My son fenced at a high level club, owned by a former Olympian, from 2nd grade till he went to high school. In the NY metro area there are a number of these clubs and the level of performance is ridiculously beyond the normal high school fencer. A local private high school recruited a few kids from the club and completely dominated their league.
The downside is it stopped being fun, besides being absurdly expensive. The time demands of high level sports don’t allow for any other activities. Once the coaches decided he wasn’t a “talent”, his instruction became perfunctory, and he was essentially a sparring partner for the favored kids. I’m hoping he tries IM fencing in college and learns to enjoy it again.
