How much does your club cost?

[Scythe]

If your interested in keeping your fees down and maximising money going in the direction of fencers opposed to hall rental, approach schools.

When we created Belfast Fencing Club (this is in Northern Ireland, Europe so may not apply to US schools or clubs), we approached a local school.

We offered the school complete access to all our equipment and helped them hire a coach and in return they give us free use of their hall. This is win win for everone. The school now has a growingly sucessful fencing club and we have use of a hall and allows us to put all money back into the fencers. It also means that we can keep our membership rates down. Currently our fencers pay about £200 per annum which is currently about $280. For what we offer we are quite cheap in relation to other clubs in the UK.

Hope this helps.

[rudd]

I haven't joined a club in the US yet but probably looking at up to $1000 per annum, coaching not included. My old club in London was £850 including coaching.

Ger

[jsd6]

We pay $230/month. That includes unlimited monthly fencing (but our son fences 3x/week in his weapon) and 1 private lesson/week.

[DoubleKodachi]

I started Sabre Fencing bout 5 months ago. The place happened to be only 5 miles from my house, and it only cost $100.00 for the entire year! As much club equipment as you need, beginner lessons included, and practice 2-3 times per week!

If your from the Northwest Indiana area, and are interested in fencing, (particularly Sabre fencing) check out the Northwest Indiana Fencing Club, located in St. John IN.!

Even if you are from the Chicago area, this is a good alternative for the fencer on the budget, as many of the chicago clubs/schools are priced at that $100 some/month area.

[JacoKierkegaard]

Man, I feel lucky after reading this thread. The club where I've been fencing is $25/month or $250 annually. 3 nights a week, no lessons included. Not sure about the lesson prices, but classes are $40 for a six week course.

[TodG]

We fence in a school gym mon-wed.

We offer an 8 week beginning foil class for $75 (including a $10 glove fee - they keep the glove). Regular fees are $15 per month membership plus $15 month equipment rental. That pays for insurance, gear, etc. Everything goes back into the club.

In Montana, the schools make their facilities available to groups after hours for little or no money (free for non-profits like us). We are moving to the YMCA over the summer. Y members will get a discount and free instruction for their youth camp in return for facilities usage.

[kmwong]

I fence in a university club team ... so we pay $30 per semester. And we generally pay our own tournament fees (which never really go above $15-20 unless it's USACFCs in which we paid $50)

[griffindm]

I fence in a university club team ... so we pay $30 per semester. And we generally pay our own tournament fees (which never really go above $15-20 unless it's USACFCs in which we paid $50)

A clarification on the USACFC fee to students. It was only a small part of the travel, meals, and hotel costs that were otherwise paid for by the club.

Dave G.

[Wetmelon]

$113.40 Every month for 2 lessons a week with equipment rental

* $58 Lesson 1

* $58 Lesson 2

* $10 Equipment Rental (It's all dry equipment)

* 10% off for going twice a week

* No Private lessons available

Not bad, if you ask me.

[cyranorocks]

$40 / month for single membership. Families get a discount. Covers use of armory shop, club equipment, open fencing M-F.

$35~ Locker(room) fees if you use 'em.

$20-25 per private lesson.

$10-50 per class (1-2-day clinics, month-long weapon groups or intros, etc)

I average about $120 per month.

[InFerrumVeritas]

Renaissance Fencing Club: $10/night floor fee. Private lessons varry, but are usually between $15-$30/half-hour depending on the coach. I don't know the group lesson prices. There's a fee for club membership that nets you essentially a 10% discount (one free floor fee for every 10).

UFO: $5/night floor fee. Private lessons vary as well ($10-30/half-hour). Footwork classes and group drilling is $5/night. $35/year membership fee (somewhat optional) that gets you preference in strip coaching over casual members, a patch, socks, and a 10% discount in the club store (and possibly armory work, although it may just be the parts that are discounted).

Genesee Fencing Club: $15/month flat. Group lessons (for beginners) are $60/6 weeks.

Fencing Alliance of Saginaw: $5 floor fee. Private lessons (last time I fenced there) were $10/half-hour.

Fencing wise, I get out a lot.

[Cookeit]

$113.40 Every month for 2 lessons a week with equipment rental

* $58 Lesson 1

* $58 Lesson 2

* $10 Equipment Rental (It's all dry equipment)

* 10% off for going twice a week

* No Private lessons available

Not bad, if you ask me.

If you get 2 lessons a week, and lessons cost $58, there is no way that your total monthly cost is anything less than $464 (8 lessons per month)...

[oiuyt]

If you get 2 lessons a week, and lessons cost $58, there is no way that your total monthly cost is anything less than $464 (8 lessons per month)...

($58 + $58 + $10) * .9 == $113.40

Presumably Wetmelon knows what s/he pays and is quoting the monthly price for weekly lessons.

-B

[NeilNZ]

Wow, some of those fees are expensive!! At the club I'm currently at its $185 New Zealand pesos per year, although private lessons ($30/half hour) are on top of that. Thats for 3 sessions a week of group lessons and free fencing. Even my previous club (the premier club around here) was only NZ$300/year, which covered 3 sessions of fencing a week, and a night of footwork training/ general fitness. you could get lessons at any time as long as you booked. And both clubs are fully electric! I suppose there are benefits living in little old NZ.

[Cookeit]

($58 + $58 + $10) * .9 == $113.40

Presumably Wetmelon knows what s/he pays and is quoting the monthly price for weekly lessons.

-B

But wouldn't the 113.40 be just for one week's worth of lessons?

Unless $58 = value of 2 WEEKS of lessons, not 1 lesson.

Ugh. Whatever.

[DavidX]

Salle Santa Cruz has the best floor fees anywhere

just 5 bones

Lessons are a steal at 20 pesos.

[whiteandbluefencer]

Wow, some of those fees are expensive!! At the club I'm currently at its $185 New Zealand pesos per year, although private lessons ($30/half hour) are on top of that. Thats for 3 sessions a week of group lessons and free fencing. Even my previous club (the premier club around here) was only NZ$300/year, which covered 3 sessions of fencing a week, and a night of footwork training/ general fitness. you could get lessons at any time as long as you booked. And both clubs are fully electric! I suppose there are benefits living in little old NZ.

I paid 100 euros for five months of fencing in France, and that's only because the club makes all members buy a membership in the FFE, which is probably where a lot of my money went. I'm pretty sure that the normal members only pay a little more for a full year. Fencing and many other sports in France are subsidized by the local municipality in which they are located. This is way the prices are so low.

P.S.- The municipality built our fencing salle too... it's heaven for this U.S. fencer!

[NeilNZ]

Wow, Europe is the place to go for fencing really... that is awesome!

[oiuyt]

But wouldn't the 113.40 be just for one week's worth of lessons?

Unless $58 = value of 2 WEEKS of lessons, not 1 lesson.

Ugh. Whatever.

Unless the quoted price is $58/month for each lesson/week.

Screwy, but it wouldn't be the first club to quote prices like that.

Or, of course, it's possible that Wetmelon just has no clue how much s/he is paying. Or wrote it poorly here.

-B

[seak]

Wow, Europe is the place to go for fencing really... that is awesome!

No France is the place to go, possibly other European countries. Italy does not operate like this