school club help?

[sabrefencer93]

Well i love fencing, and fence outstide of school too. My club at shcool is currently extremly unorganized. Any tips on how to get the high school kids more serious about it?

[Lady Riposter]

Do you have a coach who can come in and motivate them to do classes or group footwork/drills? If you don't have a coach at your school, could you get one for a few hours? Your fellow students may be excited by how much they see they can learn and be more willing to have more organized/productive practices.

You might be able to motivate them by encouraging them to work towards a goal or an event. If you can get some of them interested in working towards a competition in a few month's time, you might get them interested in drills or more organized bouting.

Good luck!

[sabrefencer93]

Thanks, I actually am planning an electric tournamet as a fundraiser currently, so im hoping that will get them motivated. I can get them to do footwork and drills when i teach them sabre, some of the senior members make fun of me, because they are use to the club just being a joke

[RebelFencer]

Thanks, I actually am planning an electric tournamet as a fundraiser currently, so im hoping that will get them motivated. I can get them to do footwork and drills when i teach them sabre, some of the senior members make fun of me, because they are use to the club just being a joke

You can always just join an outside fencing club more geared towards competition. That seems like it might be a better fit for you. Where in the SE are you?

[sabrefencer93]

You can always just join an outside fencing club more geared towards competition. That seems like it might be a better fit for you. Where in the SE are you?

Im in NC and i do fence at an outside club, im with CFFA. I just am trying to get my school club back up and running, we have some great fencers that started off there. Many of them are C's now.

[HOT Fencing Club]

I can get them to do footwork and drills when i teach them sabre, some of the senior members make fun of me, because they are use to the club just being a joke

They probably will make fun of you for a while until they see that you are serious about fencing, and changing the club and are not going to quit. Then they will probably change their mind.
BUT- you do have some respect already, if you can get them to do drills! Keep at it, and keep asking more of them. That's what I see that keeps a group motivated- when you believe in their potential more than they do.

Are they helping with the tounament? That could be fun for them.

Good luck!

[sabrefencer93]

They probably will make fun of you for a while until they see that you are serious about fencing, and changing the club and are not going to quit. Then they will probably change their mind.
BUT- you do have some respect already, if you can get them to do drills! Keep at it, and keep asking more of them. That's what I see that keeps a group motivated- when you believe in their potential more than they do.

Are they helping with the tounament? That could be fun for them.

Good luck!

NO they aren't helping with the tournament and hardley any of them are fencing in it. We have 13 for foil and 7 for sabre, but i think maybe 5 if we are lucky are coming from hoggard, oh well if i can just get one of them serious about fencing. If not, ill just continue with my training and let the club rot away, (they aren't exactly a greatful bunch)

[HOT Fencing Club]

Well, some people just WILL NOT be motivated, it seems. But if you can get enough of the group interested, or at least cooperating with you, they might eventually come around,. . . a little.

But if they don't want the club, then there's not a whole lot of reason for you to try to make the club work for them, is my thought.

Still, hope your tournament is a success!

[sabrefencer93]

Tournament was sucessful, however only 2 people from my school club came and competed. Raised $120 and have another 40 coming in donations. Weather kept somepeople. (really stormy and rainy, and hard to drive). But i think it went well.

[KidLazy]

Weather kept somepeople. (really stormy and rainy, and hard to drive).

I think... in the middle of a week, not USFA santioned, and too close to a NAC kept the rest...

nice try/good effort tho.
good luck next time.

[sabrefencer93]

I think... in the middle of a week, not USFA santioned, and too close to a NAC kept the rest...

nice try/good effort tho.
good luck next time.

True, but for the timing and such i think it worked out well. And now i have been contacted to help start a club at another school. This is turning into a job. lol

[HOT Fencing Club]

Hey, it's people that want your help, though! Cool for you!

HOT Fencing

[sabrefencer93]

Haha yeah, we have a meeting today, so it willl be interesting to see how it turns out.

[Alexander Kai]

Haha yeah, we have a meeting today, so it will be interesting to see how it turns out.

So far it seems like you're doing a good job, and the amount of money you raised is pretty good for your first tournament. I know, because when I had a tournament to raise funds for the club I raised about the same amount.

I just started a Fencing Club at WIU, so if you ever want to bounce ideas off of me feel free, and I shall gladly return the favor.

Seriously though, well done.

[foibles]

Well i love fencing, and fence outstide of school too. My club at shcool is currently extremly unorganized. Any tips on how to get the high school kids more serious about it?

Make them pay dues. Somewhat real dues. 100.00/ semester or so.

People value what they pay for.


Use the dues to bring in a coach or an advanced fencer from your outside non-school club that can act as a beginner/ intermediate coach.

Very important: The coach must love fencing. This will re-set the tone of the club.

[sabrefencer93]

Make them pay dues. Somewhat real dues. 100.00/ semester or so.

People value what they pay for.


Use the dues to bring in a coach or an advanced fencer from your outside non-school club that can act as a beginner/ intermediate coach.

Very important: The coach must love fencing. This will re-set the tone of the club.

Well high schoolers cant afford to pay dues like that, i know i can't and that honestly is more than what i pay for my our of school club dues. $25/month. And i have pretty much taken over any position of "coach" and run drills and such..

[Alexander Kai]

The high schoolers themselves might not be able to afford it, but the parents could. Even at a college level, I have seen some people balk at the dues I set (40$ a semester). Sometimes though, once they realize its fairly inexpensive (compared to some of our other clubs) they don't mind asking their parents for that small amount.

Because I also use their dues money for equipment (at this time) I tell them that having their own equipment waives them from having to pay dues, and that any dues they have paid (in the current semester) go towards the purchase of equipment should they wish to acquire it through the club).

I'm revising this a little bit, so that its broken into a general membership fee and an equipment fee, but the idea is the same.

With your high schoolers, perhaps $25 a month is appropriate, perhaps more, or maybe less. Ask them, throw the question out there and see how they respond. It never hurts to ask, unless you already know the answer.

[Pinky-N-T-Brain]

I have to hand it to Sabreencer 93 here - *kudoos* - you have already done more than some college students who start clubs. Its been said on several other threads that this type of 'coaching' usually comes down to a leadership/respect kind of thing, and if the members are used to the club being a 'joke', than you are running an uphill battle - so congrats on being so successfull so far.

In the way of advice, try looking at the USFCA website. Registered uses have access to the thesis papers of coaches - and one I have found VERY usefull with the teen to young college age group is Eric Fontelle Thompson's "Using Games in Fencing Instruction". If you can make practices fun, something they enjoy coming to, you may see better participation.

[afriendlycat]

Regarding dues, when I point out that many of our club members spend more on alcoholic drinks every weekend than on a semester of club dues it puts it into perspective and they are more willing to pay.

Of course, for high schoolers you need a different comparison since they (hopefully) don't drink.

[sabrefencer93]

thanks for all the adivce, especially alexander. i was just thinking about how to go about this for next year. I had my coach come out and help referee the end of the year tournament so they could see what actual reffing was. I kind of put it on the back burner but ill pick it up again next year.