Private Lessons and Event Coaching
Important information regarding the booking of 1-2-1 lessons
All 1-2-1 lessons must be made through the online booking portal. The lesson fee is paid by the club directly to the coach.
All lessons are 20 minutes in duration and cost £15. Single or multiple lesson can be booked but payment has to be made online and in advance.
All fencers are expected to bring their own kit and correct size weapons and must be ready to fence before the lessons commences.
CANCELLATIONS If a fencer cannot make a booked time or has to cancel a slot, this has to be done directly with the coach NOT the club. Full lessons refunds are at the discretion of the coach.
Only the coach and fencer are to be present in the salle during the allocated time – fencers and parents are to wait outside.
Why have private lessons?
When it comes to learning and mastering this captivating sport, there’s no better way to sharpen and improve your skills than the personalized guidance of one-on-one lessons, in other words, private lessons.
If a fencer wants to compete at any level and maintain a level of performance then one-on-one lessons are essential part of any athletes development.. Individual instruction can significantly impact skill development, technique refinement, and overall performance. The lessons help athletes to receive focused instruction and repetitive training on their technique, footwork, strategy, mental approach, and match play.
The club coaches offer private lessons on Tuesday (foil) and Wednesday (epee) evenings. All private sessions are booked online. Click here for availability.
Those fencers who have booked a lesson and who are on the standing order membership can fence at at no extra cost in the evening session.
Travelling to tournaments
For those athletes who want to compete at any level the coaches at HFC are dedicated towards supporting those fencers, helping them achieve their goals and dreams. To assist in helping realise these, Harrogate Fencing Club offers coaching at Regional, National and International Tournaments. We hope that the policies outlined below answer any questions about the role of the club coaches at “away” tournaments:
One or more coaches may be in attendance (at no additional cost to the club members) at the following competitons.
National Cadet and Junior Championships
The British Youth Championships
The England Youth Championships
Yorkshire region competitions organised by HFC.
.Fencers are not required to have coaching at other tournaments. This is a service available to all fencers when it is requested at some additional cost. Coaching is not automatic for a fencer, there must be a prior agreement for a fencer to receive coaching at an event. This may be an ongoing relationship agreed upon for the season, or a coach may be requested for one particular competition.
If a coach is travelling to a competition and multiple fencers are in attendance ALL fencers will be offered coaching prior to the event – we appreciate not all fencers want coaching support!
Plan ahead and communicate! Costs include coaching time, travel and any accommodation if required. , Naturally if coaching requests are made well in advance this will keep costs to a minimum. If there are multiple fencers at an event the cost can be shared.
Our coaches will coach fencers under the following conditions.
The fencer wants coaching during the event.
That there is a coach available for the event the fencer is attending.
The fencer is willing to pay for some , or all of the costs associated with being coached at the event.
At the competition:
It is the job of the coach to assist the fencer as much as possible, however, at some events there are many fencers competing at once. When that is the case, a coach must set priorities. For the fencer who is attending a tournament for their first time, coaching during the opening rounds can be important. More experienced fencers should not have any difficulty in the seeding pools, and will not need as much attention until later in the event. We will always try to make sure that a coach is available when the fencer needs it the most. Ultimately, that is the coaches’ decision to make, and we expect our fencers and parents to respect coach judgment. A coach will be at the venue at least an hour before the close of registration until the last fencer is eliminated that day.
Keep in mind what a coach can do during a tournament.
A tournament is the place where a coach has the least effect on the outcome. Every tournament is won in the six months to a year preceding the competition. It is in this time that the fencer mentally and physically prepares to perform at the top of their ability. If a fencer is not ready to compete at the required level for the tournament they have entered, having a coach at the tournament will do them little good. Please do not expect miracles from a coach, no matter how capable. If you have not been training two days a week in the months preceding the event, it is difficult to have a good performance.
Coaches are perfectly willing to fix equipment in a piste side emergency. However, do not arrive at a tournament with only one working weapon assuming that a coach will act as an armorer the night before your event, or worse, during the event itself. Preparing for a competition you should be fully prepared to fence, including 2-3 working weapons, 2-3 body wires, and appropriate kit.
Coaches do not travel to act as a chaperone for fencers, they are there in a professional capacity to best support the fencer during the tournament. As athletes remember you represent yourself, Harrogate Fencing Club and for a number of you, your respective Countries – be positive role models, support each other, be an inspiration!
Referees make mistakes. Coaches will support the fencer if the referee makes an error in the rules, is not officiating in an honest manner, or is clearly not capable of refereeing at the level of fencing that is occurring. Only then will our coaches attempt to intercede during the bout on behalf of a fencer. Disputing every judgement call by a referee, or even loudly pointing out the occasional mistake, does neither the fencer nor the club any good. By treating referees with respect, and not interfering in the performance of their jobs, referees tend to listen to coaches when they do make objections.
“Please remember we are TEAM Harrogate and we support and cheer on each other, regardless of the circumstance”