USA Fencing

In anticipation of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic & Paralympic Games USA Fencing is partnering with PlayLA to funnel resources into Los Angeles City Parks and Recreation to launch a recreational fencing league. We have launched our first site and are planning to launch at an additional 10 sites in 2024. We are counting on support from our membership in the LA area to help grow the sport.

Sites include: Cypress Park RC, Fernageles RC, Harbor City RC, Lake Street RC, Rose Hill RC, Slauson RC, State Street RC, Stonehurst RC, Van Nuys RC, and Vineyard RC.

PlayLA is looking for fencers and coaches who are interested in helping grow the sport by helping coach fencing camps at local Park and Recreation Departments. ALL interested members will have to submit to a background screening before starting. Coaches will be paid $30 per hour for their time.

Fill out this form if you are interested.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Fencing is delighted and honored to announce an exhilarating partnership with PlayLA, an ambitious initiative to foster sports inclusion across the city of Los Angeles. This exciting collaboration is part of a wider endeavor to provide affordable and accessible sports programming to kids of all abilities.

PlayLA is an inspiring project organized by the City of Los Angeles and LA Rec & Parks, underpinned by a remarkable $160 million investment from the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organizing Committee and International Olympic Committee.

The investment is intended to facilitate youth and adaptive youth sports development in Los Angeles ahead of the momentous arrival of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028 — the first Summer Games on U.S. soil in 32 years.

Through this partnership, USA Fencing and PlayLA are set to offer every child between 5 and 17 the opportunity to participate in low- or no-cost, high-quality fencing programs. The initiative will kick off with the launch of fencing programs across 15 community sites in the LA area, beginning in the 2023-24 USA Fencing season.

Phil Andrews, CEO of USA Fencing, expresses his enthusiasm for the venture. 

"Hosting Olympic and Paralympic fencing on American soil for the first time in more than three decades is an opportunity we don't take lightly,” he says. “At USA Fencing, we are resolute in our desire for the impact of this unique opportunity to extend far beyond the Olympic and Paralympic venues and reach into the heart of the surrounding community."

Shannon Jolly, USA Fencing's Senior Manager of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, shares this sentiment. 

"I am thrilled about this partnership with PlayLA to expand access and inclusion in the sport of fencing,” he says. “With the support of Play LA, we will be able to implement sustainable programming to continue growing the sport of fencing.”

Jimmy Kim, General Manager, Recreation and Parks, shares his excitement about this partnership.

“The Department of Recreation and Parks is thrilled about our partnership with USA Fencing," he says. "Through this partnership, we aim to inspire, equip, and shape a new generation of fencers, as we unite under the banner of the LA2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and cultivate a legacy that will resonate for years to come.”

Together, USA Fencing and PlayLA are poised to transform the landscape of youth sports, one fencing touch at a time.