Coaches

Head Coach, Robert Candiloro with his family      

Rob was born in Shreveport in 1974. In the eighth grade he was in the band at Caddo Middle Magnet as a saxophone player. Big talk with eighth graders was where they were going to high school the next year. A fellow band member mentioned to him one day - "You should come to Magnet and be on the fencing team. My brother is a fencer there, too. "Fencing team? Sure, why not?"

In the fall of 1988 Rob began fencing with the Caddo Magnet Fencing program under Coach Sharron Settlemire. "Mom Sett", as the fencers knew her, guided the new fencers as they came into the sport, while at the same time the upper-classmen on the team fenced with the new students showing them different styles and tricks during practice. No other sport or activity captivated Rob as much as fencing. He even quit the band (which now he regrets) so he wouldn't miss fencing practices.

Competitively, Rob excelled on the fencing team at Magnet, qualifying for and fencing at the National Junior Olympics all of his four years at Magnet (and a fifth time his freshman year in college). His second biggest accomplishment in fencing - finishing 4th place at his first North American Circuit event in 1990 and nearly qualifying to fence in the Under 17 World Championships that season, missing the US Cadet Epee Team by only one place. During high school Rob was coached by Sharron Settlemire, his Caddo Magnet Teammates from 1988-1992, Abdel Salem (currently the US Air Force Academy coach and former Olympian), Vinnie Bradford (US Olympian and National Champion), Gay Jacobsen (US Olympian and National Champion), Ron Miller (Univ. of North Carolina head coach).

Rob went on to attend college at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, LA in 1993. While at Northwestern he spent four years as a rower for the crew at the university and competed all over the United States. In 1996 he finished 3rd in the Men's Four at the Southeast Intercollegiate Rowing Championships. Later that year he represented Northwestern in their first showing at the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia, the largest collegiate regatta in the world with over 300 teams rowing. In 1998 Rob earned a B.S. in Health and Human Performance and received a teaching certificate from the State of Louisiana.

After meeting his wife Teresa and living in Lincoln, Nebraska for two years, they moved back to Shreveport in May of 2002. Their daughter, Elena, was born in September of 2004, and most recently, their new son Joseph Michael born in August 2007. He is currently fulfilling what he considers to be his biggest accomplishment in fencing- following in the footsteps of his most influential coach, Sharron Settlemire, teaching and coaching fencing at the school where he learned to fence, Caddo Magnet High School.

Joshua Roberts

Graduated from Magnet in 1999
Weapon(s) of Choice: Sabre
Began fencing in 1995 
Former coaches: Sharron Settlemire, Robert Candiloro
Current coaches: Andy Shaw, Robert Candiloro
Favorite fencing movie or video: 2005 Crescent City Mixed Sabre Final (Michael D'Asaro & Thomasz Stusinsky)
Favorite Class Memory: Being Assistant Coach to Magnet's students.
Favorite tournament you have competed in: 1999 Crescent City Open.
Hobbies: Computers, Fencing, Skateboarding
What inspired you to take up fencing? My brother had been in fencing throughout his high school years. It was something that always interested me so I gave it a try. (Plus I hate line basketball)
Favorite Fencing Moments: Defeating Udo Ziegler (Germany) in the semifinals of the 2001 Birmingham Reindeer Games in Birmingham, AL.