1. USA Fencing SafeSport Compliance & Athlete Protection
San Diego Fencing Center strictly adheres to the safety standards set forth by the U.S. Center for SafeSport and USA Fencing. The emotional, physical, and mental well-being of all athletes—particularly youth fencers—is our absolute priority.
- Background Checks & Certification: All coaching staff, referees, and adult supervisors undergo mandatory annual background checks and complete certified SafeSport athlete protection training.
- Zero Tolerance: SDFC maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding emotional abuse, physical misconduct, bullying, hazing, sexual harassment, or discrimination of any kind.
- Open Observation: Parents and guardians are welcome to observe all group classes and private lessons from designated observation areas. Private lessons are conducted on open strips in plain view of coaches, staff, and peers.
- Reporting Protocol: Inquiries, concerns, or suspected violations may be reported directly to club management at info@sandiegofencing.com or directly to the U.S. Center for SafeSport at uscenterforsafesport.org.
2. Equipment & Facility Safety Standards
Fencing is statistically one of the safest sports in the Olympic Games due to rigorous engineering and mandatory protective gear standards:
- Protective Gear Mandate: No athlete is permitted to raise a weapon or engage in drills without a properly fitted, certified fencing mask (minimum 350N bib), underarm protector (plastron), fencing jacket, reinforced glove, and rigid chest protection (mandatory for all female fencers and youth athletes).
- Weapon Inspection: Practice blades are flexible, blunt, and fitted with rubber or spring-loaded mechanical tips. Weapons with burrs, cracks, or loose fittings are immediately removed from service.
- Athletic Attire: Long athletic sweatpants or fencing knickers and closed-toe athletic sneakers with flat, stable soles are required on all training strips. Shorts and open-toed shoes are prohibited during fencing bouts.
- Shock-Absorbing Flooring: SDFC utilizes specialized multi-layer athletic sports flooring to reduce joint impact during lunges and rapid directional changes.
3. Website Privacy Notice & Data Collection
San Diego Fencing Center respects your personal privacy. This privacy notice explains what information we collect when you visit our website or submit an inquiry:
- Inquiry Information: When you submit a contact form or trial visit request, we collect your name, email address, phone number, participant age, and program interest solely to coordinate your visit and answer questions.
- No Sale of Personal Data: We will never sell, rent, trade, or distribute your personal contact information to third-party advertisers or data brokers under any circumstances.
- Zen Planner System: Official member registrations, class scheduling, and tuition billing are processed securely through Zen Planner, an encrypted sports management platform. SDFC does not store credit card numbers on our public website server.
- Analytical Cookies: Our website may use basic performance cookies to analyze aggregate traffic patterns and improve mobile page loading speeds. You can disable cookies in your browser settings without affecting site navigation.
4. Photography & Media Policy
From time to time, SDFC takes photographs and short video clips during group classes, tournaments, and celebrations (such as our shared medal tradition) to share on our official club website and social media.
We respect the privacy of every family. If you prefer that photographs of you or your child not be featured in public club media, please notify us in writing upon enrollment or email info@sandiegofencing.com, and we will honor your request on our roster records.
