High School Fencing

[sonofaconch]

I am a teacher at a high school and am thinking about starting a fencing club. I could really use some advice. Anything you have--training, drills, financing, legality stuff, administrative issues--would be great. I am only in the planning stages and haven’t brought it up to the school administration. No school in my county has fencing and I'm not even sure of the interest level in my school. Help?

[RebelFencer]

Where are you from? (this is important)

[sonofaconch]

Public school in Maryland

[Hamley]

Please say some where in baltimore county

[SJCFU#2]

First - don't ever mention the word "weapon" in the presence of anyone associated with administration (zero tolerance = zero thought).

Second - your profile indicated that you sometimes fence at UMCP - have you tried contacting the Capital Division? I believe that many years ago one of the fencers from DCFC was a teacher at Alice Deale High School started a club there.

[wbtyengland]

This is in response to sonofaconch's request for help - I am a high school senior in California and I started a fencing club at my school. Fencing is virtually unheard of around where I live, though I do attend a great academy nearby and have two fencing friends.
EVERYONE told me it would be impossible to start the club - every teacher I asked, my fencing coach, my fencing friends, my regular friends, and everyone at my fencing academy.
I had no equipment of my own, our school had extremely low funding, and I live in a liberal county where all the parents are ultra-concerned about the safety of their children.
Besides, the liability insurance at our school would almost certainly not cover it.
Yet I did it - it's now one of the largest clubs at our school, maybe even the largest. If you really want to do it, it's possible.
The most important things: inspire interest among students at the school, check the liability policy at the school (if fencing isn't covered, try getting your own insurance policy to cover it - my fencing coach suggested this), determine how to get equipment.
Also, find a space where you can practice regularly.
The most important thing is to show the heads of the school how determined you are - I went to see the principal twice a day until he relented. Also, convince them how safe it will be and stress how much protective gear students will be wearing. My members are actually very attentive and I never have problems with wild-children running around with swords.

Good Luck

[Greg]

Start by approaching the admininstration about a facility, how many days a week will you practice, insurance issues, your qualifications to teach and your committment to it, and if they will fund it to any extent. If you have to be self funding, there are fundraisers and tapping the kids and their parents to get them to buy starter sets. If the administration is ok, call a meeting or meetings for interested students well in advance of any practice.

Start with some advertising on campus of a meeting for all those interested in the club so you can get a number. Show a couple of dvd to show them what modern fencing is about. Tell them up front about what is expected of them including their financial contribution. Most might balk at having to spend $120 on equipment, but kids blow that much on nice jeans or shoes. Plus if they ever lose interest, they can always ebay the equipment. Then figure on attrition. If you get 35 at the meeting, then figure 25 will show up for the first practice and about 18 will stay with it. But that a good manageable number.

It helps if you are a qualified credentialled coach rather than just an experienced fencer. Knowing how to fence is not the same as knowing how to teach fencing in an interesting and effective manner. You need to know how to teach group lessons and how to keep an eye on a group of high school kids with foils to prevent accidents. Its not easy. Plus coaches typically get training in sports safety and cpr and physical conditioning.

[swordsen]

Insurance is easy. Member club of the USFA gets insurance. Join and keep the paperwork handy. If you talk to an insurance guy you will discover that fencing is actually pretty easy to insure. Accoring to the guys I spoke to there has never been a death caused by a fencing accident in the US. Not many other sports can make that claim.

[Greg]

I am not quite certain, but the USFA might require that every club member be a dues paying USFA members in addition to the club paying the $240 for insurance each year.

[sonofaconch]

I just wanted to thank everyone for the info. You have given me plenty to think about and look into. Hopefully this time next year, I will be back with some good news. Some of you may hear from me as my research progresses. If that's a problem, just ignore me. That seems to work for everyone else.

P.S. Hamely, I'm sorry, I'm not in BC.