Your club

[haggis]

Please tell me about your club.

I'm interested in how many members your club has, what sort of facilities it has, how many coaches, what weapons, how many nights a week, how is a club night organised, how is it financed, how successful and by what measure, etc.

Anything you'd like to share would be great, whether it's singing the praises of your club or having a moan about how chaotic it is or how the coach hates your guts.

I've been thinking about this a fair bit recently and would really like to hear how other clubs work.

Thanks

Haggis

[haggis]

To get the ball rolling:

My club has roughly 40 members. We fence three nights a week for roughly 2 1/2 hours. There are 4-5 coaches working most nights, giving 4-5 individual lessons each. The fencer pays the coach directly, none of the money goes to the club. It's a three-weapon club. Club nights are a mixture of free play, lessons and the occasional footwork session. There is also a beginner's class one night a week, the club pays the coach for this class. Fencers can pay per night or by monthly standing order (standing order is cheaper if you fence more than 5 times a month i.e just more than once a week). We are a pretty successful competitive club (7 or 8 fencers competing for Great Britain at Cadet, Junior or Senior World Chmpionships in the last 4 years) and the club would probably be ranked in the top 4 or 5 in Britain at all weapons (except women's sabre).

Hope that gives you an idea of the sort of thing I'm after.

Cheers

Haggis

[Boo Boo]

I am a member of 3 clubs and a "casual" member (i.e. I pay weekly) of another club: the reason being that no descent club in my area meets for more than one night a week...

Club 1: has about 60 full members and over a 100 people on their books. Its a three weapon club and produces internationals (mainly juniors) at all six weapons. A number of the national pentathalon team also occassionally train there. Ages range from 7 to 70 odd. There are two professional three weapon coaches, one beginner foil coach and one coach who takes a "sabre group". This club meets once a week and is one of the "better" regional 3 weapon clubs in the country.

Club 2: has about 16 members and is the regional foil squad centre of excellence (sabre and epee held on a different night). Its an "invitation only", full member only club whjich only runs during school term time. A few internationals (mainly cadets) train here. I am one of only two people over the age of 19 who train there :-(. There are currently three foil coaches at this club. This club meets once a week.

Club 3: is a recently built up three weapon club. Its growing, but still mainly recreational fencers of varying ages. There is one professional coach here and one or two "club leader" type coaches. This club meets once a week.

Club 4: is quite an old fashioned club (until I started training there, about a year ago, they hardly ever fenced using electrics). The fencers are almost all exclusively recreational fencers and nearly all of them are over 30 years old. All three weapons are fenced, although most people seem to just fence epee and sabre just like they fence foil.... The foil presiding is very "old fashoined" (if your arm isn't locked straight, then it isn't your attack...). I am normally the only woman to train here. There are between two and four three weapon coaches (of varying quality) depending on the night. This club meets two nights a week (although I only tend to go once - the second night clashes with Club 2 which is better).

I pay for my main coach privately (on retainer). He is mainly a sabre coach and I am a foilist. He coaches at Club 4 only (the rest of his coaching is at other, mainly sabre, clubs), so all my other lessons with him are outside of club hours. I also receive some coaching from another coach (who coaches at clubs 1 and 2). His fees are included in the club fees.

I think that paying for coaches seperately from club fees is a really good idea. I dislike paying for a coach if I don't get a lesson (especially since I have a private coach on a retainer...). The clubs here believe that coaches should be funded through club fees :-(

Hope that wasn't too rambling,
Boo

[Peach]

Fencing Academy of Philadelphia, in Philadelphia, PA, USA:

Members: a couple or three hundred ? including class members, kids, junior elites, occasionals, off-site class attendees, serious club bouters, and competitors.

Facilities: own building, eight strips, six electric, weight room, armory, pro shop, locker rooms, bathrooms w/shower.

Coaches: a bunch, ranging from Olympic maestro to apprentice, almost all USFA or USFCA certified at many different levels.

Weapons: all

How many nights a week: four or five weeknights, Saturday days, tournaments on Sundays.

Club night organization: early evenings (4:00 on) youth classes, then junior classes, then adult classes and bouting and lessons all at same time. Weeknight evenings end 10:00 or 11:00, Saturday earlier.

Financed: membership fees and/or class fees, lesson fees, all paid to club, club pays coaches for lessons. Lesson fees are PER LESSON! I agree someone like me who takes two lessons a week should pay for them. Tournament fees for national events at which coach must be. The head coach owns the club and the building and makes his living from the club.

Successful: by most measures. Lots of kids learning to fence, lots of adults learning to fence, lots of recreational fencers, many competitive youth/junior/adult fencers, medals or strong finishes at most national events, good results in general. Two young epeeists just made the Junior Pan American team, for example.

Well organized. A real business. A nice place to be for me. Only thing that's hard is that it was always stronger in foil and epee than sabre, but that's been improving again lately and the head coach is taking sabre more seriously.

I particularly like the fact that the club is not just for kids, not just for national medals, not just a recreational club, there's a real variety. Also, it isn't a "star" club with a few hot-shots and the masses trailing behind; anyone who wants to succeed gets quality training.

[Gav]

Hi Haggis! I fence at RCP - Royal Commonwealth Pool Edinburgh (but you knew that already ).

I'm not currently sure what the total membership of the club is ~60 (adults and kids) spread over 3 nights. 2 nights are 'senior' fencing nights and one is an adult beginners night. There is an hour set aside for the kids preceeding each of the adult nights.

We fence all 3 weapons, Sabre is the minority weapon. Epee is currently the only weapon that people compete at, as foil has been populated by mostly recreational fencers for a while.

Facilities. A large (ish) corridor. space for 2-3 full size pistes. It's a concrete floor so we use rubber mats (which are currently being replaced). Acces to the pool (included in the price of your ticket) - any other facilities are extra (but there are saunas, fitness room, fitness classes and other martial arts - if you pay for them). Currently we are researching a move for the club. Incidentally RCP is technically a municipal club and this brings its own benefits and frustrations.

Coaching: 1 very experienced, very good coach once a week suplemented by 2-4 junior (ie still learning the craft) coaches. We recently lost our old master as he retired and we've been in a bind for a bit, a situation that we are currently trying to rectify. We have a very experienced ex-fencer (now Master) who has been helping us learn the 'coaching way'.

We have a very strong sense of community. The senior fencers help each get to and from tourneys (if they can). They help those that need it. Plus we are located across from a 1/2 decent pub where our members can get a discount!

Things are on the up for the club. Recent results are beginning to show an increase in the available pool of talent (at Epee at least).

There is still a long way to go but hopefully we are now on the right track.

Oh yeah we are on the web:

www.rcpfc.co.uk

[Spanky]

i goto a kids club, 'coz its the only club in town. it is attended by about half a dozen brats, ranging from 9 to 18 years of age, (i am the oldest fencer there at the ripe old age of 27!). the club trains exclusively foil...*sniff!* the only real competition i have is with the coach and his oldest son. the son is somewhere in the world top 80, mf cadet. we meet in a run-down school sports hall, with shoddy lighting and poor ventialtion, usually 3 times aweek.
the coach is not the most er, savoury of characters, and sometimes makes them brats cry. i have seen attendance drop due to his tantrums....yes.
also, since his oldest son is the apple of his eye, just about all individual lessons go to the son.
i must be a fencing-ho to keep attending the sessions like this. i am hoping to get a car in a few months and have some mobility: i am prepared to drive quite far to goto a decent club, for a change! oh! the depravity! the horror!

[Spanky McFarland]

Hello Haggis,

I fence at Glasgow West. We have about 40 members, but on an average night we will see perhaps 20 of them. Most of our club consists of recreational fencers, so in the past we have been very lackadaisical about training, but recently we have tried to rectify that by introducing a footwork session, and short class lesson.

We have one full-time coach, who only gives out individual lessons on a rotating basis, and a few part-timers who take beginners and do the odd class lesson, footwork session.

We have but two electric pistes but, as in much of the West of Scotland, there are few sabreurs, so there doesn't tend to be any arguments.

Feel free to come through for a visit and a glass of Buckie!

[haggis]

Cheers Spanky Mc

Glad to see the association between extra strong tonic wine, a city with a history of alcohol-fuelled violence and a sport involving weapons being brought to a global audience.

You never know, one of these days I might find myself in Glasgow looking for a club and I'll be able to take up your offer.

Haggis

[135711]

i don't know yet, i'll tell you in 7 weeks.

[sallearmourer]

Our Club here Mt. Home Id is my family. We have several national medals. My wife is the coach of the club and she is one the top rated veteran fencer in sabre and foil She also a national rated referee in two wepons. My daughter is a national rated referee in all three weapons and a good foilist as well. My kids range in ages from 21 to 6 years of age.


Tim

[oiuyt]

UMass Fencing Club/Northampton Fencing Center

I coach the UMass (University of Massachusetts) fencing team. A collegiate club team that competes similarly to an NCAA program. We practice 3 evenings and 2 afternoons each week (so 2-4 hours/day 5 days/week). An increasing emphasis on local USFA competition (we're stuck about 2ish hours from the centers of three different divisions which means nothing close to us but a ton just a not unreasonable drive away). A full collegiate schedule (~20 dual meets/year for each gender, beginning of season individual meet, end of season conference championships). Our competition is a mix of varsity (Harvard, MIT, Brown, BC, etc.) and club (Smith, UNH, Dartmouth, BU, etc.) opponents.

We have about 35 "varsity" members and have just started running this semester's "novice" program (another 25 or so people currently) which will merge in November (the remaining people that want to continue after the novice program, likely 10-15 people).

I also train 1 night/week at the Northampton Fencing Center. The center meets 3 evenings and 1 afternoon each week, Monday being the big day for the competitive fencers and serious recreational fencers. The other days tend to be used for additional practice time/lesson time and group classes of beginners and youth. I'm not clear on the exact membership numbers, especially not if you include people that only attend the group sessions on days I'm not there. There are a lot of members in common between the NoHo Center and the Smith College Fencing Club (coached by the same person) so in part it depends on how you count. Currently a smallish club, the center is fairly new (recently had it's 2nd birthday). Epee tends to have the greatest numbers (although that can still be as few as 8-10 people). Sabre tends to be highly dependent on who's there that night. Some nights there can be zero people fencing (if there's only 1 fencer it kind of limits bouting opportunities), others there can be 6+ including an A, a C, and an additional C-caliber fencer. Foil has only a few competitive members and several experienced recreational members.

The Center has 2 coaches, the coach who owns/runs the Center and gives lessons on a per lesson fee basis, and a second coach who is available for private lessons (again on a per lesson fee system), a portion of the proceeds of which are returned to the club.

-B :)

[Crash55]

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Fencing Club, Toy, NY

3 Weapon College club.

Members: For this semester I am not entirely certain of our numbers. Normally we have about 40 to 50 student members and around 15 to 20 non student members. About 20 to 30 members show up at any given practice. Ager range from 15 to 50+. Experience ranges from beginners to our coach's coach who has been fencing since the beginning of time (I believe he fenced under Santelli). We have a core group that competes at the division and section level and a few that compete at NACs and Nationals.

Coaches: One primary coach (Rod Meagher) and an assistant coach that give lessons without any fees beyond club dues. Sometimes group lessons are given by weapon. Other times the coaches will pull people aside individually for lessons. Additionally you can request a lesson at any time. Our primary coach gives private lessons outside of practice time and at a different location for a fee. Our primary coach's coach (not paid by the club) gives free specialized lessons to fencers that he feels are worthy.

Facilities: Large area in the basement of a school athletic building. Three strips painted on the concrete floor. Ample room away from the strips and in two side rooms for lessons/drills. Armory room for storing and working on equipment. We have rubber backed rugs to place over the concrete but no one has in a couple years. They are just too heavy and awkward to move around.

Practices: Tues and Thurs from 8 to 10. Fiurst half hour is group footwork, though some people skip this and do drills on the side. The rest of the practice is free fencing with lessons being given off to the side.

Finances: The club is partially supported by the college. This year I believe we were given $1500 for equipment and the school pays for the coaches. Additionally a portion of the USFA membership fee is refunded for members that join (not required), we reimburse half of tournament entry fees and all the gas for getting there and back.(the school sets a yearly club limit on these). We host both a fall and a spring tournament. Most of this money is turned into the school though some is kept to buy/repair equipment. Additionally the school pays for transportation, hotels, and entry fees to a yearly team tournament in Canada. For this trip we have to collect $15 from each student and $25 from each non-student that goes. Club dues are $25 per semester / $40 per year for students and $50/$90 pre semester/year for non students. For those fees we provide all equipment except for a glove.

Success: We are probably the largest club in the division. At most foil/epee tournaments we usually field the largest number of people. Our saber though has been lacking the past few years. The dedicated saber fencers go to the saber only club in town. We do well at the divisional level though we don't make much of a showing at the sectional or national level. This past weekend 5 of the 15 epee fencers were from RPI. RPI fencers took 2nd and 3rd with our coach (fenced under a different club) tying for 3rd. We also have half the division officers and one rated ref in the club. Our main downfall is that we have a hard time retaining students through the year and ino the following school year.

We tend more towards relaxed recreational setting (if you want bout or do drills or just socialize you can) during practice though we make a good showing at any tournament we enter. The best is when we go to Vassar in Feb and beat on the varsity teams. Last year we only managed second to Vassar, largely due to a former club member being on their varsity team now.

All in all it is a good club. It is inexpensive, the coaching is good, and you face a wide range of opponents.

[sabreur]

I belong to two clubs. One Hungarian master coaches at each two nights a week. Plus one of the clubs has a couple of coaches who give lessons as well.

One of the clubs actually offers training five nights a week, from 1830-2130. The other club offers training Wed. 1730-2000, and Friday 1730-2200. I generally train one day a week at each club, about two hours per session.

Both of the clubs have about 45-50 members, of whom 20-30 actually fence. One of the clubs is predominantly older fencers (25+), while the other is almost entirely kids under 18 (except me).

Dues for each club are about $15/month--this includes lessons--I typically take two 15-minute lessons/week.

Hey Oiuyt--what's the scoop on Dartmouth fencing--do they have a club again? I fenced there in 1978-1979.... the last two years that fencing was a varsity sport.

Regards, MR

[oiuyt]

Dartmouth has a club, they compete collegiately similar to the way we do and are in the same leagues as us (UMass). They tend not to do as much (any?) non-league stuff as we do.

Their website: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~fencing/ was taken down for remodelling after last season and basically just has a holder page there currently. They are still functioning and compete ~4-5 times/year. This year they will be hosting the New England Championships.

If you want/need contact info for them, PM me and I'll see what I can find for you.

-B :)

[Crash55]

We normally get a group of Dartmouth people coming to the RPI open. Since we don't require USFA membership we pull in lots of college kids.

[D'Artagnan1673]

My club on average has about 4-6 people on Tuesdays and Saturdays. We are almost exclusively epee and we don't have a coach. At least one person may enter a tournament every 3-6 months and will place fairly high, esp. since we generally fence restricted events.

I have recently been contacted by the Knights of Trapani in Humble TX (99 miles away from home) about visiting them for free as often as possible. Bill wants to get tougher fencers out on his floor to help his son train. I am anticipating visiting Humble about twice a month. My first visit will be two weeks from today on Oct. 11. I'll let you know how it goes.

[D'Artagnan1673]

Also, even a Sunday article (poorly written) in the Beaumont Enterprise failed to generate but maybe 1 person to the crew, and he hasn't been there in a month.

I guess South East Texas is too country to generate a lot of weird and intelligent people like fencers.