From World Cups to Middle School: Coach Yehia Ellis Shapes Future Fencers

Contributor Jesminder Vega

This season, the Middle School Fencing team has grown in both skill and confidence with guidance from Coach Yehia Ellis. From their first match to their most recent practice, "The entire team has grown more comfortable and confident with their fencing styles," Coach Yehia shared. "They have also significantly improved their ability to focus and perform under pressure."

As a professional athlete himself, Coach Yehia brings extensive experience to his role. He currently competes on the senior international level for Morocco as a member of their national team, participating in World Cup tournaments that showcase the top 12 fencers from each participating country. His dedication to the sport is evident in his rigorous training schedule – five to six sessions weekly with his coach, complemented by additional conditioning work. Recently, he achieved a personal best, placing 69th out of 345 competitors at a tournament in Heidenheim, Germany. In the team competition there, Morocco faced Spain in a thrilling match that came down to sudden death overtime, ultimately falling just short at 33-34. To see him in action, click here!

Coaching has been a valuable learning experience for him. "The best way to gauge your understanding of something is to teach it to someone else," he explained. By breaking down the fundamentals for his athletes, he's rediscovered an appreciation for basic fencing tactics, incorporating some of these strategies into his own professional career.

One of his favorite aspects of coaching is seeing how each fencer's personality translates onto the strip. "While the sport itself is quite old, everyone develops their own unique style of moving, attacking, and scoring against their opponent," he said. "I enjoy the way each fencer's personality off the strip is reflected in their fencing style."

Early in the season, when the team faced a tough opponent in what was for most their first-ever match, Coach Yehia was impressed by their resilience. "They still cheered their hearts out for each other, shook hands with their opponents every time, and came back to the next practice with a renewed resolve to learn and improve," he recalled. "For me, I was proud that they didn't let their first taste of defeat scare them away from the victories they would earn later in the season."

For Coach Yehia, the proudest moments aren't about winning, they're about effort. "My proudest moment coaching the team is every practice where I can see my athletes are putting in the effort and using their potential to improve," he said. Watching his fencers stay engaged, think through drills, and push themselves to be better shows him that they are truly understanding the sport and developing as athletes. "Fencing is a small sport, so I'm proud of how they will go on to grow it."

After a great season, Coach Yehia has helped shape a team that's not just learning to fence, but learning to love the sport.