About NCF Boulder
47 years of producing champions from Boulder, Colorado.
47
Years
46
National Champions
800+
National Finalists
64
World/Pan Am Selections
The 30-Minute Drive That Changes Everything
NCF Boulder was founded in 1979 by Gary Copeland with a clear mission: build a program that develops competitive fencers through structured, purposeful training. Forty-seven years later, that mission hasn't changed, and neither has the founder. Gary still coaches every practice.
What has changed is the scale of what NCF has produced. Forty-six individual national champions. Over 800 national finalists. Sixty-four Junior and Cadet World Championship and Pan American team selections. A Harvard All-American. And in 2025, a Pan American silver medalist in Maddie Burks.
In June 2026, Gary was elected to the USA Fencing Hall of Fame, Class of 2027, national recognition for a career spent developing champions in Boulder. Read the announcement.
NCF is an epee-focused club. We don't try to be everything to everyone. We specialize in one weapon, train it with precision and depth, and produce fencers who compete at the highest levels of the sport. The training environment emphasizes structure, accountability, and individual ownership, reflecting the values that make fencing unique among youth sports.
47 years. One weapon. One room. All of it built right here at 1949 33rd Street.
"[Gary Copeland] built it into one of the most productive clubs in American history, developing 46 individual national champions over more than 45 years."
Training Philosophy
Fencing is 90% mental. Our curriculum trains the mind as rigorously as the body.
The Reset
Recover from mistakes in 3 seconds. Every touch is a new problem. Dwelling on the last point loses the next one.
The Strategist
Read patterns in real time. Recognize what your opponent is doing and adapt mid-bout. The athlete who sees more, wins more.
The Anchor
Manage pressure when it matters. Nationals, recruiting bouts, championship points. Composure under stress is a trained skill.
Stage-Not-Age Advancement
Athletes advance by skill mastery, not birthday or enrollment time. A fast learner moves up fast. A methodical learner gets the time they need. No one gets left behind or held back.
Who is the head coach at NCF Boulder?
Gary Copeland is the head coach and founder of NCF Boulder. He was named the US Olympic Committee Fencing Coach of the Year, has coached for 47 years, and still teaches every practice at the club's 1949 33rd Street studio in Boulder. Across that career he has produced 46 individual national champions and 64 Junior and Cadet World Championship and Pan American team selections, and he has served as a US National Team coach more than 20 times.
Who is Coach Andrea Lagan?
Andrea Lagan is a coach at NCF Boulder. She is a former New Zealand national epee champion who competed internationally before joining the NCF Boulder coaching staff. She runs private and group lessons across the youth and adult tier ladder and is one of the two named instructors families work with at the club.
Coaching Staff
Gary Copeland
Founder & Head Coach
Since 1979 · Epee
Andrea Lagan
Coach
Since 1992 · Epee
Scott Permer
Coach
Since 2020 · Epee
Devin Tafoya
Coach
Since 2026 · Epee
Our Philosophy
Driven. Strategic. Inclusive.
Ready to try fencing?
Your first lesson is complimentary. All equipment provided. No experience necessary.