fencing at the college level

[LUDICROUS]

Does that no coach-talking-to-future-NCAA fencers seem a bit weird?

Does to me.

If top fencers looking for colleges are impressionable and gullible people, more fool them....And kudos to the coach who reeled them in.

[fencingguy]

It has nothing to do with the gullibility of the athlete, but the unscrupulousness of the coaches.

Keep in mind that the vast majority of these rules are designed to apply to one of the major college sports: football and basketball. In order to make the rule writers' jobs easier they have applied those rules, blanket form, to all other NCAA sports. The result is a series of rules that don't address the reality of different sports they govern.

In regards to limiting the contact time of coaches talking to highschool athletes, this is an attempt to level the often cut throat playing field of big time collegiat recruiting. If there were no limits on the time frame that coaches could speak with students then the advantage would clearly fall to schools with the most money (not that it doesn't already). Instead, by limiting the time in which a student athlete can be contacted to the last year or so of highschool it keeps coaches from approaching 8th graders and limits the distraction students have to deal with in high school.

[oiuyt]

Similarly, restrictions on such things as talking to an athlete at a competition prior to the athlete's finishing competing is designed to protect the athlete. A high school athlete shouldn't have to worry about outside distractions, being evaluated (okay, if you know a college scout is in the crowd it can affect you, but that's hard to legislate away and still allow colleges to actually see athletes prior to giving them scholarship money, especially since the NCAA also doesn't do try-outs for prospects), etc. when s/he presumably should be trying to do his/her best in the competition.

Given that competitions are the most convenient time for both the athletes and the coaches to talk, these restrictions can make everything harder for both parties, but protecting the high school athlete is what they are all about.

-B :)

[oiuyt]

Also:

I just read the NCAA eligibility rules and as for what I read, I think I have my full four years of eligibility left.

Note the bit about the four years needing to take place within 5 years (division I (and II?)) or 10 semesters (division III) of when you first start full-time studies (excepting time spent in the armed services, religious missions, or with recognized foreign aid services of the US government). I don't know how much time you've spent in school already (you mentioned fencing for 2 years, were both of those in college or did you start prior?

Look up the transfer rules and see whether or not you fit the one-time transfer exemption to avoid needing to spend a year in residence at the new school prior to being allowed to compete. I'm not sure how it works when you're transferring from a school without a program in your sport (normally I believe it requires the school you're leaving to write a letter releasing you, but if they don't even have a team in that sport, a) that might not be required, and b) it may or may not be difficult to get the athletics department to care, which might make getting a letter written harder (or it might not, they might just do it as a matter of course for sports they don't offer)).

Good luck with the college hunt.
-B :)

[bmcfencer]

I think contacting a coach is an excellent idea. I thought there would be fencing at my school, or that I could fence at Haverford (not knowing ANYTHING about NCAA rules) and it was awful not being able to fence for most of my first semester. Then I fenced a bit at Swarthmore but was utterly unimpressed with their club, and started my own. I wouldn't recommend this. I'd only been fencing for a year before going to college, and trying to start a club as a freshman was really tough. Especially since I really needed coaching myself instead of coaching others. I wish I'd gone to a school with more fencing, but I'm in love with Bryn Mawr and having to find other things instead of fencing wasn't all bad.

Hey, and the Shakespeare Performance Troupe lets me choreograph their fights scenes as well as act and tech. Every situation is what you make of it, and I wouldn't have chosen my school based on the fencing program. Or, at least, I never wouldn't have ever told my parents if I had.

[oiuyt]

Especially since I really needed coaching myself instead of coaching others. I wish I'd gone to a school with more fencing, but I'm in love with Bryn Mawr and having to find other things instead of fencing wasn't all bad.

If you have a car it's probably ~20 minutes drive to FAP. Plenty of fencing (and coaching) available there.

-B :)