New Club Design

[smohrle]

Hi there -
I have a question to pose:
If money was no object, and staying inside the subject of fencing (not pools, and other stuff), what would be your wish list in a new fencing club design?

I searched around and only found one thread on this subject and it was more geared towards the economic version of design.

Sooo....bring out the "wish-lists"!

Please.

Thanks,
Sarah Mohrle

[whtouche]

http://www.prisedefer.com/

:-D

[i'mnottelling]

I would choose a place with:

A good floor. Not paint on concrete but a wood floor with padding or suspension.

Plenty of space. A sizable place with at least 6 strips. All of them wired for electric fencing. The overhead system is nice. It it is a pain in the arse to pick up the reels and cords for footwork and conditioning classes.

A lot of good fencers. Clubs can have good coaches but a club is only as good as it's fencers. You really want some top rated fencers to practice with. That takes a lot of time ( 5-6 years) not money. Coaches usually want young kids to develop. I would rather fence with a lot of good fencers than have a "palace" for a fencing club.

All I want is a place with good people and good coaches.

i'mnt

[telkanuru]

Originally Posted by whtouche

http://www.prisedefer.com/

:-D

Ditto. [extra]

[Frank Pratt]

I'd say a dozen grounded strips with FIE boxes. I'd want plenty of strips for practice bouts, plus a few more so coaches could give private lessons while connected to a box. I’d also want plenty of strips for a big tournament. To that end, I would make one (or more) of the strips a fully certified “world championship finals” area with a raised piste, a clock, and a scoreboard. I also put repeater lights and a clock in the center and on either end of the “finals” strip. Then again, of money were really no object, then why not do this for every strip!?

I'd build a full armory shop with all the appropriate tools (hand tools, grinders, acetone pipes, etc.) It would also be nice to have a separate, large, open room for group lessons and a small area with mats on the floor for stretching/warm-up. A sound system in the group lesson room would be nice; it's fun to teach footwork to music. No swimming pool?! Well, ok. But I'd have a lounge for fencers to relax. Shower facilities and locker rooms would also be a part of this utopian budget. When we first started out, our club practiced in an aerobics room some type of soft surface (foam?) under the carpet to reduce the impact on knees, ankles, etc. I'd be sure to have this stuff in the group lesson room and underneath the strips.

Lastly, you would need a private office for club business stuff, paperwork, etc. I like the idea of a 2nd story loft office with bay windows that overlook the strips on one side and the group lesson room on the other.

Nottelling had a good point about good fencers and coaches making a club what it is. I couldn't agree more. But remember what they say, "if you build it, then they will come!"

[Frank Pratt]

Originally Posted by whtouche

http://www.prisedefer.com/

:-D

Never been there before, but I flipped though the photos on this site after posting my previous message. PdF looks like a fine place to fence, complete with the many of the items on my "wish list!"

[Larrison]

I'd say most of the suggestions so far are pretty good -- but I'd add a couple, if money was no object

1) Video facilities for taping and reviewing a fencer's actions.

2) Good warmup area, with either carpet or padded floor

3) Showers and lockers

4) Training room -- including free weights, nautilus type equipment and others for training. Add in a personal trainer to work on your personal fitness program and evaluation of how you're doing against it.

5) Access to a good running track, or path

6) Equipment sales room, or good level of inventory.

7) "Cool down" area for socializing and reloading liquids. I'd say cool water, some washable/ durable furniture (for sweaty people to flake out on), and maybe additional refreshments. I've seen some high end athletic clubs which have a "juice bar" for this --

8) One of the nicest experiences I had was a couple of lessons at a very old, very distinguished downtown athletic club one time. One of those places that would NEVER accept me as a member you know, and one which I could never afford to join anyway... All of the above.. plus a full restaurant and bar. Very posh. One night after fencing, the member I was with invited me to up playing a couple of rounds of pool after a swim and shower after lessons. He had one of the white-jacketed waiters bring a couple of cold beers and a tray of sandwiches up to us while we played -- in a very nice room, on a huge antique mahogeny and felt table surrounded by books and soft, overstuffed chairs while soft classical music played in the background. Now that.. would be cool to have after fencing...

[sabreur]

You have to have a mirror wall, so people can watch themselves when they do footwork.

Fencing dummies. Ideally, located in front of the mirror wall, so you can watch your hand and footwork while beating on the dummy.

Floor that is somewhat resilient (not too bouncy) and not slippery.

Finally, my fencing club design would include a world-class master or (ideally) two. Which is the component that is the most important to success of the club.

[KD5MDK]

I saw a club in Dallas (whoever it is at St. Marks) who had their floor cords buried in the (raised) floor. I thought that very clever. Pop up reels would be even cooler....

[Black Jeebus]

Originally Posted by sabreur

Finally, my fencing club design would include a world-class master or (ideally) two. Which is the component that is the most important to success of the club.

Yeah similar, but I would have one specializing in each weapon.

And I have to say a lounge is needed too. My club goes out every night after fencing anyway, so if we had a lounge (stocked with umm "juice"...) we could probably save a lot of money.

[Frank Pratt]

Originally Posted by Larrison

1) Video facilities for taping and reviewing a fencer's actions.

Good idea! I've never even heard of a club that has this "feature."

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by whtouche

http://www.prisedefer.com/

:-D

Now, I'll admit that it's the nicest club I've ever been in, and it's a really great club--but it would be a bit hasty to say that if money were no object, it couldn't be made better.

[fencergal33]

Originally Posted by Frank Pratt

Good idea! I've never even heard of a club that has this "feature."

My club sort of has a "poor man's version" of this. We always have a video camera on hand to record, lessons, bouts, etc. We also have a large TV and DVD recorder, so we can turn bouts into training videos for each other. This area serves the duel purpose of entertaining small children during lessons pr tournaments too!

My MUST HAVE for a fencing facility.....SHOWERS!!!! I really wish we had a locker room and showers.....

[needle]

Everything already said plus air conditioning (or heating, depending on where the club is). It gets to 100 (and above) in my area in the summer

[Orangeaholic]

What?!? No pool? ahh shucks

Anyway....

I would like top of the line strips with FIE scoring machies (at least 10)

A weight room (free weights, treadmills yadda yadda)

A lounge and showers would be nice.

Vending machines (anykind of food)

Cameras for replay and evaluation.

Moon bounce (just kidding, but it would be nice)

pretty much everyone else has said!

~Orange

[oiuyt]

Originally Posted by whtouche

http://www.prisedefer.com/

http://www.fechten-tbb.de/

But closer to where I live. And more sabre.

-B :)

[broncofencer]

Originally Posted by Frank Pratt

Good idea! I've never even heard of a club that has this "feature."

I think there is one in Oregon that did this. I read about it a year or two ago in american fencing magazine.

I also think a small class room with a whiteboard and workbench type desks for teaching strategy or armoury seminars and similar type things that don't require a strip.

[Orangeaholic]

Yeah i read about that club too! cool stuff...

~Orange

[sloper]

Second floor bar with viewing area of bouting. Must be called The Balestra Lounge.

[scrapinpeg]

Enough room between strips for noobs to flail without smacking the people on the next strip over.

Tastefully panelled walls with wall racks for an enormous selection of club-owned-and-maintained weapons.

Central climate control.

Wireless everything.

Spectators' gallery, out of everyone's way, with lots of room.

Lounge, cool-down room, modern & clean locker/shower facilities.

Strips dedicated to free fencing, never ever taken over by classes. Enough of these strips for everyone who wants to fence so there's no huge wait.

Practice room, no strips, with training targets and dummies and a mirrored wall. Enough space for all to practice footwork and bladework without getting in each other's way.

Open seven days a week, till midnight at least, 365 days a year.

Nobody under 17 allowed after 7pm.

No extra fees for classes, private lessons, or anything else.

Always staffed.