I go to Rockville Fencing Academy in Maryland. It is free to show up and fence. The club has a nice selection of jackets, masks, plastrons, and chest protectors, and electric weapons, so if you have no gear of your own, you can show up and fence.
Lessons can be had at varying costs, depending on the level of the class.
Daniel
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Daniel Sullivan
Foil, epee
Second Dan Kumdo, Kuhapdo
500 Membership for year. Not including Anything, Just discounting prices.
$120 a Month though, (180 w/o Member ) Includes a Lesson a week if im not mistaken ( might be 2 ), Privates are +money.
Dang,
We charge $50 for our yearly membership fees which pays for their USFA membership and then $35 a month and they get two group lessons a week, a private lesson a week and we provide all the gear and repair work for FREE.
In the college town where I fence, the club costs $40 / month. This includes a group class (an intro thing, but very useful for teaching new fencers) and dry equipment and daily drills. Electric equipment is $3 / day but might also be included in the non-member floor fee. Lessons are between $20-25 per lesson depending on if you get a once per week plan or a twice per week plan from the coach.
Basically, it allows people to come and fence and pay for the building and some of the coaches' time but not charge them for lessons if they can't afford them or just don't want them. The electric fee is pretty much there to encourage people to buy thieir own things to break.
My fencing center goes on a quarter system. It costs $130 per quarter (three months) if you pay after the beginning date, and $120 if you pay before. This includes fencing any day of the week with two main clubs we host in our facility. It also includes one intense footwork drill on Monday, a less intense one on Thursday, and a group blade drill on Mon. and Thurs. If you're not a member, then there's an $8 floor fee for the night.
We also offer alternatives to students who can't quite afford the full price. They can wash jackets or do other odd jobs around the center. If you want private lessens that will cost you extra. Coaches charge about a dollar a minute, usually, and they request that you have at least two practices a week.
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I pay $40 per month for membership, which entitles me to go fence and use the club equipment if need be. I pay an additional $50 per month for one class per week. A second class per week would cost an additional $35/month. Private lessons are higher. Advice is free and freely given.
We charge $50 for our yearly membership fees which pays for their USFA membership and then $35 a month and they get two group lessons a week, a private lesson a week and we provide all the gear and repair work for FREE.
Maybe we need to go up on our prices!?
OMG. Wow Wish i fenced in Texas
That's really nice price, wish things around here were like that.
Here in Virginia at my club it's $250/yr, private lessons extra $15 group lessons included in dues. Only one day normally a week for 3 hours.
I'm looking for a club in Altoona, PA for my kids. The person in charge quoted me a price of $700/person/Sept-May with only 1 1/2 hours of fencing per week. Seems a little steep to me for 1 1/2 hours (6.0 hrs/month). Only problem they are the only show in town.
My kid's club charges anywhere from $200 to $250 a month depending on your membership level. This includes 3 weekday group lessons plus Saturday if you want to come. Private lessons are always extra. These rates are actually below average for the Northern California area.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cookeit
That club in PA seems EXTREMELY overpriced.
What club are you referring to? But regarding your statement, consider whether you are talking about a club which has to pay rent and how much and whether the coaches are trying to make a living teaching. The only way I can see some of the prices quoted is that the club pays no or very minimal rent and the coaches aren't actually charging for their time. Or alternatively that someone else is bank rolling the place.
You can work the numbers fairly easily. Here in the SF Bay area rents for decent space are at least $1.00-$2.00 sq ft. and sometimes more. A club with 4-5 strips needs approximately 2000 sq feet. minimum. And that's without allowing for toilets, storage, sitting room etc and only if the floor is laid out efficiently. How much can you live on? Entry level wages start at about $40.-$50.K. Let's say a coach is really dedicated and takes a staggering $10K less than a garbage man. So $30K for an educated coach. Not some one who came up through the ranks and couldn't make it competitively.
So you're talking in minimal ranges $24,000/year rent, 100-200/month utilities, plus paying the coach $30,000. I'm thinking Ball Park figure $55,000. you need to gross per year and that's not allowing for things like insurance, advertising, so add another $5,000. So say $60,000.
And spread that over the number of members. But allow that a coach can offer private lessons at $20 lesson and assume 3 lessons (15-20 minutes each). for an additional $60/hour for perhaps as much as 3 hours a day. So at best $180/day for 5 days a week so $900/week x 45 weeks a year (don't forget holidays. coaches getting injured etc). And a lot of that depends on getting in members.
That's one way to get a rough estimate of whether charges are overpriced.
I had one young fencer ask me why fencing clubs always locate in rather poor neighborhoods.
but the funny thing is, around me, there are alota clubs ( sorta ) but they all charge similar amounts, and are rather expensive in comparison and opinion.
They're only 5-20 miles away, kinda far at times, but some closer.
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