What to Do and What to Avoid on Competition Day

Full article in English · Original author text

Competition day is here, and you have to manage gear, call times, and the fencer’s nerves all at once. Where do we start? With simple tasks that have already been practiced. I split the plan into preparation, warm-up, the gaps between bouts, and the end of the day. This checklist helps leave more attention for the opponent and the technical decision. With my experience as head coach of the Udine team in Italy, my message to the athlete is this: on competition morning, you’re not supposed to become a new fencer. You’re supposed to use the skills you’ve prepared in real conditions. Practical order matters because it lets your energy and attention go to exactly that.

Who is this checklist for?

Teen fencers, parents, and coaches in all three weapons can use this checklist. Get the arrival time, equipment check, and call times from the notice for that specific event; there’s no one fixed time for all competitions. For Para fencing or special needs, transport, accessibility, and specialized equipment also need to be planned separately.

What should be ready the night before?

Complete gear that fits the event rules, a weapon and body cords that have been checked, familiar clothes and shoes, needed documents, and personal items should be ready. The coach should check whether the mask, clothing, and equipment are allowed, following current rules and the age category. A home list doesn’t replace the official check at the venue. The route, travel time, and who is responsible for each task should also be clear.

Choose familiar food and drink that the fencer tolerates well; competition day isn’t the time to try a new supplement or snack. The goal is to follow a routine the player has been comfortable with before. Sleep and rest the night before are part of readiness too, but if one night’s sleep wasn’t full, scaring the athlete with “you’ve got no chance now” doesn’t help.

Warming up: gradual and connected to competition work

Start with light general movement, then add familiar ranges of motion and footwork, a few controlled technical executions, and short exchanges. Intensity should rise gradually; the exact duration depends on age, the temperature of the hall, the person’s history, and the waiting time. If the start of the competition is delayed, don’t turn the warm-up into long, exhausting bouts; keep readiness up with suitable short activity.

In épée, a few exchanges to gauge distance and the reaction to the opponent’s movement are useful. In foil and sabre, the order of actions and the logic of right of way should be part of technical preparation. The flèche is an attack with an explosive advance and crossing of the feet, used in épée and foil; its usual form, with the feet crossing forward, isn’t allowed in sabre. Don’t add any new technique just because of competition-day excitement.

Between bouts: one observation and one decision

First deal with the immediate need, like water, rest, or an equipment problem. Then the coach asks the player for one observation and suggests only one main change. In an épée scenario, if the opponent retreats with every long step, the next decision might be preparing with a smaller step and checking their reaction. Saying “faster, calmer, defend, attack” all at once doesn’t give a clear direction. The parent does their agreed role and doesn’t create a second technical analysis. Watching the next opponent should be purposeful: which reaction or distance pattern matters? Set aside any activity that breaks focus. Before changing the plan, separate an accidental mistake from a repeating pattern.

Practice the checklist at the club

Hold one session under similar conditions: the player prepares their gear, does their own warm-up, follows the call time, and has two or three short bouts with a set gap. Besides the technical decision, the coach watches their practical independence. If the teen always depends on a parent to find their gear, hand over responsibilities gradually and in line with their age. The sign of success is readiness without rushing and getting back to the plan after a delay. In my view, a checklist should still work when conditions change; a simulation doesn’t need heavy pressure.

What should we leave out?

Avoid suddenly changing grip handles, trying new shoes, heavy make-up training, long arguments about refereeing, and promising prizes or conditional threats based on winning. Don’t hide pain or a safety problem. If a refereeing decision is in question, pursue it through the permitted route at that competition; spectator confrontations don’t replace the official process.

A good plan is built from a few simple decisions

On competition morning a family doesn’t need to learn dozens of new things. The sooner predictable tasks are clear, the more attention is left for the bout. I like a player to know where their gear is, when to report, and who to ask if something changes. This preparation doesn’t mean controlling everything that happens; the plan is for the parts that can be arranged in advance. Draw three columns on a sheet: task, who’s responsible, and when to check. For a small child, the parent does more of it; a teen can take more responsibility. What matters is that two people don’t each assume the other has done a task. Record registration confirmation, the venue address, and the check-in deadline separately from the likely start time. Take the event’s own information as your source; experience from a previous competition may not be enough.

Don’t leave the gear check to competition morning

A few days earlier, have the equipment checked with the coach or a qualified person and fix any faults right then. All main and spare items should suit the weapon, category, and event rules. The list includes full protective clothing, mask, glove, weapon, cords, and the special parts for foil or sabre. Get the exact number and standard of items from that competition’s rules, not from a general internet list. Spare gear is only useful if it’s usable and has a set place. The teen should know how to tell the referee and coach about a problem and find the right equipment. A rushed repair by someone unfamiliar, or carrying on with suspect equipment, isn’t a good way to keep focus. A home check doesn’t replace the official check and the instruction of the competition official.

Don’t turn the warm-up into a test of your worth

Sometimes a player gets hit in a few warm-up exchanges and concludes that today isn’t their day. The aim of this stage is finding readiness and tuning your sense of distance; the result of each exchange isn’t a verdict predicting the competition. The coach should make the intensity and aim clear. If the aim is just coordination, the warm-up shouldn’t suddenly turn into a draining bout to prove superiority. Go from general movement to familiar specific movements and practice a few simple decisions. The player should have time to find their own pace and range. If time is short, don’t cram every part of a long routine in a rush; the coach should choose a short version that has already been practiced. No general plan replaces knowing the person’s age, physical condition, and needs.

When the hall is crowded or the start is delayed

Get the right information first. Check changes to the time, strip, or turn from the event’s official channel so rumor doesn’t become a decision. Have a set place for the family and gear to gather, and agree on how to pass on changes. A teen shouldn’t have to wander around the hall looking for adults. This simple order can cut a lot of needless rush. If the delay gets long, the player isn’t supposed to stay at high intensity the whole time. With the coach’s opinion, adjust rest and short activity to the real time. Keep familiar food and suitable drinks in the plan. The routine should be flexible; a change in timing shouldn’t make the whole day feel ruined. Check readiness again before the next call.

A small sheet between bouts

For each bout, three short slots are enough: one observation of the opponent, one effective decision, and one possible change. You don’t need to write down every touch. In épée, the observation could be the opponent retreating from your long step; in foil or sabre, the coach has to pair the distance analysis with the order of actions and right-of-way rules. The note should help the next choice, not fill the mind with terms. If time is short, give just one main message. A player still upset about the last bout doesn’t have the capacity to carry out five corrections at once. First deal with the immediate need, then give a clear cue to start. If the competition is going well, don’t change the plan just to show the coach is doing something. Sometimes keeping an effective choice is a better decision than adding a new technique.

If something unexpected happens

Equipment failure, delays, or confusion in announcing a result can happen. Have a clear response route for each: tell the responsible official, coordinate with the coach, and follow the official instruction. A group argument at the strip usually doesn’t make things clearer. If the athlete reports pain or a safety problem, don’t ignore it to keep the schedule; the right decision takes priority over continuing. A parent can play an important role in these moments: keep the gear organized, check the practical information, and avoid passing extra worries on to the teen. Leave technical responsibility to the agreed person. The player should also learn to ask clear questions and report a problem early. Independence doesn’t mean solving every event alone; knowing when and how to ask for help is part of it.

Close one unfinished task at the end of the day

Before leaving, pack the gear using the list, check the logged result if needed, and agree on a time for the technical review. On the way back, you don’t need to replay the whole day. One point you want to keep and one question for the next practice is enough. A checklist is complete when today’s experience makes preparing for the next event a little simpler and more precise. USA Fencing’s national events guide is useful for understanding administrative processes [1], but each organizer’s rules need to be checked separately. Take the arrival time, equipment check, and competition structure from your own event, and don’t automatically apply the details of an event in another country.

Frequently asked questions

What if the competition starts late? Get the new time from the responsible official and do suitable short activity to keep readiness; don’t keep intensity high nonstop. Should we change the plan after one loss? Not based on a single exchange; look at the pattern and the cause, and pick one specific change. What do we say at the end of the day? First thank them for the effort and for being there, and agree on a review time; don’t push a full evaluation at the peak of tiredness.

Wrap-up and next step

Now you have a workable plan for competition day. Test the checklist at the club, make everyone’s responsibility clear, and have a solution for delays too. This preparation lets you spend more attention on the opponent and the next decision. For the end-of-day review, read the article “What Do We Do After a Loss in Competition?”

Sources and further reading

[1] USA Fencing — 10 Tips for Navigating National Tournaments