GBR Athlete Development Programme

Fencers aged 14-23 in the top 20 of the Cadet, Junior or Senior Rankings in the rankings published just after the Cadet and Junior World Championships are eligible to apply to join the GBR Athlete Development Programme. Applicants wishing to join the programme will be invited to attend a camp taking place, after the Cadet and Junior World Championships.

Deadlines for Applications

• 20th April 2019 for assessments  in April 2019 & July 2019
• April 2020 (taking place after C&J World Championships, for entry into ADP season 20/21)

Application Process

1. Fencer meets minimum eligibility criteria
2. Fencer submits a completed Athlete Profile by the indicated deadline
3. Personal coach submits a recommendation for the fencer, confirming potential suitability by the indicated deadline
4. Application is reviewed to determine suitability to attend an Assessment Event
5. If successful, the fencer receives invitation to attend an Assessment Event
6. If the fencer passes the assessment they are invited to join the ADP

1. Current Minimum Eligibility Criteria (2019/20 Season)

• Meet all the standard eligibility criteria to represent GBR at the appropriate level.
• Ranked within the top 20 of the British Fencing rankings for their weapon and age group at the end of 2018/19 fencing season
• Aged at least 14 at the date of the September Camp.
• Satisfactory Disciplinary Record.

2. Complete Athlete Profile

In order to be considered to join the programme a fencer must send in a completed Athlete Profile to BF by the deadline.

Information on the Athlete Profile and other ADP resources can be found here.

Fencers are expected to consult their personal coach and where appropriate their parents, to support them in completing this document.

After completing the Athlete Profile it should be sent to [email protected] with the subject :FIRSTNAME SURNAME WEAPON Athlete Profile.

It is important that the Athlete Profile is thoroughly complete as the ADP team will need to keep a record of the information sheet, and having up to date competition plans, training diaries and goal setting pages are essential for the ADP to organise athlete centred training camps.

Please note that all fencers must bring along their updated Athlete Profile to each camp.

3. Personal Coach Recommendation

The personal coach recommendation should contain insights on commitment, attitude, strengths and areas of development, as well as suitability to be involved in the programme.

4. Application Reviews

The Athlete Profile and coaches recommendation will be reviewed by the ADP team. At this point the fencer (or coach) may be required to provide more information before a decision can be made.

A decision will be made as to whether to invite the fencer to an Assessment Event.

5. The Assessment Event

This Assessment Event (usually held over 1-2 days) will primarily be about whether the fencer is resilient enough to participate (can operate sufficiently independently of their parents), train at the intensity required and demonstrate the BF values in all aspects of their behaviour. We will also look for signs of a fencer’s ability to take personal responsibility for their positive contribution to a team training environment.

The Assessment Event will also include an explanation of what the ADP entails, the objectives, a list of ADP Camp dates, who the key contacts and coaches are, and the resources they will need to bring when attending camps, and possible TDCs

Invitations to formally join the ADP for the programme will be issued following the Assessment Event.

6.  Invitation to Join

If successful, a fencer will receive a formal invitation to join the programme. By accepting a place on the programme, fencers are agreeing to adhere to all the relevant policies and codes of conduct which are available on the BF website.

Within the programme, the ADP encompasses three different opportunities for current and aspiring GBR athletes to get involved, each of which have different eligibility criteria and application processes:

1. DiSE (formally known as AASE)
2. Local Area GBR Development Centres (previously known as TDCs)
3. National GBR Development Camps /GBR Athlete Development Programme

For information on DiSE please click here

For information on accessing Local Area GBR Development Centres please click here.

Previous Minimum Eligibility Criteria (2018/19 Season)

• Meet all the standard eligibility criteria to represent GBR at the appropriate level.
• Ranked within the top 20 of the British Fencing rankings for their weapon and age group during the ADP selection review period.
• Be in the top 20 of the end of 2017/18 season Cadet or Junior rankings.
• Be in the top 15 start of season 2018/19 Cadet rankings.
• Have been involved in the programme throughout the 2017/18 season.
• Aged at least 14 during the review period.