When the seasonal calendar, including domestic and international events, has been released, it’s a good time to start considering which competitions to enter this season.
Planning a season is an essential part of preparation for any competitive athlete in any sport. This includes putting some thought into what competitions you should attend and why.
It is easy to fall into the trap of only competing in high-stakes events like BRCs and internationals however to you should also fence in events for experience, to develop your skills, or even just for fun.
Competitions can and should be used for many things.
These events are where you set outcome goals for yourself and are likely necessary for selection purposes or fulfilling a personal goal, such as being a national champion or a major championship medallist.
Examples of these could be:
These are the events where you might have some process goals – things you want to work on in a competitive environment to test them. It might be a tactical goal, technical or even a mindset goal where you work on your overall management of the day. It could also be part of your return from injury process.
Examples of these could be:
These events are where you might go with no goals or expectations other than to experience the next level. What you learn and gain from these competitions will likely inform your training moving forward. Reflection sessions after these events are highly important to capture what you have learnt.
Examples of these could be:
You will notice that many of the types of events are mentioned more than once – and can be attended for many reasons, depending on where you are in your fencing journey.
A cadet attending their first EFC would be better off using that event for experience rather than putting themselves under pressure to perform, whereas an experienced cadet targeting Major Championship selection would be using the same competition as a performance event.
It is also important to remember that it is not set in stone, and your plans might change throughout the season due to disruptions. If this happens, it is a case of revisiting your plan with your personal coach and deciding how to best move forward.
There are many factors you need to take into consideration. These can include:
What is your milestone event?
The event you are working towards: Could it be a major championship? Could it be a national championship? It could be a selection event…
What are your goals this season?
Use your goal sheet to remind you of what you need to do to get there.
Where are you on your journey?
The first/last year is in the age group. Are you in your introduction, development or performance year? What are your previous experiences?
Is performance or development more prominent this year?
Think about the answer above to help you with this question.
What are your barriers?
Financial/coaching support/injury recovery/school or other commitments.
How much do you want it?
Are you willing to do the work to reach your goals?
We know that every person is different, has different goals and lives within different circumstances. This is just a guide for what you should aim for, but know that we are not expecting everyone’s IADP to look the same, and you need not stick to this.
Transition into Junior:
U23
Your schedule can be changed and updated throughout the season, you will not be expected to stick to the choices you make at the beginning.
Changes might be needed for a number of reasons – finance is tight so you need to cut back a few events, your goals may have changed, injury causes your whole season to reshape, you have something you want to work on so need to find an event for development, or simply you need a weekend off.
You can use your goal sheet and performance tracker in your IADP to help with these choices.
Using the tracker on your IADP means you can keep everyone in the loop of your changes – your personal coaching team, ADP coaching team and BF staff.
Inputting this into your IADP
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