Coaches
William Becker - Head Coach
William Becker graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and has a Master's of Arts degree in Physical Education from the University of South Florida. He has been involved in the art of fencing since 1983 and has been coaching since 1991. Mr. Becker began his fencing career under the tutelage of Jacques Piguet, a French master and former coach of Cornell University. He continued his fencing career with Geza Kogler and Miguel D’Alerta. He moved on to become a nationally ranked fencer under Maestro Valentin Nikolov. Maestro Nikolov was a member of the Bulgarian National Sabre team and later coached the Bulgarian National Team, where a member of the team was the world champion of sabre. Mr. Becker was the head coach of Broward Community College fencing club from 1991 until 2004 when the club relocated to the City of Hallandale Beach and was called South Florida Fencing Club. The South Florida Fencing Club enjoyed many successes at that location until Mr. Becker relocated to the Phoenix, AZ area in 2007. Mr. Becker also taught fencing at Barry University from 1998 to 2007. He is currently a nationally ranked referee holding an esteemed ranking of a 2 in sabre and a 3 in epee and foil. He also holds an esteemed international referee license in both foil and sabre which was obtained in 2007. Mr. Becker is currently the Southeast Section Chair and the former Gold Coast Florida Division Chair of the United States Fencing Association. He is also a member of the USA Fencing Board of Directors and a member of the Fencing Officials Commission He has hosted numerous divisional, sectional and national tournaments with great success.
Mr. Becker has experienced many successes during his fencing career. He is a twenty-five-time Sunshine State games gold medalist, ten-time Florida Gold Coast division champion in Men’s Sabre, four-time Florida Gold Coast Division champion in Men’s foil and two-time division champion in Men’s Epee. Mr. Becker has been a finalist in foil, sabre and epee fifteen times at the Southeast Section championships. In 2003, Mr. Becker was the Southeast Section Men’s Sabre champion and has been a four time silver medalist and three times bronze medalist in the same event. He was a U.S. National Championship finalist in 1989, 1993, 2006-2010. In 2004, he was a member and coach of the Summer National championships Men’s Sabre Silver medal team and a member of the bronze medal Men’s Epee team. Mr. Becker has over 20 National tournament medals.
Mr. Becker enjoys coaching students of all ages. He has coached many students to win national medals and now has three national champions.
**Notable Accomplishments of Students **
2010 Peruvian National Women's Sabre Champion
2010 Junior Men's Sabre World Team Member
2010 Junior Women's Sabre World Team Member
2010 Junior World Championships 9th place Cadet Men's Sabre
2010 Pan American Championships 1st place Cadet Men's Sabre
2009 Men's Sabre National Collegiate Club Champion
2009 Women's Sabre National Collegiate Club Champion
2008 Vet 50 Men's Sabre National Champion
2008 Vet 50 Men's World Championship Team Member
2008 Junior Olympics Cadet Men's Sabre Runner-Up
2008 Div 1A Men's Sabre National Championship Silver and Bronze Medalists
2008 Canadian National Team Member- Junior Women's Sabre
2007 Canadian National Champion Cadet Women's Sabre
2007 Canadian National Team Member- Cadet Women's Sabre
2007 Vet 40 Men's Sabre National Championships - Runner-up
2004 Summer Nationals Men's Sabre Team - Silver Medal
Numerous U.S. National Tournament Medalists
Top 32 Junior World Cup- Women's & Men's Sabre
Top 16 Junior World Cup- Women's & Men's Sabre
Top 32 Cadet World Cup - Men's Sabre
Top 16 Cadet World Cup - Men's Sabre
Numerous Southeast Section Champions and Medalists
Numerous Rocky Mountain Section Champions and Medalists
Numerous Arizona State Champions and Medalists
Numerous Sunshine State Games Champions and Medalists
Numerous Gold Coast Florida and Arizona Division Champions and Medalists
Numerous students in NCAA and Collegiate Club Fencing Programs
Michelle Becker - Assistant Coach
(mickisoftball@mindspring.com)
Michelle has been fencing for the past 11 years. She is a mother of two and an elementary school teacher. She has won numerous local and regional competitions and has been coaching for the past 4 years. Many of her students have qualified for Junior Olympics and National Tournaments.
Michelle really enjoys working with the beginning fencers and young students.
Fencing Accomplishments:
United States Summer Nationals 2011 Division 2 Women's Sabre Top 16
Arizona Division Championships 2nd place Women's Sabre 2011
Rocky Mountain Section Champion in Women's Sabre 2011
Gold Coast Florida Division Championships 1st place Women's Sabre 2007
Will Becker - Assistant Coach
Will Becker has been fencing for 9 years and is a certified USFCA, AAI Prevot de Sabre. He served as a member and anchor of the Arizona State University Collegiate Club Champion team in 2009 as well as taking home the 2009 Collegiate Club Gold Medal in Individual Sabre. He has been coaching for 3 years and was taught by his father Bill Becker throughout his fencing career. Will also attained an FIE referee license in sabre in 2011.
Fencing Accomplishments:
2011 North American Cup in Kansas City - Division 1 Men's Sabre - 24th place
2011 Arizona State Champion Men's Sabre
2010 Arizona State Champion Men's Sabre
2010 North American Cup Dallas, TX. Division 2 Men's Sabre Finalist
2009 Collegiate Club Nationals Individual Sabre Gold Medalist at Arizona State University
2009 Collegiate Club Nationals Team Member Sabre Gold Medalist at Arizona State University
2008-2009 Sabre Fencer of the Year at Arizona State University
2008 Collegiate Club Nationals Team Member Sabre Bronze Medalist at Arizona State University
2008 Rocky Mountain Section Bronze Medalist
2004 US Summer Nationals Team Member Sabre Silver Medalist
Currently an A rated Sabre Fencer
Jason DiMinico - Assistant Coach
Jason began fencing with Bill Becker at the age of 14 in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. He won many local and regional tournaments, including the 2008 Rocky Mountain Sectional Foil champion and the 2008 Western Collegiate Foil champion. In 2008, he was also a nationally ranked junior foil fencer. He has been coaching for the past two years. He currently attends Arizona State University on a fencing scholarship.
Fencing Acomplishments:
Rocky Mountain Section Champion in Men's Foil 2008 and 2011
Western Collegiate Foil Champion in 2008
Sunshine State Games Men's Foil Champion
Arizona State Championships Men's Foil Champion
Junior Men's Foil points holder
Currently an A rated Epee Fencer
Currently an A rated Foil Fencer
Currently a B rated Sabre Fencer
Joseph Pipkin - Assistant Coach
Joseph Pipkin is a certified USFCA, AAI Prevot de Sabre. Joe has 12 years of competitive fencing experience in Foil, Epee, and Sabre. He served as a member of the varsity fencing program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for 6 years both as a coach and athlete under fencing master Ronald Miller.
Fencing Accomplishments and Results
4 year letter winner
2003-2004 season MVP at UNC
2003-2004 outstanding Freshmen at UNC
2004-2008 Coach’s Awards for Distinguished Contributions
2002 Mid-Atlantic Regional Circuit Foil Silver Medalist
2003 Mid-Atlantic Regional Circuit Epee Gold Medalist
2003 Mid-Atlantic Regional Circuit Sabre Gold Medalist
2004 Junior Olympics Men’s Sabre – 11th place
2005 Summer Nationals Division 1A – Men’s Sabre – 8th place
2006 Summer Nationals Division 1A – Men’s Sabre – 3rd place
2007 Summer Nationals Division 1A – Men’s Sabre – 3rd place
2008 North American Cup in Colorado Springs – Men’s Sabre – Top 16
2011 Summer Nationals Division 1A -- Men's Sabre -- 3rd place
Currently an A rated Sabre Fencer