Lesson Formats & How Scheduling Works 💡

TMFC offers several private-lesson formats to support fencers at different ages and stages of development.

Lesson Formats

• 20-Minute Private Lessons
  Short, focused instruction ideal for younger fencers or targeted skill work

• 30-Minute Private Lessons
  Longer sessions for advanced technical and tactical development

• Small Group Lessons
  2–3 fencers training together with one coach (when available)

Exception: Class Pull-Out Lessons (Bronze & Silver Programs)

• Students enrolled in Bronze and Silver programs may receive class pull-out lessons

• These lessons are not scheduled online

• Pull-out lessons take place during the student’s regularly scheduled group class

• The coach will pull the student aside for individual instruction on the day the child attends class

• Timing and coach assignment are managed on-site by TMFC staff

Scheduling

Private lessons are booked on a recurring weekly basis during the season (September–June). Coaches maintain fixed schedules, so one-off lesson bookings are only available for make-up lessons. Please note that peak lesson times—particularly with senior and elite coaches—are often fully booked during the season, generally between 3:00–8:00pm.

During Winter Camp and Pre-National Camps, lessons must be booked separately for those weeks, as coaches operate on different schedules during camp periods.

During the summer months, coach availability and lesson schedules may vary.

Coaching Assignments & Program Structure

Each student enrolled in a private lesson membership is assigned a lead coach, who serves as the primary point of contact for technical development, guidance, and coordination. Students taking three or more lessons per week are often assigned a secondary coach as well.

For competitive students, coach changes during the season require discussion and approval from the appropriate Program Lead, as consistency and long-term planning are essential to effective training:

• Saber: Tim Morehouse

• Foil: Slava Grigoriev

• Épée: Abdallah Sameh

Program Leads may also make decisions—in the student’s best interest—to adjust lesson coaching assignments or recommend adding additional coaches as part of a student’s development.

TMFC operates as a club-first environment. Together is one of our core pillars. While students may take private lessons with one or two coaches, they should expect to train with and be coached by the full TMFC staff, especially at tournaments. It is not feasible for any club to guarantee a single dedicated coach for each athlete at every event.

Booking Online

Some coaches are not available for online booking, including our competitive and elite coaches:

Examples of coaches whose schedule isn’t online:

• Tim Morehouse

• Daryl Homer

• Giovanni Sirovich

• Akhi Spencer-El

To schedule recurring lessons with these coaches, please contact info@timmorehousefencing.com or complete the appropriate scheduling request form or some of these coaches will handle lesson scheduling with you directly. 

The online booking system is intended to show potential availability only. Students may not book lessons indiscriminately across multiple coaches. If a lesson is booked online with a coach who is not a student’s assigned lead or secondary coach, the club reserves the right to cancel or adjust the lesson unless prior approval has been given.

Coach Oversight & Progress Monitoring

From time to time, the program leads Tim Morehouse (Saber), Slava Grigoriev (Foil), or Abdallah Sameh (Epee) may request to work with students they do not coach regularly. 

This is done intentionally to:

• Monitor student progress

• Provide feedback to coaches and parents

• Ensure alignment across the program

• Support long-term development

These sessions are part of TMFC’s development model and are meant to benefit the student.

Coach Absences: Tournament Travel & Coverage

Lessons scheduled on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday are especially likely to require coverage due to coaches traveling to tournaments. When a coach is traveling, a comparable coverage coach will be provided, and students are expected to take the coverage in order to maintain their reserved lesson slot.

If you choose to cancel instead of taking coverage, the lesson may be rescheduled as a make-up; however, the original slot must remain filled for business and staffing purposes. We will notify families in advance by email when coaches are traveling and outline the coverage plan.

If a coach is unexpectedly out due to illness, this is unavoidable. Coverage may be limited in these cases and will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Cancellation Policy

We have a 24-hour cancellation policy for private lessons. Each student is allowed two late-cancellation make-up lessons per season. If a lesson is cancelled late, the lesson is charged, but the make-up does not deduct from the lesson pack. After two late cancellations, lessons will be charged as scheduled.

Even when competing at tournaments, it is the student’s responsibility to cancel lessons they will miss. The fastest and preferred way to cancel is through your online account.

Key Policies for Private Lesson Packages

• There are no refunds or exchanges for purchased lesson packs.

• All cancellations must be in writing. If you are unable to cancel online, you must email us. Verbal communication—including telling a coach or staff member—is not considered official communication. We cannot accept “I told so-and-so” when reviewing cancellation requests.

• Written communication protects everyone. For clarity and fairness, we rely on written records when resolving questions. If we make a mistake on our end, we will take responsibility—but only written communication can be used as confirmation.

• Peak-time lesson slots are limited. If a student repeatedly cancels lessons in a peak-time slot, the club reserves the right to reassign that time to another student who is able to use it consistently.