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🥈 World Youth Games Silver · Moscow · 🥇 4× National Champion · 2× All-American · 3× USA Junior World Championship Team · ☘️ University of Notre Dame · Division I Fencing Scholarship · 20 Years Coaching

Train with a
World-Class
Fencer.

At 15, Derek won a silver medal representing the U.S. at the World Youth Games in Moscow. He fenced at Notre Dame on scholarship, reached #12 in the world in Junior Foil, and has coached championship fencers for 20 years. That experience is now available to you online worldwide – or in-person in East Ventura County & the West San Fernando Valley.

View Services My Story
4×
USA National
Champion
🥈
World Youth Games
Silver · Moscow '98
#12
World Junior
Ranking · Foil
🏆
NCAA National
Champion · 2003
Two fencers in action – gold outline artwork
4× USA National Champion · Foil
3× USA Junior World Championship Team
2× All-American · University of Notre Dame 2002 & 2003
NCAA National Champion · Notre Dame 2003
Silver Medal · World Youth Games · Moscow 1998
World Ranking #12 · Junior Men's Foil 2001
42–0 · Individual Record · California State Championships
Featured in Sports Illustrated & ESPN School Sports
9th Place · U.S. Olympic Trials 2000
3rd · Junior World Cup London, England 2001
7th · Junior World Cup Madrid, Spain 2001
5th Place · NCAA Championships 2003
NCAA Midwest Foil Champion 2004
8× Pacific Coast Champion · 4× California State Foil Champion
Chaminade Athletic Hall of Fame · Double-Digit State Championships as Coach
Trained by Rev. Lawrence Calhoun · Creator of Fencing Junior Olympics
Trained by Misha Itkin · Former USA National Coach
4× USA National Champion · Foil
3× USA Junior World Championship Team
2× All-American · University of Notre Dame 2002 & 2003
NCAA National Champion · Notre Dame 2003
Silver Medal · World Youth Games · Moscow 1998
World Ranking #12 · Junior Men's Foil 2001
42–0 · Individual Record · California State Championships
Featured in Sports Illustrated & ESPN School Sports
9th Place · U.S. Olympic Trials 2000
3rd · Junior World Cup London, England 2001
7th · Junior World Cup Madrid, Spain 2001
5th Place · NCAA Championships 2003
NCAA Midwest Foil Champion 2004
8× Pacific Coast Champion · 4× California State Foil Champion
Chaminade Athletic Hall of Fame · Double-Digit State Championships as Coach
Trained by Rev. Lawrence Calhoun · Creator of Fencing Junior Olympics
Trained by Misha Itkin · Former USA National Coach
Two Ways to Train with Derek
💻
Path 01

Online Coaching

Available Worldwide

Memberships, bout reviews, live Zoom sessions, tournament-day support, and group seminars. Train from anywhere.

  • Members-only community & content library
  • Video bout reviews with timestamped analysis
  • Live coaching sessions via Zoom
  • Monthly memberships from $149
View Online Services →
🤝
Path 02

Live, In-Person Coaching

East Ventura County & West San Fernando Valley

Hands-on fencing lessons plus conditioning at your home or sport court. Individual and family formats.

  • 1-hour, 90-min & 2-hour formats
  • Family group lessons (3–4 fencers)
  • Summer off-season intensives
  • Free 15-min discovery call
View Local Lessons →
💻 Monthly Membership · Worldwide

Better Results Start Here.

Every tier includes the coaching community, a growing content library, and monthly Q&A recordings. The community is the foundation — bout reviews and live coaching layer on top.

🗡️
Weekend Warrior
$149/mo
"See what you've been missing."
⚔️
Rising Competitor
$299/mo
"Start winning the close bouts."
Most Popular
🏅
Contender
$499/mo
"Go deeper in every tournament."
🏆
Champion
$749/mo
"Leave nothing on the strip."
🥇
Olympian
$999/mo
"Train like you're going for gold."
Compare Plans & Join →

Cancel anytime. Save 10–15% with a 3- or 6-month commitment.

Members-Only Community

A Peek Inside the
Members' Vault.

Every membership includes full access. New content added weekly. The community gets smarter as members help each other.

Members Only
💬

Community Forum

  • Ask Derek questions — and get answers
  • Experienced members help newer members
  • Tournament talk, strategy, and mutual support
Join to Unlock →
Members Only
📋

Monthly Q&A Recordings

  • Derek answers the best member questions on video each month
  • A growing archive you can revisit anytime
  • Submit your own questions
Join to Unlock →
Members Only
👨‍👩‍👧

For Fencing Parents

  • What to expect at tournaments & post-bout conversations
  • College scholarship paths & real costs of competing
  • A space specifically for parents
Join to Unlock →
Members Only
🎬

Bout Analysis & Tactics

  • Video breakdowns, tactical concepts, scouting
Join to Unlock →
Members Only
🧠

Mental Prep & Training

  • Pre-tournament routines, visualization, conditioning
Join to Unlock →
Join the Community →
Not Ready for Membership?

Start with a Single Service.

No commitment required. Most families who start here end up joining the community within a few months.

💻 Recorded Analysis · 3–5 Day Turnaround

Bout Review

Find out exactly what's costing your fencer touches. Upload a bout — Derek records a timestamped video analysis you re-watch at your own pace.

from$75per bout
See Review Options →
💻 Live via Zoom · 30 Minutes

Live Coaching Session

One-on-one attention your fencer never gets at a crowded club. Bring a question, a bout, or a goal — leave with a plan.

from$90per session
Book a Session →
Also available à la carte:
🏆 Tournament-Day Coaching · $350+ 👥 Group Seminar · 6–10 Fencers · $50/person
About Derek Snyder

A coach who's been exactly
where your fencer is now.

Derek Snyder competing at Notre Dame

At 15, Derek won a silver medal representing the U.S. at the 1998 World Youth Games in Moscow. He went on to fence at Notre Dame on full scholarship, reach #12 in the world in Junior Foil, and represent the U.S.A. on three Junior World Championship teams. A rare dual-weapon athlete — ranked top 5 nationally in both foil and épée simultaneously. For 20 years he has coached at Chaminade College Preparatory and led the program to double-digit state championships, including seven straight overall combined state titles. Derek works with fencers starting from 4th grade, but also coaches parents and entire families — nearly everyone who wants to improve their game.

Derek's fencing career was shaped by two legends of American fencing: Reverend Lawrence Calhoun, who invented the Junior Olympics for fencing, and Misha Itkin, a former USA national coach whose son Nick Itkin is currently ranked #6 in the world in Men's Foil. Under their guidance he became a four-time USA National Champion, earned an "A" rating in both foil and épée by age 15, and holds the four-year individual record in California State Championships at 42–0.

Father Calhoun, Derek Snyder, and Misha Itkin at the 2000 Summer Nationals
Summer Nationals, 2000. Reverend Lawrence Calhoun (left), Derek Snyder (center), and Misha Itkin (right) after Derek's national championship victory.
Read Derek's full competitive career →

At 15 years old, Derek stepped onto the piste in Moscow representing the United States at the 1998 World Youth Games — the closest thing to the Olympics that existed for young athletes — and walked away with a silver medal in Men's Team Épée.

🏛️ More about the 1998 World Youth Games in Moscow…
The 1998 World Youth Games brought together over 7,500 athletes from 140 countries. Moscow renovated the historic Luzhniki Sports Arena — the same stadium that hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics — and built an entirely new Olympic Village featuring five 19-to-25 story residential towers, a sports gymnasium complex, a cycling track, a massive cafeteria, artificial hills, and a lake. Athletes had access to a 24-hour McDonald's where everything was free. Boris Yeltsin delivered a speech at the opening ceremonies — and all 7,500+ athletes were invited to a party inside the Kremlin. Learn more →

Derek represented the U.S.A. three times on Junior World Championship teams (1999, 2000 & 2002). He went to Moscow for épée in 1998 but made every Junior World team for foil — at his peak, ranked top 5 nationally in both weapons in his age bracket.

He reached #12 in the world for Junior Men's Foil in 2001, finishing 3rd at the Junior World Cup in London and 7th in Madrid in back-to-back weekends — while battling a serious illness throughout both tournaments. Upon returning to the U.S., he was hospitalized for an emergency tonsillectomy. In April 2000, he earned a bronze medal (3rd place) at an Open NAC in Cleveland, Ohio — competing against adult fencers as a high schooler. He competed at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials, finishing 9th in Men's Foil. His highest national ranking was 2nd in Junior Men's Foil (2002). In 2001, after not fencing épée nationally for nearly two years, he entered the Junior Olympics in Men's Junior Épée and finished 2nd, losing in the final to the #1-ranked fencer in the country — who became his future Notre Dame teammate. His overall Chaminade high school fencing record was 1,915 wins, 542 losses (.779 winning percentage).

Derek was inducted into the Chaminade Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011. His fencing jacket was retired after graduation and hangs in the foyer of the Chaminade High School gym.

Read about Derek's 20-year coaching career →

Since graduating from Notre Dame, Derek has served as Head Coach at Chaminade College Preparatory — coaching 6th through 12th grade in both foil and épée. Under his leadership the program has won double-digit California State Championships, including seven consecutive overall combined men's and women's state titles.

His coaching perspective was enriched by working with elite coaches from Notre Dame, Stanford, Princeton, Penn State, Ohio State, and international coaches from Ukraine, France, Hungary, Russia, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, and beyond.

Questions Parents Actually Ask

Straight Answers for
Fencing Families.

Will online coaching actually help my kid?
At the junior level, the difference between top-32 and top-8 is rarely physical — it's tactical, mental, and strategic. Your fencer keeps drilling at their club; Derek adds the brain trust on top.
My kid already has a club coach. Will this conflict?
Not at all. Derek's role is the developmental, tactical, and mental coaching that complements club training — never replaces it. If your fencer is ready for a top club, Derek will be the first to recommend one.
What makes the community different from buying individual sessions?
Individual sessions are transactional. The community is a living, growing resource — members ask questions, share observations, discuss tactics, and learn from each other, plus access a growing video library and monthly Q&A recordings. The fencers who improve fastest are surrounded by other serious fencers.
How much should we expect to spend?
Memberships range from $149/month (Weekend Warrior) to $999/month (The Olympian). Every tier includes full community access. Single bout reviews start at $75 and live sessions at $90. In-person starts at $140/hour. Save 10–15% with a multi-month commitment.
How does a bout review work?
Upload your fencer's bout video to Google Drive and share the link. Derek reviews it on his own time, records a detailed video analysis with timestamped commentary, and shares it within 3–5 business days. Your fencer watches it as many times as they need.
What ages and levels do you work with?
Derek coaches fencers starting from 4th grade through 12th grade, plus adults — including parents and entire families. The sweet spot is 7th through 11th grade. For younger fencers (5th-6th), a trial session is recommended first. 4th graders are case-by-case after a phone consultation.
What if we live too far for in-person?
Online coaching is available worldwide. Many of Derek's most successful coaching relationships are entirely remote — the bout review + Zoom format works from anywhere.
How do we know if Derek is right for our family?
Book a free 15-minute discovery call. No commitment, no pitch. If it's not a fit, Derek will tell you honestly — and may recommend another coach or club instead.
🤝 Live · In-Person Coaching · East Ventura County & West San Fernando Valley

Live, In-Person
Lessons at Your Home.

Private, hands-on fencing lessons at your home, sport court, or other flat space. All formats include technique, footwork, and tactical instruction — longer sessions (90-min and 2-hour) incorporate conditioning, agility work, and athletic development alongside fencing. Year-round availability with summer off-season intensives (May–August).

$140
1-Hour Lesson
Book Now →
$200
90-Min · Fencing + Conditioning
Book Now →
$260
2-Hour Complete Training
Fencing + conditioning + cooldown
Book Now →
📋 12+ More Live Coaching Options — Family Packages, Summer Intensives, Conditioning Sessions & More →
👨‍👩‍👧 Family of 3 · 1hr & 2hr 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family of 4 · 1hr & 2hr 🏋️ 2-Hour Complete Training ☀️ Summer Intensives 🚗 Travel Fee Zones ⚔️ Gear Rental 🏠 Space Requirements 👶 Younger Fencer Policies

Two Local Coaching Formats.

🤝 In-Person · Year-Round

Ongoing Weekly Lessons

Recurring 1-hour, 90-minute, or 2-hour live, in-person lessons at your home or sport court. Best for fencers who want consistent personal coaching alongside their club training, or families building a foundation from scratch. Available year-round.

🤝 In-Person · Off-Season

Summer Training Intensives

Off-season (May–August) is where serious fencers separate themselves. Live, in-person 2-hour sessions combining fencing instruction, footwork, conditioning, balance, and reaction work – the complete athletic development the school-year season doesn't have time for. Book individual sessions or a 6–8 session intensive package.

Full In-Person Pricing.

Service
Rate
— Individual Lessons —
1-Hour Fencing LessonTechnique, footwork, blade work, lesson-style instruction
$140 Book →
90-Minute LessonFencing instruction + conditioning, footwork & agility warm-up
$200 Book →
2-Hour Complete TrainingFull fencing lesson + structured conditioning, agility & athletic development + cooldown
$260 Book →
— Family Group Lessons —
Family of 3 (1 hour)Footwork, basic technique, & family drills · $100/person effective
$300 Book →
Family of 3 (2 hours)Full session: fencing lesson + conditioning + drills · $167/person effective
$500 Book →
Family of 4 (1 hour)$87.50/person effective
$350 Book →
Family of 4 (2 hours)$146.25/person effective · fencing + conditioning
$585 Book →
— Travel Beyond 10 Miles —
10–25 miles from Simi ValleyMaximum travel range · round-trip fee per session
+$40
— Equipment Rental (if needed) —
Coach brings gear · 1 personMask, glove, blade · saves families from buying gear before they're sure
+$20
Coach brings gear · 2–4 peopleMultiple sized sets · ideal for family lessons
+$40

Your Space.

Lessons happen at your home – on a sport court, in a backyard, in a garage, in a basement, on a tennis court, or even on a flat driveway. Derek has coached in tight garages, narrow strips next to pools, and everything in between. Most spaces work; reach out and describe yours.

🏠 Indoor Space

  • Hard, flat, level floor (concrete, hardwood, sport court, sealed garage)
  • Ceiling height of at least 8 feet (10+ feet ideal)
  • Air conditioning, fan, or natural ventilation
  • Minimum usable space: 7 meters × 1.5 meters
  • Ideal space: 14 meters × 2 meters (full strip dimensions)

🌳 Outdoor Space

  • Hard, flat, level surface (sport court, tennis court, driveway, patio)
  • No slope or pitched grade
  • Minimum usable space: 7 meters × 1.5 meters
  • Ideal space: 14 meters × 2 meters
  • Shaded area or AC nearby for breaks (especially summer)
  • Water access for both coach and fencer

Local Coaching Policies.

👶 Younger Fencers (Grades 4–6)

For 5th and 6th graders new to coaching, Derek recommends starting with a 1-hour session before committing to longer formats. 4th graders considered case-by-case – please reach out for a brief phone consultation first. Derek has coached this age group for 20 years and knows what makes the difference between a fencer who's ready and one who isn't.

📅 Travel & Scheduling

Travel within 10 miles of Simi Valley is free. A $40 round-trip travel fee applies for sessions 10–25 miles away. Derek does not travel beyond 25 miles.

🤝 The Honest Pipeline

If your fencer reaches the level where they need a top-tier club environment, Derek will be the first to tell you – and the first to recommend the right club. He's not here to keep clients past their development phase; he's here to build fencers who go on to compete seriously. Honest scope, transparent referrals.

Pedigree & Pipeline

Coached by Misha Itkin · Trained Alongside Olympians

Derek's primary coach is Misha Itkin, founder of Los Angeles International Fencing Center (LAIFC) and a former USA national coach. Misha has trained world-class fencers for decades, including his son Nick Itkin – currently ranked #6 in the world in Men's Foil, an Olympic medalist, and a Notre Dame alumnus like Derek.

For fencers ready to compete at the regional and national level, Derek will be the first to recommend a top club like LAIFC. Derek's role is the developmental, tactical, and mental coaching that prepares fencers for that next step – and complements elite club training for those already there. Honest scope, real referrals, no overselling.

⚠ Draft – confirm wording with Misha before publishing

Not Sure Where to Start?

Book a free 15-minute discovery call with Derek to talk through your fencer's goals, your space, and find the right format. No commitment – just a conversation.

Book Your Free Discovery Call →

⚠ Calendly link is a placeholder – replace with your real Calendly URL once your account is set up.

Book a Session

Ready to Elevate
Your Game? 🤺

Fill out the form and Derek will respond within 24 hours to confirm your session, answer any questions, and get you set up with everything you need.

Derek works with fencers at every level – from club beginners to nationally ranked competitors – in both foil and épée. Two ways to train:

  • 💻 Online coaching – worldwide via Zoom or Google Meet
  • 🤝 Live, in-person coaching – East Ventura County & West San Fernando Valley
  • Foil and épée – Y10 through Senior Open, grades 4–12 (with trial) and adults
  • Bout reviews delivered within 3–5 business days
  • Members save 5–15% on additional bout reviews
  • Free 15-min discovery call available – not sure where to start? Just ask.

📁 Uploads & 💳 Payments – Completely Free

How to Share Video (Online Only)

After booking, upload your bout video to Google Drive (free with any Gmail account) and share the link with Derek. No special software needed – phone footage is fine.

How to Pay

Pay via Zelle or Venmo (zero fees, bank to bank). Payment confirmed before session begins.

Get in Touch

Tell Derek about yourself and what you're looking to work on.

⚔️ About Your Fencer

This helps Derek understand exactly where your fencer is so he can provide the best coaching path. Every fencer is different — there are no wrong answers here.