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Content table:
- The opening word
- AFM Head Coach
- Results in February and March NAC
- Upcoming AFM Competitions
- Fence for Ukraine
- AFM Super Regional is back
- Summer Nationals Preparation camps
- Summer Nationals qualifications
- Future Champions - the Famous International Camp is here!!!!
- Y8 in Regional Tournaments
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Spring is here at last! We’re enjoying the feeling of new beginnings and growth that comes with this time of year, and as always we’re buoyed by the fantastic community that we see every day in the club. The weather is wonderful and the flowers are blooming.
It’s truly incredible when we see long time plans come to fruition. In the last few weeks, AFM has seen our fencers reach unbelievable heights on the international stage as Leehi Machulsky brought home two medals from the Junior World Cup, we’ve welcomed new head coach Carmine Carpenito, and we keep on supporting many of our fencers as they compete in their first national tournaments. What an exciting few weeks! And they’re only the beginning.
We are fortunate to have such strong group families who are here with our fencers day in and day out. Every day we continue to be inspired by the way that you all show up and give it your all. March is traditionally the time that we turn our attention towards the qualification for Summer Nationals more intently, as this is the month where fencers are able to see where they stand - whether it’s time to rev up the engine and change the way you’re thinking about the goal, or if you’re better served to put your head down and keep going with the plan. Right now, we encourage you to check in with your coach regularly and work with them to find the best way forward for you. There’s still plenty of time with plenty of competitions for you to qualify for SN, and we are here to help you reach your goals!
It’s important that we take advantage of every opportunity as springtime continues. Balancing school and other activities is always a tightrope walk, but in particular, as you’re looking towards scheduling summer activities, we encourage you to go ahead and get your plans together for how fencing will fit in, both in terms of competition and in terms of training.
Thank you all for your continued hard work and dedication. We are so excited for March to fill us with new accomplishments and new direction!
Sincerely yours.
Irina
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Carmine Carpenito is AFM assigned Head Coach
With great pride, we announce that Carmine Carpenito (https://www.carminecarpenito.com/) has been appointed as a Head Coach of the Academy of Fencing Masters. Carmine brings years of International success, working with the Italian National team and his own athletes who won multiple medals and titles at any level of competitions, from the Italian National Championships to the World Cups and World Championships. We are sure that under coach Carmine's leadership, AFM will get even better national and international results and add to its already very strong program!
Please join us in congratulating coach Carmine and wishing him good luck!
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February Results and March NAC
February was a wonderful month for our fencers in competition, and we’re so proud of how you all showed up to perform in competitions all across the country and even around the world! AFM fencers had a strong showing at the March NAC, as well as at regional competitions and even here close to home.
We are so, so proud of each and every one of you!
Leehi Machulsky is an official member of the USA Cadet Women's Epee Team and going to represent the USA at the 2023 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN PLOVDIV, BULGARIA! This is an outstanding achievement for Leehi and coach Zhanna Bikkina! We congratulate Leehi, her family, and her personal coach of the last three years, Zhanna, on their super hard work, determination, big dreams, endless traveling, and competitions, and leadership.
Leehi won 6th place in individuals and Gold in Teams in the Pan-American Championship! This competition was the last on in the race to national teams. What an outstanding performance throughout the whole season! Congratulations! We are very proud of you! Thnak you, Zhanna! Good luck with the World Championship!
March NAC, Texax
Congratulations to all AFM fencers and families who participated in this Youth and Cadets NAC! We are proud of our fencers for their outstanding team spirit, great sportsmanship, and demonstrated growing fencing skills! This competition was a children's international competition because it was open to other countries' fencers. This fact was very exciting for us all! Way to go! The AFM base was our everyday source of power, mutual support, friendships, and the place of inspiration. Our circles of trust and support before every event gave us all the positive energy to work hard and feel that we are truly One for All and All for One! Thank you, coach Carmine, for taking the lead and bringing this positivity to strips and beyond! Thank you, all AFM coaches, who worked long days to support every fencer on the team! Thank you, AFM parents, for your dedication and trust!
Youth14Men's Epee
Congratulations to Daniel Chirashnya for the stunning victory of the Silver medal in Y14 Men's Epee event out of 246 fencers! Congratulations to his personal coach Slava Novoselov!! This is a very impressive result! Way to go!
William Tang finished 42 and got an E rating! Bailey Chen is 44th, great fencing!
Youth 10 Men's Epee
Congratulations to Michael Tang, his family, and his personal coach Dima Chumak on winning the 8th-place medal in this competition! What a great achievement! Way to go! Max Ding fenced beautifully and lost by only one touch for the top 8! He finished 16th. Congratulations! Evan Tubaltsev also demonstrated fantastic skills and finished 28th. Way to go!
Youth 10 Women's Epee
Our girls were fierless and strong in this event! Congratulations to all participants for the strong powerwill and good fencing!
Audrey Cayetano lost for top 8 , and fenced fantastic! She finished 10th! Julia Chen was unstoppable in pools, finished pools #3, and overall fenced outstanding! Julia finished 17th. Way to go!
Battle of the Vets, Veteran Men's Épée - Congratulations to all medalists! Our warm congratulations to Sergey SCHINDLER for winning this tournamet and earning A rating!! ! Wow! Way to go! Congratulations to Jere BOTHELIO for the impressive 5th place!! Congratulations!!
Battle of the Vets, Veteran Women's Épée, February 3, 2023 - we appreciate our veterans's participation and congratulation to the medalists!
Veteran Women's Épée
Our warm congratulations to Kira Hansen for winning ths event, and this was the second medal after Senior Event and Kira also earned B rating!
Suzanne Bloomer and Haejung Hofman won Bronze Medals! Super impressive! Congratulations!
Michelle White won the 8th place medal - way to go!! Congratulations! Way to go ladies! Great job!
The Battle of the Bay ROC was a very important and great competition last weekend! We enjoyed the opportunity and smooth organization!
Div I-A Men's Épée - congratulations to Hadi ELZAYN for winning the 6th place and earning the A 2023 rating!! Amazing job, Hadi, congratuoations! Ben Kim 12th, Adam Chirashnya 13th, Daniel Chirashnya 15th - congrats on Qualifiying for Div1A! It was A4 strtong event! Great job and congratulations!
Div I-A Women's Épée - Congratulations to Leehi Machulsky for winning the tournament! Vey impressive! It was very nice to see the AFM final - congratulations to Natalie Gebala for winning rhe impressive Silver Medal in the tournament! Priscilla Leang won the 8th place medal - way to go!! Congratulations to our fencers, their families, and coaches! Diana Martynova finished 9th, Noya Chirashnya 10th, Veronica ZHEREBCHEVSKA 11th, Charlotte Li 14th, and Haejung Hofman 16th. Congratulations on a good fencing and Div 1A qualification!
Cascade Clash SYC
Y-14 Women's Épée - Congratulations to Serena Xu for winning the Bronze medal in this competition! Way to go, Serena! Congratulations to the family and coach Dima!
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AFM Upcoming Competitions
AFM Stands With Ukraine Senior Mixed Epee - May 28, 2023
We would love to see another big turnout to this event, as we saw last year, both for competitors and for spectators. All proceeds will help support the people of Ukraine as they enter their second year of fighting for their freedom.
Make sure you pay attention to registration deadlines and talk to your coach about what your next step in competition is!
We encourage you to sign up at this link - https://askfred.net/Events/moreInfo.php?tournament_id=50907
With your help, this fundraiser can be even more successful than last year’s tournament. We are so appreciative of your support!
Additional AFM events:
AFM Youth Epee Cup - Event #3 Apr 30, 2023
https://askfred.net/Events/moreInfo.php?tournament_id=50905
AFM Youth Epee Cup - Event #4 Jun 4, 2023
https://askfred.net/Events/moreInfo.php?tournament_id=50906
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"Fence for Ukraine"
Fence for Ukraine is a program that helps support our young fencers as they work with volunteer mentors from our competitive classes.
Calling novice/intermediate fencers who want some extra support! Signing up for a training session with one of our competitive mentors through the Fence for Ukraine program helps you to get one-on-one learning with an experienced fencer while also supporting people who are in dire need of assistance. It’s a great way to spend a little time on a Saturday.
Calling our competitive fencers! You can use your fencing skills for a great cause to help support the fight against tyranny in our Fence for Ukraine events every Saturday. This is an extraordinary opportunity for you to give back while also honing your mentorship skills. It’s absolutely true that teaching helps you to become better, because it forces you to think through how you do what you do, then translate it for someone else.
The strongest fencers in our advanced classes and our competitive fencers are coming together to give back to fencing clubs in Ukraine who have lost everything. All proceeds from these sessions go straight to buying equipment for fencers in Ukraine, facilitated by Coach Dima.
We ask that our competitive and strong advanced students donate 20-60 minutes per week to mentor youth fencers, and you can sign up for a time that works for you on our Google Spreadsheet, linked below. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1D1qBvhG_Bi0bq6DMAQaCNMKSz0zOMeuyYK8NpWcm9xo/edit#gid=1523045101
Together, we can help!
The cost for mentees is $20 for 20 minutes of bouting and mentorship with the strongest fencers in the club, along with personalized guidance and tutoring from these competitors. Participating in this event materially helps fencers in Ukraine, and that’s a big deal.
Thank you to everyone who has participated, and please continue to support this wonderful and important initiative. AFM stands for Ukraine! Fence for Ukraine!
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AFM Super Regional is back in the next season!
The AFM Super Regional will take place October 6-8, 2023
Santa Clara Convention Center.
After the successful execution of our last Super Regional last fall, we are proud to announce that we have been awarded the chance to host again!
The complete 2022-2023 regional calendar was recently published by USA Fencing, and we are thrilled to share that the AFM Super Regional tournament at the Santa Clara Convention Center is on it again this year!
No matter what level you are, there’s somewhere for you to plug into this event and get some great fencing under your belt. The tournament will include fencers of all ages and all ranks:
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SYC (for Y8/Y10/Y12/Y14)
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RJCC (Cadet/Juniors)
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Div1A (Seniors)
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Vet ROC
With 61 metal strips, this event will feature an NAC-like setup in the convention center. This is the largest regional event in the United States, and it’s an incredible competition for our fencers across age levels to compete in. It will have national-level fencing referees, with all of the trappings of a national competition. The experience alone is well worth participating in.
Fencers from AFM will be able to qualify for national level competitions like the Junior Olympics 2024 and Fencing Summer Nationals 2024. Though this competition seems really far away (and it is), it’s wonderful to go ahead and have our competitors know what’s going on! We keep on taking the next steps forward to grow.
Mark your calendars! Something great to look forward to already in the new season.
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Summer Fencing Camps
AFM summer fencing camps are not just a long training session, they’re a totally different and highly enriching experience that goes far beyond the training that you get throughout the year. The structure and spirit of fencing summer camps gives youth fencers a new perspective and a huge level up. Kids learn to sustain their attention and extend their camaraderie with fellow fencers, in addition to expanding their fencing skills in a broad range of ways.
Summer Nationals prep camps in particular fill up very fast, so please make sure you register as soon as you see them if you’re planning to go to SN. We’ll offer as many dates as possible to allow as many competitive fencers to get the preparation they need as we can.
Introductory fencing camps are a big pipeline into the world of fencing for kids who are new to the sport. Many of our brightest fencers got their start in intro camps, and they’re a great way to get family and friends into the sport. Please spread the word!
We would love to see our fencers in camp this summer.
In 2023, we’ll be offering the following fencing summer camps:
1. Introduction to Fencing Camps
Sign up: https://academyoffencingmasters.com/sign-up/
Introduction to fencing - for brand new fencers. Great for siblings and friends to try fencing for the first time! Bring friends and family and share your passion for this sport!
In both Campbell and Sunnyvale
July 17 - July 21, 2023
July 24 - July 28, 2023
July 31 - August 4, 2023
August 7 - August 11, 2023
2. End of the Season Camp for all ages and skills
This camp is designed for current season Beginners and Intermediate classes Camps - perfect for fencers who want to go deeper into the sport and are ready to take it to the next level.
June 12, 2023 - June 16, 2023 (9 am - 12 pm in Campbell)
All fencers are invited to finish the season in this camp if you do not plan to go to the Summer Nationals. Sign up: https://askfred.net/Clinics/moreInfo.php?clinic_id=52556
3. Summer Nationals Preparation Cadets and Juniors - with Italian fencers!
Summer Nationals take place in Arizona from June 30 until July 9, 2023
Two weeks of camps in Sunnyvale -
9 am - 4 pm (1.5 hours break)
* Private lessons will be available before, after camp, and during the break
** Usual classes will be modified and take place as well
Week 1 June 12, 2023 - June 16, 2023 (9 am - 4 pm in Sunnyvale)
Sign up for week 1: https://askfred.net/Clinics/moreInfo.php?clinic_id=52552
Week 2 June 19, 2023- - June 23, 2023 (9 am - 4 pm in Sunnyvale)
Sign up for week 2: https://askfred.net/Clinics/moreInfo.php?clinic_id=52553
SN prep camps with Italian guests! Competitive Epee prepares fencers for Fencing Summer Nationals. This year, we’ve got 4 of Italy’s best Cadet and Junior fencers thanks to coach Carmine Carpenito’s knowledge and network of friendships back in Italy. We are so grateful for this opportunity for our fencers to work with such high-level fencers!
4. Summer Nationals Preparation Youth (Y10,12,14)
Two weeks of camps in Campbell and Sunnyvale - Early bird discount until February 15!
9 am - 4 pm (1.5 hours break)
* Private lessons will be available before, after camp, and during the break
** Usual classes will be modified and take place as well
Week 1 June 19, 2023- - June 23, 2023 (9 am - 4 pm in Campbell)
Sign up for week 1: https://askfred.net/Clinics/moreInfo.php?clinic_id=52554
Week 2 June 26, 2023 - June 30, 2023 (9 am - 4 pm in Sunnyvale)
Sign up for week 2: https://askfred.net/Clinics/moreInfo.php?clinic_id=52555
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Sumer National Preparation Camps
Cadets and Juniors
AFM is offering four rounds of Summer Nationals prep camps this year that will help fencers take their- performance to the next level. It’s so critically important for fencers to prepare effectively, especially given the amount of hard work that’s gone into getting this far.
These camps are an incredible opportunity for fencers to train with intensity and focus in the lead up to the biggest battle: Fencing Summer National Championship in Columbus, Ohio.
The spots tend to fill up quickly, so please make sure that you register as soon as you can. Competitive fencers really benefit from this kind of focused training, and these camps are led by our experienced team of coaches. Head coach Carmine Carpenito will lead the team with their incredible depth of knowledge and experience, helping fencers to get to the highest possible level of competition.
Expect to up your game in -
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Conditioning & physicality
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Developmental exercises, including footwork and drills
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Open bouting with strong coach support
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Tactical and strategic development
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Scenario training that emulates what Summer Nationals really looks and feels like
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Successful strategies for mental preparation
The dates for our Summer Nationals Prep camps are as follows:
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2023 Summer Nationals Final Qualifications
There are only a couple of months left to qualify for Fencing Summer Nationals! It’s down to the final run of competitions and calculations, and we want to encourage all of our fencers to keep working and striving to get those last qualifications in.
July is coming up fast, and we want to make sure that everyone who can possibly get a spot is able to make it to Phoenix.
It doesn’t matter where you are in the current standings or what you think is ahead of you, there are still opportunities for you to make it to the big competition. We want everyone to know that we are here to support you along the way, because you can do it!
If you’re unsure of what your next steps are, please reach out to your coach. Try not to be intimidated by what’s ahead of you! You have the full support of everyone at AFM. There are plenty of ways to qualify via both points and qualifying competitions. Everyone at every level has lots of opportunities.
We are here to give you what you need to navigate what can feel like an intimidating process at times. Please speak to your coach or a member of the AFM staff if you have any questions. We’re here to help you reach your goals.
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Future Chamions
The world-famous Italian camp of champions is coming to AFM!!
August 7 - August 11, 2023
Though it’s pretty far down the road, we’re already thinking ahead to the next fencing season. 2023-2024 will be here much faster than we expect.
This summer, we’re offering a special camp at the beginning of next season for our Intermediate, Advanced, and Competitive level fencers. This will help them to reset ahead of the new season, creating goals and getting on the right track prior to the start of school.
This is no ordinary fencing camp, though. Under the guidance of four world-class coaches and famous fencers, fencers will be separated into leveled groups that will scaffold their individual growth. Be on the lookout for an announcement of who these international star coaches are! The back-to-season camp is set to be an incredible experience that is unlike anything we’ve done before.
While we’re still in the thick of the current fencing season, it’s always good to look ahead and keep in mind what next season will look like. Fencing is a long game, not only in terms of success, but also in terms of satisfaction and growth. We’re here to help you build from one season to the next.
This year, we’re taking it up a serious notch. The Famous Italian Stars Camp “Future Champions” is coming right here to AFM!! This is beyond exciting and absolutely not to be missed.
The camp will take place from August 7 - 11, 2023, 9am-4pm at AFM Sunnyvale. It will be for Intermediate, Advanced, and Competitive fencers to help them get in the right mindset ahead of the new season. Best of all, it takes place right before school starts, so our youth can get in the right mindset before everything starts to go again in the fall.
With guidance from four world class fencing coaches, fencers will work in leveled groups to take on new challenges and develop their skills. It’s an extraordinary opportunity!!
Save the dates - August 1 to 11 - for this extraordinary opportunity!
Registration will be open shortly.
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Youth 8 in Regional Tournaments
Something that we’ve been so excited for is finally coming to fruition! Y8 tournaments will now be included in Regional Tournaments, allowing our youngest fencers to participate in a higher level of competitive fencing.
Having Y8 as part of the regional competitions is an important step in supporting the holistic development of fencers, and it’s all around a wonderful addition to the fencing toolkit that we have for all of our fencers.
Just a month ago, this would have been hard to imagine, but here we are getting ready to see this come about for our youngest fencers. It’s truly an exciting time! This decision comes down from the board of USA Fencing, and it’s based on a lot of community feedback that they got regarding this change. It’s wonderful to see that the board listened to us. Our voices were heard! This goes to show that we can affect the change that we want to see, and that fencing is going to be growing in a positive direction for everyone.
If you have a young fencer who is interested in the sport, please get them involved so that they can participate. Again, we’ll have this section of competition at the AFM Super Regional, in addition to it being at the competitions around the country. Spread the word that young fencers are now supported!
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Go, AFM!
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