I fenced years ago and am returning after a long break. Should I enter the beginner event my friend recommends?
Sports"You haven't held a foil in eight years. That makes you a beginner again," my friend said, deleting the note I'd typed about four years of previous club fencing.
We're looking at a small local event with beginner and open groups. The registration page doesn't explain how previous experience is counted. I don't expect to be competitive in the open group after such a long break, but I also don't want to be the person whose old skills return halfway through a beginner match.
My friend says disclosing the four years will only make the organiser put me somewhere unsuitable. I can ask the organiser before entering, and I'd rather do that than quietly choose the easiest label. Still, I don't know how to describe current ability when I haven't tested it in a match.
What information would you send so the organiser can place me fairly without assuming that either the years trained or the years away tell the whole story?