OUR STAFF
Connie Schreiber
Executive Director
Connie is excited to share her vast experience of 15+ years at the national and international level in the world of fencing with FSA students and parents. Her unique insights as a fencing parent, fencer, and manager enable her to maintain a professional, family-friendly environment where Épée, Foil, and Sabre fencers at any level can bond and grow together, unfolding the world of fencing through personalized training.
She was fundamentally involved in attracting a team of high caliber coaches at Fencing Sports Academy and supporting their efforts to develop the successful program that has enabled the Academy to become named among the top level fencing centers in the United States.
Fun Facts
Working in the garden during spring, summer, and fall keeps her balanced. Watching the daffodils peek out with their friendly, yellow bells brings her joy. During the colder seasons, she prefers preparing her favorite comfort foods, keeping them simmering in a crock pot. And of course: COOKIES. Specifically baking secret family recipes and seeing everyone eagerly waiting to get their share. And above all else, stabbing a target certainly takes the edge off.
Alexis Machado Cordoves
Manager of Programs and Fencing Floor Supervisor
Machado has extensive experience in sports management and consistently develops a cohesive fencing program at FSA at all levels for all weapons. Considering each individual fencer’s skill level, allows him to help them achieve their full potential based on the class contents as well as personal attention.
Machado has found success in coaching both individuals as well as teams including successes at the Olympic level. He has managed national programs, accomplishing repeated podium appearances at the highest levels for Cuba, Venezuela, and Mexico. He has successfully developed students in the United States for the last 6 years. He studied fencing training and specialized in coaching all 3 weapons at the University of Cuba.
Machado was instrumental in pulling the coaches together as a team to jointly develop and continue the development of the programs at the Fencing Sports Academy and enabling the coaches and fencers to maintain the highest level of performance and fencing education.
Fun Facts
In Machado’s free time, he likes to watch movies, explore new places, and read, keeping himself well-read personally and professionally. He also enjoys spending time with family, going out to eat, and sightseeing hotspots like museums, aquariums, parks, and the beach.
Meet Our Coaches
FSA is a 3 weapon club with coaches teaching Epee, Foil and Saber
Domingo Gomez
Head Épée Coach
Domingo is an experienced fencing coach and athlete with multiple studies in sports and exercise science, This includes a bachelor’s degree in Sports Science (UANL), which made him stand out as a regional and state coach in his hometown Monterrey, México. As an athlete he made his way up to the Junior and Senior Mexican National Epee Team while fencing in various individual and team events. His vast experience as an athlete and coach is reflected in the success of his students, who have participated in FIE events such as Junior Pan Ams, World Championships, Junior and Senior World Cups, NACs, and USAF Regional Events. Domingo is well known for his ethical, technical, and strategical thinking which transcends into fencing drills and tactics, making athletes achieve their potential at the highest fencing levels.
Fun Facts
My favorite sports besides fencing are baseball and soccer. My favorite soccer team is the Rayados de Monterrey. I consider world history to be very interesting. I like to learn, read and watch documentaries related to museums, buildings, artefacts etc. I enjoy barbecues and spending time with family and friends. I am passionate about watching fencing tournaments and keeping up with the statistics, results and videos of national and international tournaments.
Russ Wilson
Foil & Sabre Coach
Coach Russ Wilson has produced many local, regional, and national champions during his forty years involvement in American Fencing. He has coached both foil and Sabre fencers to Division 1 top eight and helped many fencers secure berths on both USA and British national teams. He has produced All-Americans and All-Ivy League fencers. He has also coached fencers to the World Maccabiah championships. This event takes place once every four years and is the third largest sporting event in the world.
Russ has helped his students get recruited to such schools as Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins.
As a referee, Russ is a AAA FIE rated referee, certifying him to referee the Olympic Finals in each weapon. He is the last living person to have refereed both Foil and Sabre at the Olympic Games, having been selected to three Olympiads.
As an athlete, Russ was junior national champion, twice All-American, and four-time First Team All-Ivy League selections for Columbia University. Russ won a bronze individual and a gold team medal at the 1985 Maccabiah event. He was also a three-time selection for Team USA to the Junior World Championships. He coaches foil and Sabre students at all levels. He has an AB from Columbia, a MA from Georgetown, and a JD from the Washington College of Law.
Fun Facts
When Russ worked for the government, he met with Fidel Castro, Kim Il Sung and most world leaders. He loves opera and art and taught Law school for nine years.
Alex Wood
Foil Coach
Coach Wood has been involved in the sport of fencing for over nearly 30 years, including as a competitor, coach, and leader within the United States Fencing Association. Coach Wood has been a fencing coach in Northern Virginia area for the past 12 years, providing group instruction, private foil lessons, and strip coaching students at national and international tournaments. His students have gone on to attend and compete at NCAA schools, including Stanford, John’s Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania, and Penn State.
As a competitor, he trained at the Rochester Fencing Centre (RFC) from 1987-1996 under Nat Goodhartz (primary coach) and Buckie Leach. Thereafter, he competed at Stanford University under Zoran Tulum, Lisa Milgram, Alex Kuznetsov, and George Pogosov where he was three-time NCAA All-American and Captain of the Stanford Fencing Team. His main accomplishments include being a multiple U.S. Junior Olympic Champion in Foil, finalist in numerous U.S. national tournaments, and a 5-time U.S. team member at the World Championships. During this time, he attended numerous World Cups representing the United States. In addition to competing, he was an athlete representative on the US Fencing Board of Directors, Chair of the Athlete Council, Chair of the National Team Oversight Committee, Chair of the Membership Growth Task Force, and participated in many other US Fencing committees. He stopped competing in 2005 to attend law school at the University of Oregon.
As a competitor Coach Wood strived to compete with integrity, sportsmanship, and fair competition. He stands by those values to this day and has continued to impress upon his students with those same values when they compete. He would like to continue to advocate for all athletes in the fencing community to compete in an environment that fosters those ideals. He strives to teach in a positive work environment, encourage when needed, while promoting hard work so athletes are able to reach their highest potential.
Fun Facts
While not coaching, he spends his time either at his full-time job as a privacy attorney with the U.S. Federal Government, or chasing after his three boys shuttling them from activity to activity. He also enjoys traveling, reading, and playing soccer, including rooting for his favorite team, Liverpool. Go Reds!
Moataz Abdelkarem
Épée Coach
Moataz is a remarkable left-handed fencer and has been fencing since he was 7 years old. As a member of the Egyptian National Fencing Team for 10 years, he participated in multiple international competitions, and was the Arabian Champion two years in a row. He has been coaching the sport for over 10 years, both nationally and internationally, and has trained Olympic fencers and World Cup Champions – that includes the recent Men’s Epee Bronze medal recipient in the Paris 2024
Olympics. Moataz recently moved to Virginia to join FSA after his consistent success as a coach in New Jersey for more than 4 years. His love for Epee clearly comes through in his classes. His expertise and enthusiasm enlivens the classes and private lessons.
Fun Facts
Moataz is a huge soccer fan. In his free time, he enjoys being with his family, grilling, watching sports and reading sports news and articles. He also enjoys traveling.
Jean Carlos DeLa Cruz
Épée Coach
I started fencing when I was 11 years old and since that day I fell in love with the sport. In my 15 years of fencing I made the Puertorican National Epee Team in Cadet, Junior and Senior levels.
As a coach I have helped many athletes improve in their fencing on the National and International level.
I love working with younger fencers, helping them to be the best they can be and fall in love with the sport of fencing.
Fun Facts
In my free time I enjoy gaming with my friends. Also like listening to music from Bad Bunny. Other than fencing I love baseball, boxing and pool. I like to watch fencing videos to learn from other fencers and coaches. I love spending time with my family and going to the beach.
Jose Alfonso
Coach
Fencing has been Coach Jose Alfonso’s long-standing favorite since he was nine. An accomplished fencer from Villa Clara City, Cuba, Coach Jose won multiple silver and bronze medals in Cuba’s National Individual events and achieved a gold medal in Team events when fencing for 15 years in Cuba.
Armed with extensive sports knowledge, Coach Jose attended the University of Villa Clara Manuel Piti Fajardo and pursued his undergraduate degree in physical studies and recreation. Wanting to be an outstanding trainer, Coach Jose continued graduate studies and acquired his Master’s degree in Sports Training. Suffice it to say that Coach Jose has an extensive background in sports education; his students are so lucky to have him as their coach and mentor!
Fun Facts
Prior to joining FSA, coach Jose worked at the Villa Clara Talent School (EIDE) from 2010 until 2022. During his tenure at EIDE, coach Jose’s students achieved national medals in the National School Games in Cuba. Coach Jose hopes to achieve similar success at FSA.
Javier Tucker Alfonso
Coach
Coach Javier Tucker Alfonso has been passionate about fencing since young. Ever since he started his fencing lessons at 10 years old, he worked hard and became very competitive in the sport during the following 8 years. One of Coach Javier’s most remarkable achievements includes being ranked as one of the Top 8 fencers nationally in Cuba when he was 14th years old.
Coach Javier graduated from the University of Matanzas Camilo Cienfuegos with an undergraduate degree in Business. After he finished college, he decided to continue his passion for fencing by working as an assistant coach with the team of Matanzas City. Under Coach Javier’s coaching and guidance, the team won gold and bronze medals in the Cuban National Games in 2022, earning the first-place overall honor. We do not doubt Coach Javier’s ability to bring a similar success here at FSA.
Fun Facts
Coach Javier has a Husky dog named Max, who he loves and misses dearly. Max now lives with Coach Javier’s mom in Matanzas City, Cuba, where Coach Javier was born and raised.
Annis Hechavarria
Coach
Coach Annis Hechavarria is a remarkable foil fencer with uncountable fencing accolades. For example, she was a member of Cuba’s national fencing team for 11 years. While on the team, she and her team won the Central America Silver Medal in Bogota, the Bronze Medal in the Pan American Games, placed in the top 20 in the Grand Prix, and frequently participated in the Villa de la Habana World Cup, to name a few. Presently, Coach Annis continues to be active in the fencing tournament scenes here in the United States. Ever since she picked up her foil weapon when she was 9, she has never looked back.
Fun Facts
Coach Annis is happy to be at FSA and share her passion and knowledge of fencing with her students.
Join Our Team!
Fencing Sports Academy is always looking for Épée, Foil, and Sabre fencing coaches and fitness and administrative staff who are compassionate, professional, and talented. From recreational to competitive fencing, FSA seeks individuals that can contribute to the continued creation of effective training programs, developing fencers of all skill levels into national and international champions.