Best Fencing Club Websites

[jon]

I'll make this pretty straightforward. Which clubs in the US have the best websites and why? Style, simplicity, and functionality are all key components.

I'm looking for the top 3.

[sionnach]

Originally Posted by jon

I'll make this pretty straightforward. Which clubs in the US have the best websites and why? Style, simplicity, and functionality are all key components.

A good looking fencing club website is almost impossible to find. Of the sites I've seen the Manhattan Fencing Center site is about the only one I'd call stylish. Bright, simple and fresh with good use of colour, just let down by that logo. The vast majority of club websites look woeful.

[dharmaqueen]

I think the NAFA site is beautiful and stylish and very user friendly. It is not overcrowded and does not abuse the eye.

http://www.nyfencing.com/

[Jason]

Originally Posted by dharmaqueen

I think the NAFA site is beautiful and stylish and very user friendly. It is not overcrowded and does not abuse the eye.

http://www.nyfencing.com/

My friend Amanda designed that site. She does far more impressive work than that (graphomanic.com).

[PeterGustafsson]

Hi!

Originally Posted by sionnach

A good looking fencing club website is almost impossible to find. Of the sites I've seen the Manhattan Fencing Center site is about the only one I'd call stylish. Bright, simple and fresh with good use of colour, just let down by that logo. The vast majority of club websites look woeful.

So, there is a thread to be done on the topic "which is the worst fencing club website in the USA/World?"!

Some contenders would be quite impressive!


Have a nice time!

Peter Gustafsson

[sionnach]

Originally Posted by PeterGustafsson

So, there is a thread to be done on the topic "which is the worst fencing club website in the USA/World?"

There'd be plenty of material but I don't think we should start posting links and laughing as in most of the cases the sites are made by members of the club with no real design or coding skills who are just trying their best. I don't think people (many of whom are probably active on this site) should be mocked for volunteering their time for their fencing club.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

The number one concern for me is being able to get the information I want: Namely, if I am in town for a short amount of time, and I'm considering going to your club some night, when should I show up? Similarly, I want to know more about the club-- the coaches, the better results, the facilities, and when they have classes. I want to easily be able to contact the people in charge.

Everything else is gravy. I like a nicely designed site, and I think it ends up making the club look more professional. But it's got to work in my browser. I'm using Firefox on a fairly standard ratio-- when I actually can't navigate your site because a drop down menu is broken, and that means I can't access your information, that means I don't go. I would rather a simplistic site that I can use than a mostly pretty site I can't use because of a coding flaw.

I have long thought about posting a "horrible fencing sites" thread. But all the contenders for the truly worst sites have a few things in common- not only is the site not very pretty and the facilities are barely existent, but the person in charge really isn't skilled enough to be a coach (and thus often makes some pretty weird claims) and the text of the website is BIZARRE and misleading.

The fact that you paid enough money to get your ass kicked at a "world cup" 10-15 years ago does not make you a good coach, similarly, the only people who care that you're a "rated fencer" are those who know nothing about the sport, so just leave it off. I have no problem with programs that are mostly general physical fitness that sometimes has some relation to fencing (especially for younger kids), but if that's what you're offering, say that clearly. Don't use bizarre slogans. Think carefully about capitalization. Reconsider using the phrase "physical chess." The fencers won those medals, got into those colleges, did those great things, the club did not.


What? I have a few pet peeves...

[darius]

The fencers won those medals, got into those colleges, did those great things, the club did not.

And of course, the club/staff have absolutely no influence on those fencers' results.

darius

[catwood1]

Originally Posted by darius

And of course, the club/staff have absolutely no influence on those fencers' results.

darius

Haha, I was thinking the same thing. Rep given.

[tkexi991]

So what are you looking for when you visit a club site? When I travel and have time to fit fencing in, this is what I look for...

1. Location
2. Practice/Class/Open Bouting Times
3. Contact Info
4. What makes you a good club
a. Facilities
b. Quality of fencers (# of rated, best results)
c. Quality of coaches (experience, credentials, results)
d. Press
5. Price
a. Dues
b. Lessons
c. Floor fees

That's pretty much it. Anything else?

[catwood1]

Originally Posted by tkexi991

So what are you looking for when you visit a club site? When I travel and have time to fit fencing in, this is what I look for...

1. Location
2. Practice/Class/Open Bouting Times
3. Contact Info
4. What makes you a good club
a. Facilities
b. Quality of fencers (# of rated, best results)
c. Quality of coaches (experience, credentials, results)
d. Press
5. Price
a. Dues
b. Lessons
c. Floor fees

That's pretty much it. Anything else?

Ok, I agree with what you're saying, but I have 1 questions:


WHAT THE DEVIL IS WITH YOUR LABELING SYSTEM?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

"1, 2, 3, 4, a, b, c, d, 5, a, b, c"


WHAT???

[oiuyt]

Originally Posted by catwood1

Ok, I agree with what you're saying, but I have 1 questions:


WHAT THE DEVIL IS WITH YOUR LABELING SYSTEM?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

"1, 2, 3, 4, a, b, c, d, 5, a, b, c"


WHAT???

Does it make more sense as:

1
2
3
4
...4a
...4b
...4c
...4d
5
...5a
...5b
...5c

-B

[Superscribe]

I beleive there is simply a lack of indenting.

a. Facilities
b. Quality of fencers (# of rated, best results)
c. Quality of coaches (experience, credentials, results)
d. Press
They are all subsections that make a good club, or a club good.

a. Dues
b. Lessons
c. Floor fees
They all fall under price.

Pretty intuitive actually.

If i'm going to travel and have time to fit in fencing, my primary concern is the quality of fencers i'm going to be fencing. I probably won't want to work that much with the coach in lessons, I'm not going to be involved in paying very regularly (so cost won't be that high regardless), and I've been to enough backwater tournaments to deal with the most ridiculous facilities you could possibly think up. I just want to have a good swordfight with accomplished fencers.

[NGV]

Originally Posted by sionnach

A good looking fencing club website is almost impossible to find. Of the sites I've seen the Manhattan Fencing Center site is about the only one I'd call stylish. Bright, simple and fresh with good use of colour, just let down by that logo.

That is a nice looking site.

Although, I find it kind of amusing that they used a photo of one of these for their "Become a Member" graphic (along with a cheesy glinting animation).

[sionnach]

Originally Posted by NGV

That is a nice looking site.

Although, I find it kind of amusing that they used a photo of one of these for their "Become a Member" graphic (along with a cheesy glinting animation).

Haha, never noticed the glint. Still, overall a nice site despite the glint and the Oprah

[Coldfire]

Well...we're the best club in the country so it makes sense that our website is the best

*ducks for cover*

[tkexi991]

Sorry about the indenting.

I tried to put things in priority order as well. Location is huge - big cities like Dallas, Chicago have a few different clubs, but I am always going to prefer the one that is easiest to get to.

Originally Posted by Superscribe

I beleive there is simply a lack of indenting.

a. Facilities
b. Quality of fencers (# of rated, best results)
c. Quality of coaches (experience, credentials, results)
d. Press
They are all subsections that make a good club, or a club good.

a. Dues
b. Lessons
c. Floor fees
They all fall under price.

Pretty intuitive actually.

If i'm going to travel and have time to fit in fencing, my primary concern is the quality of fencers i'm going to be fencing. I probably won't want to work that much with the coach in lessons, I'm not going to be involved in paying very regularly (so cost won't be that high regardless), and I've been to enough backwater tournaments to deal with the most ridiculous facilities you could possibly think up. I just want to have a good swordfight with accomplished fencers.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

Originally Posted by darius

And of course, the club/staff have absolutely no influence on those fencers' results.

darius

I have no problem with "Congratulations to fencer A who is going to Harvard!", and no problem with a listing of the results of all fencers, and again, no problem with "congrats to B who took gold at JOs".

I have a huge problem with:

"{Redacted} Fencing earns 3 medals at the Sword in the Snow Super Youth Circuit, UNH Durham." Which again, would be semi-reasonable, if there had been a team event at that particular tournament.

Not so much.

The large chip on my shoulder comes from the high school guidance counselor who "got into" a lot of colleges. Yes, he wrote the traditional letter of recommendation, but I'm not really sure how he managed, since he didn't know anything about me you couldn't read on my transcript.

[bunbury]

Originally Posted by NGV

That is a nice looking site.

I'm going to have to disagree. Whoever decided to use italics for their typeface should be shot, not to mention that "Become a member" gives little details on actually becoming a member, and one has to scroll down quite a bit just to get to Announcements. These grievances are amongst others, of course.

Originally Posted by dharmaqueen

I think the NAFA site is beautiful and stylish and very user friendly. It is not overcrowded and does not abuse the eye.

http://www.nyfencing.com/

Whoever designed that site needs to stop using MS Paint and move on to big-boy apps.

[dharmaqueen]

Originally Posted by bunbury

I'm going to have to disagree. Whoever decided to use italics for their typeface should be shot, not to mention that "Become a member" gives little details on actually becoming a member, and one has to scroll down quite a bit just to get to Announcements. These grievances are amongst others, of course.



Whoever designed that site needs to stop using MS Paint and move on to big-boy apps.

So give us a better example then.