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Fencing Mom · 05-06-2005, 01:14 PM

In today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, there is an article about the increase in popularity in "alternative sports" among high school student. It includes a couple of paragraphs about the area's high school fencing leagues and a few comments from a coach who says kids are always interested after a Star Wars or Lord of the Rings movie.

It includes a chart showing the thousands of kids participating in football, basketball and swimming, but here is another interesting chart from the article:

ON THE RISE: A look at the numbers
Here are participation figures for five high school sports (boys and girls) across the country in the 2003-04 school year, compared to 15 years ago. The figures are from the National Federation of State High School Associations and are for only interscholastic sports that are sponsored by state associations. The figures do not include athletes on club teams or other teams not sponsored by schools.

Sport - 1988-89 - 2003-04

Bowling - 13,863 - 33,848

Crew - 147 - 91,694

Fencing - 617 - 3,008

Lacrosse - 26,861 - 96,535

Soccer - 327,360 - 658,817

Here's the article:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05126/500094.stm

El Chucko · 05-06-2005, 01:29 PM

i have become increasingly impressed with the fencing scene in western PA. we come down to carnegie-mellon sometimes from buffalo, and i am always jealous of the number of fencers and programs you have there.

we end up travelling to southern canada to fence quite a bit, because there just aren't that many fencers in my area.

oiuyt · 05-06-2005, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fencing Mom

Crew - 147 - 91,694

Check out crew.... Raises the question of how they had interscholastic competitions back when there were only 147 athletes recognized.... Crew teams tend not to be noted for small numbers (one reason they've exploded at the NCAA level is that a 70-80 person women's crew team goes a LONG way towards balancing football-skewed numbers for Title IX compliance).

Rediculously impressive growth numbers regardless.

-B :)

Hamley · 05-06-2005, 03:10 PM

This is kinda off topic. But what states actualy have a fencing programes in the schools. This is the only thing i miss, having a team with your peers and friends your close to.

DHCJr · 05-06-2005, 03:25 PM

I know New York, New Jersey and California have high school programs.

whtouche · 05-06-2005, 03:40 PM

There is a league in northeast massachusetts primarily around the boston area that has highschool fencing.
My school joined the year after I graduated..

Larrison · 05-06-2005, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DHCJr

I know New York, New Jersey and California have high school programs.

Regrettably, very few high school programs in Socal. Although I've heard that most high schools are very open to including fencing as a "club sport" including the potential of at least some funding, if you can get enough students interested. But those start up and fade with the academic passing of the interested students it seems like.

In the local area here (OC) I know of maybe 1 or 2 high schools which offer it now, but I've been told of maybe 3-4 other schools who "used to have" programs.

There is an active "scholastic league" I've noted, but it seems to be dominated by 1 or 2 high schools with programs and most of the other fencers are singletons who take fencing on the side, not as a high school program.

oiuyt · 05-06-2005, 03:50 PM

I believe that there's a HS league in the Chicago area as well.

There are several in various parts of PA (including, I believe, TWO leagues in the Pittsburg area).

-B :)

Pancakes · 05-06-2005, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by el chucko

we end up travelling to southern canada to fence quite a bit, because there just aren't that many fencers in my area.

What clubs do you come to in Ontario? We have a few Buffalo...ites? onians? that come to our club.

garyhayenga · 05-06-2005, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oiuyt

I believe that there's a HS league in the Chicago area as well.

There are several in various parts of PA (including, I believe, TWO leagues in the Pittsburg area).

-B

There *is* a high school league in the Chicago area, with about 6 Chicago area schools with varsity teams that have dual meets. Plus individual tournaments that all high school fencers are eligible for. Catholic Memorial High School in Waukesha, Wisconsin (near Milwaukee) and Culver Academy in Culver, Indiana also participate.

gary hayenga

rmyounis · 05-06-2005, 04:33 PM

Are you going to fence in Sacramento this summer, Mr. Hayenga?

Purple Fencer · 05-06-2005, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larrison

Regrettably, very few high school programs in Socal. Although I've heard that most high schools are very open to including fencing as a "club sport" including the potential of at least some funding, if you can get enough students interested. But those start up and fade with the academic passing of the interested students it seems like.

In the local area here (OC) I know of maybe 1 or 2 high schools which offer it now, but I've been told of maybe 3-4 other schools who "used to have" programs.

There is an active "scholastic league" I've noted, but it seems to be dominated by 1 or 2 high schools with programs and most of the other fencers are singletons who take fencing on the side, not as a high school program.

From what I've seen while vending at the SoCal league events, there are actually more school teams than you'd think. True, the local HS powers are Chaminade and Harvard-Westlake, but there's also Monroe, Van Nuys just started up, Victorville, and a slew of other private high and middle schools from throughout the southland...we even had a team come out from Arizona

Fencing Mom · 05-06-2005, 04:50 PM

There are two high school leagues in the Pittsburgh area because, like the W. PA division, one half of the fencers (in the case of the school league, fencer-adults) won't talk to or fence with the other half.

mrbiggs · 05-06-2005, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DHCJr

I know New York, New Jersey and California have high school programs.

Connecticut does, too.

sjkontos · 05-06-2005, 07:50 PM

I think it's great that more high schools are teaching fencing. My cousin, who lives in PA, goes to one of the high schools listed in the article (North Hills) and fences foil.

When I was in high school, I wasn't very athletic - I was in the band. I did run track my freshman year, but my mind would wander too much and I wouldn't concentrate on the race. Fencing holds my concentration much more than running ever did. If my high school offered fencing, I definitly would have done it.

Purple Fencer · 05-06-2005, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sjkontos

When I was in high school, I wasn't very athletic - I was in the band.

Now now....band's plenty athletic if you have a good program....drum corps even more so (been there....still doing it...I know)

***Craig*** · 05-06-2005, 09:24 PM

Some members of the GA division are starting to get some HS programs started up. I believe that there is a push in NC as well.

Craig

sjkontos · 05-06-2005, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purple Fencer

Now now....band's plenty athletic if you have a good program....drum corps even more so (been there....still doing it...I know)

I agree that drum corps is completely different than high school marching band. However, I would argue that fencing requires the same kind of concentration that drum corps does. Both fencing and marching require a lot of endurance, both mental and physical. That's not something you get from a lot of the more "mainstream" sports.

Which drum corps do you march with? In high school, I had friends who marched with Glassmen (I live an hour north of Toledo), Phantom Regiment, and Madison Scouts. In fact, most of my school's instructors came from Glassmen.

Flunge · 05-06-2005, 10:13 PM

heres the website for the "Great Lakes Fencing Conference" the official title of the Chicago area High School fencing league. We fence a series of dual meets and individual tournaments from November to February. High School teams from the TwinCities also participate for the championship in February.

http://www.newtrier.k12.il.us/athlet...whsf/mwhsf.htm

There seems to be a growing # of programs around Cleveland as well -- I've seen some tournament results and dual meet scores from there.

Purple Fencer · 05-06-2005, 10:22 PM

Quote:

I agree that drum corps is completely different than high school marching band. However, I would argue that fencing requires the same kind of concentration that drum corps does. Both fencing and marching require a lot of endurance, both mental and physical. That's not something you get from a lot of the more "mainstream" sports.

No argument there!

Quote:

Which drum corps do you march with? In high school, I had friends who marched with Glassmen (I live an hour north of Toledo), Phantom Regiment, and Madison Scouts. In fact, most of my school's instructors came from Glassmen.

Soprano, Blue Devils, 1984 (1/10th of a point SUCKS!!)
Currently with Dream Sr. in Los Angeles (soprano for now, but trying to get my drum major position back)

BTW...there's a new Sr. corps in Cleveland caled North Coast Rock...just in case you wanna march...