Long Island Fencers' Club

At Long Island Fencers' Club, we are committed to advancing fencing as both a competitive sport and a lifelong pursuit of discipline, development, and personal achievement. We welcome fencers at every level, from first-time participants to experienced competitors, and provide an environment where athletes can build skills, confidence, and a lasting appreciation for the sport.

Our comprehensive training programs support each athlete's individual goals and level of experience. Whether developing fundamental skills, refining advanced techniques, pursuing recreational fencing, or preparing for competition, members receive structured instruction designed to maximize their potential.

Our experienced coaching staff combines technical expertise with a strong commitment to athlete development. Beyond instruction, the club provides competitive opportunities and a supportive, inclusive community where members can challenge themselves, pursue excellence, and grow both on and off the fencing strip.

Grant Recognition

Long Island Fencers' Club is proud to have received significant grant support recognizing the strength of our programs, our commitment to expanding access to fencing, and our continued investment in athletes, coaches, and the broader community.

These awards reflect the dedication of our coaches, athletes, families, supporters, and community partners who contribute to the continued growth and impact of our organization.

Grant Awards and Support

• 2026      Charitable Fidelity Grant 
• 2025      Charitable Fidelity Grant 
• 2025      Fencing the Gap Support Fund 
• 2025      Fencing the Gap Support Fund 
• 2024      Charitable Fidelity Grant 
• 2024      USA Fencing Diverse Coaches Grant
• 2024      Fencing the Gap Support Fund 
• 2023      Charitable Fidelity Grant 
• 2023      USA Fencing & All Kids Play Coaches Clinic Mini-Grant
• 2023      USA Fencing & All Kids Play Community Impact Mini-Grant

Becoming Part of Our Community

Long Island Fencers' Club offers opportunities for individuals seeking recreational instruction, competitive development, or an engaging community centered on fencing, achievement, and personal growth.

We invite prospective members to visit our club, meet our coaches, and discover how fencing can become part of their own journey toward excellence.

Support Our Mission

The continued support of individual and corporate donors helps Long Island Fencers' Club strengthen its programs, expand opportunities, and advance the initiatives that serve our athletes and community.

Individuals and organizations interested in supporting our programs and initiatives are invited to contact us at info@longislandfencersclub.com.

Discover your potential. Pursue excellence. Join the Long Island Fencers' Club community.

On September 12, 2024, Josiah Kirk was struck by a vehicle and seriously injured while rollerblading near his home. He sustained an epidural hematoma beneath his skull that required emergency neurosurgery, including a craniotomy. Josiah also suffered a severe concussion and extensive bruising to the left, right, and frontal regions of his brain.

The impact caused multiple skull fractures that required the placement of four titanium plates and twelve screws. Josiah was intubated for ten days and required an intracranial pressure monitor to manage fluid and blood buildup. Following surgery, doctors used forty-two staples to close the surgical site. He also sustained an ankle injury and a misaligned jaw as a result of the accident.

During his recovery, Josiah developed three blood clots, one in his left jugular area, one near his elbow, and another in his left bicep area. His father has described Josiah’s survival and recovery as nothing short of a miracle. Although Josiah has made remarkable progress, he continues to experience memory loss and faces significant challenges as his recovery continues.

Despite everything he has endured, Josiah remains determined to return to fencing once he receives medical clearance. In the meantime, he continues to support and encourage his high school fencing team, demonstrating the resilience and dedication that have defined his recovery.

The Long Island Fencers’ Club is proud to support Josiah and his family as he continues on the road to recovery.

If you would like to join the donors who support this and other Long Island Fencers’ Club initiatives, please contact us at info@longislandfencersclub.com.

Diane Powers received the 2025 Fencing Gap Support Fund (Student Scholarship) and elected to purchase fencing equipment extended her membership with the Long Island Fencers' Club and has continued her journey into the Olympic Sport of Fencing.  

On February 16, 2024, an unwelcomed, malignant, and invasive Breast cancer arrived at the door of Diane Powers. Despite this, Diane's resilience shone through as she underwent a mastectomy and began the process of reconstructive surgery.   Over the last ten months, Diane amassed a collection of twenty-three white Tyvek admitting bracelets from Sloan Kettering and endured four surgeries, with another two more to follow. Pharmaceutical treatments will remain an ongoing part of Diane's life for five years. Diane will endure bone and hair loss, joint pain, and vertigo, which is why physical conditioning is so important and helps build bone density. Diane's out-of-pocket medical expenses are estimated to be more than ninety thousand dollars over the next five years.  

On a personal level, Diane raised three exceptional children, was a dedicated life partner for thirty years, and feels overwhelmed by her medical condition and battered by the looming end to her marriage, further exasperating her financial well-being. The financial burden of her medical expenses is a heavy weight on Diane's shoulders. Diane is grateful that cancer has sharpened her perspective on what is truly important in life.   

Diane believes the Long Island Fencers' Club is a lifesaver, having found the club before her diagnosis. The club has been a source of strength and hope for Diane during her medical treatment. She has set a goal to return to fencing and the community she dearly loves as soon as possible, a goal that your donation can help her achieve.  

Diane learned to fence thirty years ago and fell in love with it. Diane describes the sport of fencing as transformative, requiring mental acuity and physical conditioning, and believes fencing is a blast! Diane recalls visiting the Long Island Fencers' Club and feeling warmly welcomed, even in her rusty state. Diane thinks the Long Island Fencers' Club provides enthusiasm for all levels of fencing, excellence in training, inclusiveness, and leadership. Diane loves being part of the Long Island Fencers' Club community that imparts life lessons, focus, kindness, patience, respect, and responsibility while having fun in a very supportive environment. In class, Diane sets a powerful example, proudly wearing her love of fencing on her sleeve while demonstrating fencing as a lifelong sport.  

Diane has been working on her game and skills in preparation for competing in veteran's tournaments. Your gift will not only help fulfill her dream of returning to fencing, but it will also bring back joy and a sense of normalcy to her life, which has been disrupted by her medical condition.

Please email us if you wish to join our donors supporting our various initiatives (info@longislandfencersclub.com). 

Phabiola Georges was selected as a recipient of the 2024 Fencing Gap Support Fund Student Scholarship. Through the scholarship, she purchased essential fencing equipment, including an electric épée, épée body cord, weapon protector, and athletic footwear. She also renewed her membership with the Long Island Fencers’ Club, allowing her to continue developing her skills and pursuing her journey in the Olympic sport of fencing.

Phabiola expressed her appreciation for the support she received and shared the following thank-you letter:

Dear USA Fencing,

I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for the support I received through the Long Island Fencers’ Club. As an adult beginning my journey in fencing, this opportunity has been incredibly meaningful to me, and I am deeply thankful for the assistance you have provided.

Your generous grant has given me access to important resources, including fencing equipment and training, that have allowed me to pursue this new passion with greater confidence and opportunity. Your support has opened the door for me to grow as an athlete, develop new skills, and become part of the welcoming and vibrant fencing community.

Fencing has already become an exciting and rewarding challenge in my life. Through this experience, I continue to work toward personal goals, strengthen my confidence, and discover what I am capable of achieving.

I am especially grateful for your commitment to making fencing more accessible and supporting athletes of all ages and experience levels. Your generosity has made a meaningful difference in my fencing journey.

Thank you again for your kindness, generosity, and support. I look forward to continuing to learn, improve, and contribute to the sport of fencing.

Sincerely,

Phabiola Georges

The Long Island Fencers’ Club is grateful to the individuals and organizations whose generosity makes programs and opportunities such as these possible.

If you would like to join our community of donors and support one of our initiatives, please contact us at info@longislandfencersclub.com.

Celebrating Leadership, Opportunity, and the Future of Fencing

The Long Island Fencers’ Club is proud and honored to have been selected as a recipient of the 2024 USA Fencing Diverse Coaches Grant!

This prestigious recognition celebrates our continued commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and leadership within the sport of fencing. The USA Fencing selection committee specifically recognized the Long Island Fencers’ Club for its work to develop, support, and empower young women as the next generation of fencing coaches and leaders.

We believe the future of fencing grows stronger when talented individuals are given opportunities to learn, lead, mentor, and inspire others. Through our coaching development initiatives, we are committed to creating meaningful pathways for young women to build their skills, gain valuable leadership experience, and make a lasting impact on the fencing community.

Receiving the 2024 USA Fencing Diverse Coaches Grant is both an incredible honor and an important milestone for our Club. We are grateful to USA Fencing for recognizing our efforts and supporting our mission to expand opportunities within the sport.

Most importantly, we celebrate the young women who are stepping forward to become coaches, mentors, role models, and leaders.

The future of fencing is being built today, and we are proud to help lead the way.

SHINE THE LIGHT

The Long Island Fencers’ Club’s “Shine the Light” initiative creates opportunities for children with hearing loss to experience and participate in the Olympic sport of fencing. The name Shine the Light reflects the program’s purpose: to recognize each child’s abilities, potential, and accomplishments rather than focus on the challenges associated with hearing loss.

Every child deserves the opportunity to discover their strengths, build confidence, and develop a strong sense of self-worth. Through fencing, Shine the Light provides a supportive environment where young participants can learn new skills, challenge themselves, and experience the confidence that comes from personal achievement.

The Shine the Light coaching team is led by Foil Coach Michelle O’Brien, who holds New York State Permanent Certification in Speech and Hearing Handicapped Education, with support from Long Island Fencers’ Club Executive Director Philip Daly.

In March 2024, the Long Island Fencers’ Club proudly launched its American Sign Language Fencing Program in partnership with Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf. This collaboration expands access to fencing while creating an inclusive environment designed to support meaningful instruction, participation, and personal development.

We extend our sincere appreciation to Dr. Bradley Porche, Executive Director of Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf, for his leadership, vision, and commitment to helping make this program a reality.

The Long Island Fencers’ Club is grateful to the donors and community partners who make initiatives such as Shine the Light possible. Those interested in supporting this or any of our community programs are invited to contact us at info@longislandfencersclub.com.

Together, we can create opportunities for every child to discover their potential and shine.

Junior Coach Initiative

The Long Island Fencers’ Club created its Junior Coach Initiative to recruit, train, and mentor fencers from diverse backgrounds who aspire to become the next generation of USA Fencing coaches. Our Junior Coaches represent a broad range of cultural backgrounds, heritages, religious traditions, and socioeconomic experiences, strengthening both our coaching team and the fencing community we serve.

We are proud to have established this initiative with a particular focus on expanding coaching opportunities for individuals from traditionally underrepresented groups. In less than one year, the program engaged nine female and eight male participants representing a diverse cross-section of our community.

Our Junior Coaches have reported ancestral backgrounds that include Argentinian, Chilean, Colombian, German, Honduran, Irish, Italian, Jamaican, Korean, Portuguese, Puerto Rican, Romanian, Salvadorian, Ukrainian, and Welsh heritage. Their religious backgrounds include Catholic, Lutheran, Pentecostal Christian, Presbyterian, Jewish, and Ashkenazi Jewish traditions, while others do not practice a religion.

Education is also an important part of their development. Nine Junior Coaches currently attend college full-time, with two additional participants expected to begin college during the coming academic year.

Thirteen of the Long Island Fencers’ Club’s nineteen staff members come from demographic groups that have historically been underrepresented within the fencing coaching community. Through this initiative, participants have gained access to training, mentorship, equipment, and professional opportunities that can help establish a pathway into the USA Fencing coaching community.

Grant funding has played an important role in supporting this work. With this assistance, the Long Island Fencers’ Club has provided essential coaching equipment and financial compensation to our Junior Coaches, allowing them to develop their skills while gaining meaningful professional experience.

During the past year, the Club has delivered more than 1,000 hours of training and professional development to Junior Coaches, Assistant Coaches, and Fencing Coaches. This commitment to mentorship has produced measurable advancement within our coaching team, including the promotion of two Assistant Coaches to Coaches and two Junior Coaches to Assistant Coaches.

The Long Island Fencers’ Club remains committed to expanding and strengthening the Junior Coach Initiative. While participation figures and demographic data help demonstrate the program's reach, its greatest impact is reflected in the personal and professional growth of the young people we mentor. Through responsibility, leadership, education, and hands-on coaching experience, participants develop confidence in their abilities and a stronger sense of their own potential.

It is a privilege to mentor these emerging coaches as they pursue their goals and build their futures within the sport of fencing.

Coaching Staff Demographics as of December 2024

Gender

Male: 47%

Female: 53%

Average age when Junior Coaches begin the program: 18.6 years

Generational Representation

Generation Z: 76%

Millennials: 6%

Generation X: 6%

Baby Boomers: 12%

Demographic Representation

Asian/Pacific Islander: 12%

Hispanic: 24%

Jamaican: 6%

White Male: 29%

White Female: 29%

Support Our Initiatives

The Long Island Fencers’ Club is grateful to the donors and community partners whose support makes programs such as the Junior Coach Initiative possible.

To learn more about supporting this and our other community initiatives, please contact us at info@longislandfencersclub.com.