Move over football and soccer, there’s a new sport coming to the schoolyards — and no ball, court or even a team is required. Starting next month Tim Morehouse, a three-time Olympian and 2008 Olympic silver medalist, is bringing the sport of fencing to inner-city schools in New York.
Morehouse, a Bronx native, has founded a non-profit organization called Fencing-in-the-Schools, a program dedicated to introducing the sport to disadvantaged students in order to improve their fitness, classroom performance and self-confidence. The organization was celebrated last night at a fundraising event at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City. One-hundred percent of the ticket sales from the event will directly contribute to fund the program’s launch.
“Fencing gave me a lot of confidence as a kid,” Morehouse said. “This sport can really change people’s lives.”
Fencing-in-the-Schools’ pilot program will start with about 1,800 students at six schools in East and West Harlem through a partnership with the Democracy Prep charter school network. Several of the school’s teachers and staff members were at the event last night.
“All of our core values have a natural friendship with fencing,” Democracy Prep CEO Katie Duffy said... more>
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