fencers can tour the facilities and ask any questions. For fencing participants, gear will be provided the first month, but after that it will be necessary to buy your kids their own. Looking for a fun birthday party idea? Brooklyn Fencing Center also offers a birthday party package that starts at $250 for 10 kids and includes a 50-minute fencing lesson. If you need a little push to get your kids excited about fencing, head to South Slope Summer Stroll on Saturday, August 15 and Saturday, August 22, where Brooklyn Fencing Center instructors will be set up with demos for kids.
New York Fencing Academy
2896 W 12th Street, Coney Island
718-996-0426
Housed in a 3,000-square-foot facility just steps away from the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station, New York Fencing Academy is the training grounds for some of the top competitors in international fencing. With group and private lessons, day camps, and sleepaway camps throughout the year, New York Fencing Academy has a variety of choices to teach kids about fencing. For beginners, they also offer a class for $35 where kids can get a introduction to the sport and you can get an idea if they will be up for the commitment.
Brooklyn Bridge Fencing Club
68 Jay Street, DUMBO
646-823-2529
Established in 2010, Brooklyn Bridge Fencing Club is an active community of fencers with a schedule of classes throughout the week and competitions throughout the year. This semester’s classes will begin on Wednesday, September 9, and Brooklyn Bridge Fencing Club offers a choice of registration options giving kids the chance to attend one, two, or three classes a week. Plus, a family membership option is available for two fencers to attend classes for $175/month. Brooklyn Bridge Fencing Club also provides the fencing gear for the introductory classes, but when kids get to the competitive level they will need their own.
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