En Garde! Golden Gate Fencing Foundation Announces the 2010 Paul Pesthy Memorial Western Super Youth Circuit

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Youthful swordsmen and women from the Bay Area will have a chance to test their mettle in March, in a competition that is a stepping stone for Collegiate and Olympic fencing hopefuls. Golden Gate Fencing Foundation today announced that the 2010 Paul Pesthy Memorial Western Super Youth Circuit tournament will take place on March 20-21, 2010 at the San Jose Convention Center. The tournament will showcase youth fencers with regional experience from around the country, from 14 years of age and younger, competing in three separate weapon categories: Foil, Epee, and Sabre. This marks the sixth year in a row that the Golden Gate Fencing Foundation has hosted this tournament.  

The Paul Pesthy Memorial event is part of the United States Fencing Association's Super Youth Circuit schedule and is the only Youth Circuit in the western part of the United States. Participants will earn national points and the right to participate in the National Championships, which take place in Atlanta, GA from July 4-13.

"Each year, Golden Gate Fencing Foundation hosts and organizes a number of regional youth tournaments – and the Paul Pesthy Memorial Western Super Youth Circuit is our premiere event. It's all for the sake of delivering high-quality competition to young fencers – athletes who are honing their skills for advanced competition," said Mike Pederson, founder of Golden Gate Fencing and head coach of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Silver medal US Women's Foil team. "Fencing is such a unique sport – one that is both a physical and mental challenge – a mind game in the best sense. This tournament is the perfect stage for youth fencers to come out, test their skills, and try to take their fencing to the next level."

Since its founding in 1997, Golden Gate Fencing Foundation has worked to promote fencing to the youth of the Bay Area. The foundation is the nonprofit arm of the Golden Gate Fencing Center, a San Francisco fencing club that is home to numerous high-level U.S. fencers. The Golden Gate Fencing Center is one of only two clubs in the U.S. that has two U.S. Olympic Team coaches: Paul Soter (2004) and Mike Pederson (2008). The center is also home to Maureen Griffin, current U.S. Junior Team coach. Over 20 fencers from the Golden Gate Fencing Center will be competing in San Jose.

Through fencing, the foundation aims to promote mental and physical fitness and sound nutritional habits, life-skills common to all sports such as time management and goal setting, and positive self-esteem. Additionally, it works to provide scholarships to athletes to help them achieve competitive success that they otherwise might not be able to achieve. There are currently over 70 colleges and universities with fencing teams, and Golden Gate Fencing Center fencers are currently attending Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Notre Dame, and several University of California campuses.

The tournament is named after Paul Pesthy, an Olympic silver medalist in modern pentathlon and 5-time U.S. fencing champion. Pesthy coached two Junior and Cadet World Champions and was a friend and an inspiration to the Golden Gate Fencing Foundation's coaching staff. The full schedule for the 2010 Paul Pesthy Memorial Western Super Youth Circuit tournament can be found at www.gofencing.com.

About Golden Gate Fencing Foundation

Founded in 1997, GGFF exists to provide financial opportunities for fencers who would otherwise lack access to the sport, or be unable to train at levels appropriate to their aspirations and abilities. GGFF's founders are current and former Olympic coaches and National Team fencers who focus on outreach and scholarship programs for making fencing and collateral skills that fencing teaches to children whose family financial and economic situation would not permit them to fence. Through the support of recreational development and competitive training programs and hosting of local regional fencing competitions, GGFF promotes the sport and provide safe, healthy, supportive and engaging environment for youth in the sport. More information is available at www.gofencing.com.

SOURCE Golden Gate Fencing Foundation

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