As Milford Fencing coach Jay Babcock pulls into the Milford Academy parking lot and begins to unload equipment from his car, the Milford Fencing team, composed of members of all ages, rushes to help. Like a well-oiled machine, each member grabs a piece of equipment and carries it to the gym, working as a team to set up for their practice. This team effort isn’t a coincidence. In his seven years of coaching the Milford Fencing Club, J. Babcock has managed to make the club about more than just the sport.

“I’m here to build contributing members of society. The fencing is incidental,” he asserts. J. Babcock’s commitment to both the team’s fencing ability and their ability to work together and form close-knit relationships with each other facilitates a strong sense of community within the club.

Maddie Babcock – The Captain

As the coach’s daughter, sophomore and saber captain Maddie Babcock is no stranger to accusations of nepotism. However, J. Babcock shuts down these allegations, describing their system of selecting captains as a “meritocracy.”

He says, “You’re my captain until I find someone better. Every year, I make them re-audition for their roles. If someone better comes along and you’re slacking, sorry, you’re not captain anymore.”

Babcock expresses that his daughter holds the Saber captain position because she is “the best.” M. Babcock’s skill speaks to her drive and commitment towards fencing. Getting her start in 2019, she quickly discovered a passion for the sport.

“Fencing has become a big part of my life as it’s helped me build so many new relationships and lead a squad of girls that I’ve personally taken under my wing and trained,” she shares.

Since then, M. Babcock has developed an impressive fencing resumé, leading her squad to second place in the Junior Varsity tournament, and herself taking 12th place in the state and representing Milford at the 2024 Junior Fencing Olympics in Charlotte, North Carolina. J. Babcock conveys his pride for her both as her father and her coach.

“She’s a better fencer than I ever was, and she’s made me a better coach then I ever thought I could be,” he voices.

Babcock’s fencing prowess has allowed her to act as a role model for other club members. As captain, she motivates her fellow Sabers to become the best fencers they can be.

“She’s really embraced that role [of captain]. She brought her squad together and they were super competitive,” confirms J. Babcock. 

Although fencing is a more individual sport, M. Babcock still finds its team aspect valuable to her success. Even as a team captain, she relies on her teammates to act as a support system.

She adds, “My accomplishments are my own, but I still have my team supporting me. I know that even if I don’t do well I can still go home and be like, ‘I have this nice community where I don’t feel like I failed.’”

After high school, M. Babcock hopes to get recruited for a college fencing team, and plans to return to Milford Fencing as a coach and give back in any way she can. Given her skill level and passion, her father is sure that she has a future in the sport.

“She’s going to have the word ‘coach’ in front of her name at some point,” J. Babcock affirms.

Declan LeCuyer-Schoonmaker – The Wild Card

After seeing his first fencing practice at age five, freshman Epeeist Declan LeCuyer-Schoonmaker was eager to explore everything from foil to saber. Under the recommendation of his coaches, who advised him to start later in childhood when he “was a bit more mature,” LeCuyer-Schoonmaker began fencing five years ago. Now, he acts as the epee captain for Milford Fencing alongside captain M. Babcock and Aidan Riha, the foil captain.

“Fencing is the most important thing in my life to me. It’s my sport, it’s what I do every night, what I look forward to. I love the sport, I love the people and the club,” LeCuyer-Schoonmaker enthuses.

When LeCuyer-Schoonmaker first joined the Milford Fencing team, the club was on the verge of shutting down. According to J. Babcock, LeCuyer-Schoonmaker immediately took initiative to increase club membership.

“He turned around to his dad and went, ‘Hey, I want to fix this,’ and then all of a sudden, we had our biggest open house of all time. We had 40 people show up, and virtually everybody joined,” he shares. 

While he didn’t enter the club knowing any current members, LeCuyer-Schoonmaker has quickly befriended his teammates and values the relationships he has formed with them. He especially looks up to “George Lin, [who] got very very good in a short time.”

“He is, I would say, my best friend,” says LeCuyer-Schoonmaker. A fellow epeeist, Lin pushes LeCuyer-Schoonmaker to continue improving his technique. LeCuyer-Schoonmaker’s constant drive to improve is reflected in his positive mindset. His coaches J. Babcock and Ms. Annie Erbacher comment on his commitment to his sport.

“He’s a do it first, think about it later type, but he’ll reflect on what he’s done. Even if he’s had a bad tournament, he’ll come out of it going, ‘here’s where I messed up, and here’s what I need to fix,’” they offer.

LeCuyer-Schoonmaker’s calm and collected mindset is contrasted by his wild and loose fencing style. Because of this, the fencing club jokingly refers to him as “a gummy worm with a blade in hand.”

Despite his ferocious and unconventional style, his coaches still regard him as a very competitive and skilled fencer. J. Babcock calls him the “lifeblood” alongside being the “crazy aspect” of the team. 

Looking ahead, LeCuyer-Schoonmaker plans “to qualify alongside George” for the Junior Fencing Olympics in upcoming years and introduce fencing as an official varsity sport in the Milford Public Schools. Fencing, while a seemingly niche sport in the Milford area, is highly popular in other states according to LeCuyer-Schoonmaker.

“People look at football, soccer, basketball, and they know something about what it’s about, but they look at fencing and you don’t know about it,” he says.

After graduation, LeCuyer-Schoonmaker hopes to find the same welcoming atmosphere as in Milford while continuing to sharpen his skills.

Maggie Bredbeck – Jack of All Trades

Echoing her teammates’ sentiments, freshman Maggie Bredbeck cites the “mental aspect” of fencing as what truly attracted her to the sport.

In comparison to other, more traditional sports, the strategy involved in fencing is  “definitely something that’s a big draw for someone who doesn’t enjoy a sport that’s purely physical,” Bredbeck explains. 

Despite the “individual nature” of fencing, which “ensures that everyone can learn in the manner that works best for them,” each individual in the club remains part of a vibrant community united by a common interest. Bredbeck’s experience at this year’s State JV Fencing Tournament quickly became her favorite as she and her teammates came together to cheer each other on during each match. According to J. Babcock, the team sent five members to the tournament and returned home with three medals, including “number one and number three in one of the weapons.”

“It was really exciting, and I loved getting to support my friends in a tournament like that,” Bredbeck shares.

Even after tournaments are over, Bredbeck continues to spend time with her teammates since “this incredible thing that [they] have in common is really good at bringing people together,” fostering a “wonderful” community inside and outside of the Academy’s gymnasium. 

“Fencing has changed my life both in school and out,” Bredbeck enthuses.

Apart from Bredbeck’s high school season, her commitment to fencing “has never made academics more difficult by taking up time since the schedule is so fluid.” The sport’s adaptable schedule allows members to bond post-practice while efficiently balancing academics.

As she fights for her team’s victory on the piste, Bredbeck simultaneously volunteers her time to the club, refereeing matches and acting as an armorer — someone who fixes and maintains equipment. Mastering skills adjacent to the sport “can be helpful in better understanding fencing,” Bredbeck explains, improving her comprehension of fencing while giving back to the community which supports her.

Emily Moore – The Heart

Although this is freshman Emily Moore’s first year with the Milford Fencing Club, as she joined in January of 2023, she has undeniably made her mark on the team. Moore began fencing due to her friend wanting to get involved in the sport.

“She didn’t want to do it alone, so she brought me with her to the open house. She liked it, so I said ‘Okay, we’ll do it,’” she recounts. 

Moore quickly developed an affinity for fencing foil, citing the medium-paced matches as what she loves about the blade. Her drive for the sport shone through to J. Babcock, who recognized Moore’s strong leadership qualities within her first couple of months with the club.

“[She’s] one of the most ambitious fencers I’ve ever seen,” he divulges. 

Moore’s ambition earned her a spot as assistant captain, something created specifically for her. J. Babcock adds that Moore is poised to soon take over foil captain Riha’s position after his graduation. 

Unfortunately, Moore suffered a wrist injury that prohibited her from fencing for two months. Despite this setback, she didn’t miss a single practice, devoting her time to other aspects of the club such as refereeing, teaching, and helping repair broken equipment. 

“She’s the biggest cheerleader we have in the club. She goes to tournaments, not competing in them at all, just to cheer on the other fencers,” Erbacher shares. Moore’s commitment to the team displays that her love for the sport goes beyond competition.

Even though she was unable to compete in tournaments due to her injury, Moore has been on the sidelines of nearly every tournament a club member has participated in. 

“She’s probably been to about 15 tournaments and has never competed in one of them,” J. Babcock jokes.

As much as Moore has contributed to the club, she shares that the sport has become a very important part of her life, providing her with numerous opportunities, friendships, and a place to improve herself.

She asserts, “Fencing has become such an important part of my life, providing me an outlet and giving me a second home and family. The community is amazing and all of us are good friends which helps strengthen our bond both during and outside of the sport.”

With a long high-school fencing career ahead of her, Moore’s coaches are incredibly proud of both the competitor and person that she is. J. Babcock describes her as a “wonderful kid”.