Mentoring Scheme

 

Overview

The world of fencing, like any sport, can sometimes be confusing for people who are new to it, or moving from one agegroup to another.

Usually the best place to get initial advice is from the coach or more experienced fencers within your club. However, sometimes it might be useful to talk to someone who has been in a similar position to yourself.

For example, a parent of a young fencer might want the chance to talk to the parent of a child a few years older, who has been through the competitive cycle recently, and knows the wrinkles. Alternatively, people who come to fencing later in life might want information about veteran fencing.

This is where the mentors come in. Southern Region mentors are NOT coaches, and are NOT attached to any particular club. Some are fencers, others are parents, and some have areas of specific expertise, such as Universtity or Services fencing. All give their time, experience and advice as a way of "putting something back" into the sport. All mentors who offer advice on youth fencing hold a CRB check through British Fencing.

How to access a mentor.

If you would like to make use of this service, send an email via this link If you are under 18, you must ask your parent's or guardian's permission to do this, and include contact details for your parent/guardian.

Please include a brief description of the area(s) in which you are seeking help - don't forget to state whether foil, epee or sabre, roughly what age group and what standard of fencing.

Using this information, the mentoring co-ordinator will pass your email on to the volunteer mentor who has the best skills and experience to help. They will then make email contact directly with you. In some cases, while the mentor may not know the answer to a specific question themselves, they might know someone else who does, and can act as a friendly and safe intermediary.

It is up to you and the mentor to decide whether it is better to continue via email, or to exchange telephone numbers. Mentors will not meet with U18 fencers unless a parent/guardian or other responsible adult is present.

Finally - remember that all mentors are volunteers, and most have full time jobs and families. They get sick, go on holiday, and have all the other pressures on their time as the rest of us. While they try to answer as quickly as possible - please be patient!

How to become a mentor

The region welcomes volunteers who are prepared to offer their services as mentors.

If you would like to become a mentor, please email the link above, outlining your experience and stating the areas that you feel qualified to help with. Don't worry if your expertise is very narrow - it is exactly the niche areas that other people need help with.

If you are offering to help with youth fencing, please include your full name and address, and your CRB certificate number. If you don't have a CRB check issued through British Fencing, we will send you the form, but will not be able to take up your offer until the CRB check comes through. Please also read the Mentors code of conduct