FIE Plans on creating a Fencing Master's School on every continent?

["Fence like a Cat"]

Does anyone have any additional information or updates on the FIE plan to create a Fencing Master's School on each continent? It was mentioned in FIE Magazine 65.

thanks,
Marty Tetloff

[MdA]

Does anyone have any additional information or updates on the FIE plan to create a Fencing Master's School on each continent? It was mentioned in FIE Magazine 65.

thanks,
Marty Tetloff

Marty,

Ours was supposed to be in Mexico City. At least that was the plan, under the old FIE President Roch. I have heard no updates since the new FIE administration took over under Usmanov

[RITFencing]

Why Mexico City?

[MdA]

Why Mexico City?

Do you want my opinion....or the politically correct version?

[InFerrumVeritas]

Do you want my opinion....or the politically correct version?

Yes.

characters

[MdA]

I am going to need a little more interest and encouragement.

[Bryn Ralph]

Unless you are an American diplomat with a portfolio and fluent in Spanish, it would be inadvisable to visit Mexico City.

Perhaps Mr. Usmanov is unfamiliar with the culture of Mexico.

I would offer another location -- such as Dallas. Texans are friendly.

Bryn

[darius]

Wendell,

Isn't the onus behind the FIE FM schools to try to bring fencing to other parts of the world? My cynical view: FIE Congress 1 country, 1 vote -- throw $5k at the Congolese federation and they could cancel out, say ... Italy. A less cynical view: less chance of us getting booted from the Olympics if fencing is done in more countries.

Since the US is viewed as a rich country, not 3rd world, why would we need development assistance from the FIE?

darius

[Jason]

And being that the US was the second largest medal winner at the past Olympics, it could certainly be argued that we're doing alright on our own. Not to mention that the cost of setting up a school in Mexico would necessarily be significantly less than setting one up in the US.

Of course, I'm not sure what the business model of these schools would be. How would they be funded? Would the Mexican Ministry of Education be involved? Setting up a permanent Fencing Masters school in Mexico might not be a sound business idea. Actually, setting one up anywhere in North America seems potentially unsustainable.

[Allen Evans]

There was an implication at the time of the announcement by Mr. Roche that these training centers were being handed out to countries with small fencing foot prints in order to encourage them to support FIE policies. That might be what Wendell is alluding to.

I don't think "best business practices" entered into the decisions.

[MdA]

These are some good answers. You forgot that it would’ve provided a great photo op for Ioan Popp and his buddies…but the one vote – one country thing didn’t work out.

Usmanov has his own program. Check it out

http://www.rusfencing.ru/press.php?txt_id=8022

..and for those who don’t want to click thru…here is the coaching excerpt

“At the same time, we will establish an international department for coaches at one of the existing higher sports institutions. Herewith, 40 students will be able to obtain higher education each year. The learning process will take one and a half or two years, after which the student will receive a diploma of Professional Coach. Thus, after two years, world fencing will be replenished with 40 professional trainers. After three years — with 80. After four years — with 120.”

So it looks like we will replace the FIE coaches training center in Mexico City with one in the Ukraine…or somewhere like that….so get ready to sign up….but in the USA, I think we are on our own.

[MdA]

T...... So it looks like we will replace the FIE coaches training center in Mexico City with one in the Ukraine…or somewhere like that….so get ready to sign up….but in the USA, I think we are on our own.

Will this new program work better than the old Roch/Popp program? Would you take an FIE scholarship and go live in Ukrane/Poland/Hungary for two years?

[Allen Evans]

Certainly a number of people -- even on this board -- have trained overseas without any FIE support.

I might not have hesitated to do this when I was much younger. I think there would be some takers from North America if such a program was available and accessiable.

["Fence like a Cat"]

I would be interested in knowing what opportunities exist for full time study in Europe and elsewhere currently. Perhaps this information is available in another thread and I'll look.

Marty

[MdA]

......
I might not have hesitated to do this when I was much younger. I think there would be some takers from North America if such a program was available and accessiable.

After all the discussions we've had in this forum.....I would really like to know how many North Americans would pick up and leave family/friends and other career....live/study in an Eastern European country for 2 years.....for a career as a professional fencing coach.

We couldn't attract enought candidates to keep AFA running at Cornell ...or the Pan American Fencing Academy in San Antonio....how many would go to Europe?

Unless the pay increases dramatically for fencing coaches in America....I don't think you will see many North Americans opting for a career as a professional. See other post in this forum about Kurt Aichele

[Jason]

We couldn't attract enought candidates to keep AFA running at Cornell ...or the Pan American Fencing Academy in San Antonio....how many would go to Europe?

Those are actually two separate issues (not to mention that they take place in two different eras). Cornell needed a certain number of students to survive; foreign programs already survive--the question is whether a few additional incentives could increase the number of Americans who'd attend them.

While I doubt there would be droves of prospective US coaches moving abroad for two years, it's reasonable to assume that some would since, as Allen mentioned, even without any extra incentives, some already have. I imagine it could be quite attractive to competitive fencers who want to train abroad and see this as a nice opportunity to get coaching education as well.

It would most likely be appealing to young people looking to live abroad, rather than older people with families.

[Allen Evans]

Please note my use of the word "some", in this case meaning, perhaps, "not many". Would one or two a year go? I think so. Would twenty? Probably not.

[MdA]

Please note my use of the word "some", in this case meaning, perhaps, "not many". Would one or two a year go? I think so. Would twenty? Probably not.

That is the problem. America needs more than one or two per year.

This is an issue that the USFA and the USFCA must work on jointly and with cooperation.

[MdA]

That is the problem. America needs more than one or two per year.
......

I just thought....this would still be an improvement over the recent past. How many active American-born Fencing Masters have European certifications?

I can only think of about a handful...

Michael Marx
Greg Massialas
Wendell Kubik
Jason Sheridan
Rob Handelman
Walter Green III

...am I missing anybody?

[Jason]

That is the problem. America needs more than one or two per year.

Do we actually need more than one or two a year? I suspect not. It would be awesome if we could get dozens to go train in Europe every year, but our continued development and improvement as a fencing power suggests that we don't actually need it.

Along with the foreign coaches who are here, and those others who seem to arrive daily, a gradual increase of Americans who've trained at top schools abroad will form a very strong foundation for continued US fencing growth.

What the US more likely needs is a better infrastructure to facilitate the spreading of that foreign knowledge amongst domestic coaches. That would certainly accelerate US fencing development.