My child can’t compete in the qualifier event, but they’d still like to fence at Nationals, can we petition?
Generally, yes, for a non-refundable fee. If your child wants to fence at Sectionals to try to qualify for Nationals, but missed the Sectional qualifier, they need to contact the Section chair for the forms, the amount of the fee required, and the address to which the petition should be sent. If it’s an event where the qualification path is directly from a Division-sponsored event, contact the USFA national office for that information. For petitions to the USFA, a letter is often required from a Division officer. The best thing to do, in that case, is to draft a letter citing your child’s reason for missing the qualifier and citing some of their best past results. Give that draft letter to the Division officer for them to edit, sign, and submit, and the chances that they will get it in to the National Office in a timely fashion are vastly increased. Petitions usually need to be submitted within a couple of days of the qualifying event, so it is important to take action on this as soon
