Going into high school, I never really thought I would be joining any sports. I tried soccer in third grade and basketball in my middle school years, but none of them lasted very long. I wasn’t the most athletic kid around, but I could hold my own in a soccer or basketball game. I was hearing many things from people that high school was not a fun time. So all I was thinking about was, “How can I get colleges to like me?” instead of, “How can I enjoy high school?” So the topic of “dedication” arose in my mind.
Colleges like to see students who are dedicated to something. Whether it be a club, a sport, or sometimes an outside activity, such as a martial arts club or a job. So I decided to join the fencing team after a demonstration in gym class. It seemed somewhat fun and a few of my friends were joining as well. The people in the demonstration seemed really nice as well and so I thought, “I’ll just stick to this for 4 years and I’ll be done.” It was a way of getting exercise and building dedication so it was pretty convenient. I laugh at how much fun was in store for me.
By the first week, I was already hooked on the crazy amount of fun I was having. Just doing drills really excited me because it was something completely new that I had never done before nor seen on TV. The first day that we started electric bouting was exhilarating. I actually got to fence the sport on the strip which was so exciting for me back then. Little did I know my teammates were VERY good and I got my butt whooped by basically everyone. Because of this, it was really easy to ask questions on what I could improve on. You could say I got lucky with my teammates being so good which led to me being the fencer I am today.
As I look back to this, I am terrified at the thought of being absent for that demonstration day. It opened so many new opportunities for me. Without that, I would have never gotten into fencing, because people rarely, if at all, talk about it. I am grateful for being introduced to fencing, but I wish I knew about it sooner.
So to those who are currently fencers, please introduce fencing to friends and family. It may just click with them.
-Matthew Yap