Club Politics

[arcon]

Any comments. Any horror stories?

the Arcon

[D'Artagnan1673]

plenty,

Our coach isn't around. We are trying to raise a general from our midst of coporals. We've got our work cut out, but we can do it!

[arcon]

Its best i pm you.

the Arcon

[Inquartata]

Please, I've been doing my best to forget. Best left unmentioned!

[swordsen]

Club politics get every bit as brutal as division politics. Often worse because everyone is closer.

[Gav]

Ahhh! Club politics. There's times when I think that fencing is 60% politics 30% technique and 10% sweat - but those are the bad days. We've just lost (retired) our Head coach and we're trying to attract a new one. At the same time we're trying to reorganise and attract some outisde funding. Phew! Lots to do.

Then there's the politics surrounding your governing body...

[lochinvar]

Club politics are very like academic politics: They're so viscious because the stakes are so low...

[Peach]

Even worse than academic politics are church politics, for the same reason.

[Sciurus Rex]

Club "politics" are what people seek out when they don't have the ability to focus on developing their fencing skills.

You can either fret about what other people are thinking about So-and-So, or you can improve your footwork and tactics. You can gossip in little pseudo-cliques, or you can appreciate a beautifully composed attack and compliment each other. Stand around and whine, or grab another lesson.


Sheesh. "Politics." Like there's nothing more important to take up valuable brain space and energy?

[Rick]

I can never really understand how politics work... my take on the fencing club is this:

While at the FENCING CLUB... we concentrate on FENCING.

Is this concept too "easy" that people think it won't work or something?

(yes, this is a sorespot for me).

[135711]

rick, most of us would really like to do so, but it is very difficult when the head instructor screams out in the middle of the classroom:

"god knows where you'll fence,[this is to a small group of new students on their first night of class] THERE'S NO OTHER FENCING HERE IN _______ the other school has no one there who can teach! No one! I am certified I am the best, the other class has CHA CHA, don't waste MY TIME, EVERYONE knows me! I am NATIONALLY recognized".

[D'Artagnan1673]

Come, come to Texas. We aren't arrogant. We aren't the best, but we are trying to be in a much better way than that!!!!

[Tomas N]

135711,

That's an almost exact transcript of what an old coach of mine used to say. I wonder if he gets around, or if there are many like him.

Tom

[Craig]

Club 'politics' only matter if you are gunning for some sort of position. If you're only concerned about fencing and you just fence and that's it, then there are no 'politics'.

I think many people refer to 'politics' when they mean interpersonal relationship conflicts.

The 'politics' that I've seen have been more on a club to club level where one coach doesn't feel that their fencers should go to another club's tournaments or one club decides that they want to control the officers for their division/section and organize to get officers elected.

Later,
Craig

[135711]

i don't think he goes anywhere. rex, i understand you're trying to take the high road, and it is appreciated.

[135711]

no craig, i'm going to disagree with you here, sometimes people just go to classes to learn things, and they are subjected to a constant barrage of loud screaming addressed at the entire room, from a teacher who simply has a personal hatred against a person in another salle, it is incredible, but true.
and craig, i would like to ask one question, where are the icons that went alongside our names.

[Rick]

135711:

Sounds like your club doesn't have an issue with human polity... Pardon my French, but your coach sounds like he/she is an a-hole.

And when there is an a-hole at the helm, everything, not just politics, becomes a problem.

Craig:
I agree with your assessment, it is a style issue with Interpersonal Relationships more than it is "politics" in the vernacular connotation.

I for one seem to have a problem having smooth interpersonal relations who totally miss the point of a fencing club. Kinda like they forgot the word "fencing" and just pay attention to word "club". God forbid they start putting the word "night" inbetween!

I'm not against fraternizing with those you share a hobby with -- but when you try and gain favor with other members, defy the coach, try and get a concensus to make changes to the club behind the coach's back when the coach doesn't agree... all while you are not showing any interest to continue your fencing education nor being "coachable" -- There is definitely something wrong there. These kinds of people do not have my respect at all.

Thank God my coach is a fiarly strong individual, she has laid the law down on how her club will run -- and if certain people do not like it, they can walk out the same way they came in. The people I've complained about have toned down quite a bit. Things are getting better.

But still, having my coach "ride her broom" (to quote her directly) was not a good experience. Having a wierd climate at the fencing club wasn't a good experience either. But thankfully, the coach recognized who the serious fencers are...and made sure that our development was not interrupted by the calluous disregard and ambitiousness of the few.

[D'Artagnan1673]

I'd love to have a strong, central commander of our club. We tend to spend a great deal of time talking rather than fencing.

[HilandDoug]

It sounds like 135711 belongs to a club on the East Coast. is this true?

[135711]

i don't like calling people names, it doesn't do anything but provoke arguements, sometimes i think that the people who have the strongest reactions have something else that they feel guilty about and stuff just pops outta their mouth before they know it. most can't figure from whence it pours, and it always seems incomprehensible, and unfathomable, but then upon reflection we realize that really big outbursts stem from other sources - one of them being guilt, so i wouldn't actually use the term a-h, but i would suggest, that that man has a lot on him conscious, and i sorta know what's there.