Hey Dad, How about coaching little league?

[milstdfarm]

(Or Mom!) How many former fencers do we have that would consider being something like a fencing 'little league' coach?

We started a Boy Scout fencing team in Southern Illinois about a year and a half ago when it became obvious the older boys were getting bored with traditional camping, etc. I'm the coach. I fenced in college but that's it. No special skills other than getting along well with the kids. I told the kids that if they wanted to get really good they would need to find a professional coach but that in the meantime we could have some fun. And we have.

We're about to start a second Scout fencing team in St. Louis.

The professional clubs and coaches are much needed. I don't want to take anything away from them. I go to clinics and take lessons from some Pro's to become a better coach. We need the pros. But there are lots and lots of kids that don't have the kind of money needed to join a club. There are lots and lots of kids that are interested in fencing but who not serious enough to join the USFA. They want to fence just for the fun of it. --Those are the kids that you can help.

We're a Scout group, our sponsor gives us a free place to practice. Maybe a local church youth group, or the Y would offer a similar set up.

What about it? Think about starting a local fencing club for kids in your area. It doesn't have to be big or fancy, it just has to be fun.

Our group is going to be featured in "Boys' Life" magazine this November.
http://boyslife.org/home/video/10585...ers-in-action/

One more thought, our fencers have all gotten to try something cool, something they can go to school and brag about. (And so far, knock on wood, they have all stayed out of trouble!) Most important is the life lesson that fencing teaches; they have had a chance to stand on the strip with some great fencers. They learned that even though you might lose this bout, if you go back and practice more, learn more, you can come back and try again. They learn that failure is not permanent.

[Phrogger]

I think it's a great idea and the USFCA could do more to encourage coaches at this level. Unfortunately most clinics are either aimed at high-level coaches or overpriced for this application.

I know other sports put out simple handbooks for coaching at this level; the YMCA soccer teams for example are coached by parents, some of whom have never even strapped on a pair of shinguards in their life. They get a handbook and boom! There's your soccer coach.

But don't hold your breath. If you want to coach fencing and can round up the equipment, do it! Nobody's stopping you. You don't need a fancy certificate or even a USFA membership to do it.

[SabreReedfrost]

Sounds pretty cool. Fencing isn't something that you'd necessarily associate with Boy Scouts. What have you done for equipment?

[milstdfarm]

As for equipment: I still had some equipment from when I fenced, I bought some more used on ebay and a little bit new. We started with enough for 8 fencers at a time to fence dry.

We got a donation of some old foil parts from another club in the area so we were able to put together a few more foils.

Then we had another dad and a grandmother donate some money to buy some electric scoring equipment.

The kids have to buy their own electric gear. We hold fund-raisers where the kids keep the money earned to buy that gear. My favorite fund-raiser was selling bratwurst at the biker convention. The bikers were very good to us. Who would have thought, bikers like sword fighting and Boy Scouts.

[DangerMouse]

Actually, bikers are renouned for their generosity. Most serious fundraisers know this.

[Allen Evans]

Methamphetamine profits have to go somewhere!

[jespada]

Methamphetamine profits have to go somewhere!

I hope you meant that as a poor joke cager!

[SabreReedfrost]

I hope you meant that as a poor joke cager!

Maybe not. Do you have experience? I'm personally not quite sure where those profits would go... And kudos to Milstdfarm for the equipment problem. You seem to have made out pretty well!

[jespada]

Maybe not. Do you have experience? I'm personally not quite sure where those profits would go...

Enough to know that a larger percentage of drug dealers and users drive autos. ERGO, all auto drivers are drug dealers and drug users. It's axiomatic that dealers are also user.s A biker on drugs has a very short attention span and a very short life span.

[Phincer]

Sounds pretty cool. Fencing isn't something that you'd necessarily associate with Boy Scouts. What have you done for equipment?

my bold.

It would be if you knew the scouts I knew. Pointy sticks, running around trying to jab each other. Sometimes the sticks were on fire. No wonder my kid dropped scouting like a hot potato when he got into fencing. More civilized it was.