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Dueling Socks (Fencing)

Medal Rounds: August 6-10 (Individual); August 11-14 (Team)

Get Out and Play!

Gather:
black pair of socks
white pair of socks
rubber bands (optional)

Go:
1. Roll socks into loose balls. (Secure with a rubber band if needed.) Give the black sock-ball to Player 1 and the white sock-ball to Player 2. Each player can only touch their own sock-ball.
2. Starting at opposite ends of the field, competitors advance toward each other. Whoever throws a sock-ball that tags the other person earns a point. If a player misses, they can retrieve their sock-ball and try again, but they are a free target.
3. As soon as either player scores a point, both players retrieve their socks and return to their starting positions. Whoever scores three points first wins.

A Champion’s Heart

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. —Ecclesiastes 7:8 (NIV)

In fencing, the athlete who strikes blade-to-cloth first wins a point. You might think that would make duelists extra-aggressive, charging and slashing at each other right away. But when you lunge forward to attack, you leave your body exposed. With a proper countermove, your opponent can immediately shift from defense to offense and strike you while you’re most vulnerable. That’s why most fencers try to make their opponents attack first.

Patience is crucial. When we let others go first, it gives us time to prepare for what’s coming.

Sometimes we confuse being patient with giving up. But if God has placed a longing in your heart, He wants you to trust Him enough to keep waiting, even if it takes years. He has a plan for you, and it probably won’t unfold as quickly as you’d like. The key is to stay alert, ready to fill your role at any time.

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Welcome to Clubhouse Jr.

Every month, Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr. magazine provides age-appropriate, biblically based stories, poems, puzzles, crafts and recipes that can help children (ages 3-7) learn more about and grow closer to God.