Marlboro brothers make fencing their sport
BY JEFF APPELBLATT
Correspondent

Each of the six schools in the Freehold Regional High School District offers students an extensive list of sports to take part in.

But when Carl Goldfarb entered Marlboro High School in 2003, he had just one sport he wanted to participate in - fencing - which is not only unavailable in Marlboro, but is not offered in any Central or South Jersey high school.

"As a kid, I always watched 'Zorro,' 'The Three Musketeers,' it made me interested in fencing," said Goldfarb. "I always wanted to do it."

But what's a teenager to do when he can't engage in his dream activity? Find something else? Just give up?

Not Goldfarb. He found a way to get fencing onto his schedule.

During his freshman year, Goldfarb began foil (a long, thin fencing sword with a button on the point to prevent injury) lessons at the Atlantic Club in Manasquan. But soon after, he was ready for more of a challenge and switched to the Fencers Club in New York. The Fencers Club, established in 1883, is the oldest fencing institution in the Western hemisphere, according to its Web site, www.fencersclub.com.

This month, the lessons from Kornel Udvarhelyi, who is labeled a world-class epee (a broad two-edged sword without a point) coach, paid off. Goldfarb returned from Miami last week, where he participated in the Summer Nationals.

Carl wasn't the only Goldfarb who qualified for the tournament, though. His younger brother, Brian, also dueled in Miami. The younger Goldfarb, who will be starting high school at Marlboro this year, has someone other than Zorro to thank for his love of fencing - his brother.

"I saw my brother fence and saw it was interesting," Brian Goldfarb said. "But I saw the foil and decided that was more interesting."

While at Marlboro Middle School, Brian played tennis, and he hopes to continue playing at the high school level. He also plans to continue with fencing.

Brian Goldfarb isn't ready to choose between the two, stating that he likes them both equally, and at age 13, it isn't necessary for him to do so. He is also part of the Johns Hopkins program for Talented Youth, which encourages activities such as fencing to gain focus and motivation.

Carl Goldfarb, on the other hand, is focused on one activity and will be attending Brandeis University in the fall, where he will be part of the fencing team.

"I wanted to go into international relations and political science," the college-bound Goldfarb said, explaining how he chose the university. "Brandeis had the best programs for me."

While Goldfarb knows how difficult it is to prolong a career in fencing, he is appreciative of the experiences he has gotten so far.

"[The Fencers Club] trains a lot of Olympic fencers," he said. "It's great to train with that caliber fencer.

"It would be nice to actually go [to the Olympics], but it's not my main goal," he added. "I feel like there are a lot of things [for me] to improve. I hope to improve in college, and I just want to help represent Brandeis."