2012 Capital Clash SYC and Cadet Tournament Comments

[fencerina dad]

The 2012 Capital Clash SYC has ended. Hope everyone who attended felt it was a great experience. Please post your comments to this thread good or bad. We strive each year to make this one of the premier fencing events in the country.

[MBalderson]

I was there as a referee for Saturday and Sunday.

I thought that Saturday was a ridiculous schedule. Starting 5 events simultaneously struck me as a red flag when I first saw the schedule, and I still don't know how it got pulled off in any capacity. As it turned out, my release time of 9/930 was very early. I realize that the attendance figures were not expected to be quite this huge, but doesn't help motivate the developing referees in the room to want to do it again or at the next level. The experienced referees in the room still recognized it as one of the harder days of refereeing they had seen in a while.

There were power issues throughout the weekend. I'm not certain that is something that can be influenced by the organizers, but the 20 minute delay in the middle of the Saturday morning pool helped to compound issues later in the day.

I'm amazed at the number and quality of referees that were brought in for this. There were many, many faces I recognized from national events, including several FOC members. It looked like there was ample opportunity for observation of lower rated referees. I hope that many of the new referees will remember the feedback they received from the senior referees, and not the length of the day.

[Asibov Sobelo]

When I saw how crazy the number of registrations was getting, I thought the weekend would be a mess but somehow it wasn't. Having the Cadet events definately added a lot more strain on demands for space and referees, but again somehow that was fine.

The event was extremely well run and organized and you can tell that a lot of thought and heart was put into making this tournament a very special event for the fencers. Everything from registration through the medal ceremonies were done so well, it really took on the atmosphere of a NAC. Even though the Gaylord National was a bit pricey, it made for a wonderful venue. Hopping on the elevator to get to the tournament and being able to tell restless siblings to go up to the room was nice. It was also great to able to step out of the venue into the Biodome/Truman Show-esque environment of the Gaylord National for a breathe of fresh (?) air. Even though this is not the closest SYC for us. We will make a poinit to go back every year especially at the Gaylord National.

[wakeup]

Two years ago, CC was my kid's first-ever tournament and I've been amazed at how much better it's gotten each successive year.

Saturday did seem a bit hellacious, but I didn't see how late it went because my kid had one of the early start times so we were gone before dinner.

Early check-in on Friday was a godsend (don't know if the Sat arrivals experienced it as well). Food was a little awkward -- National Harbor is a sit-down-and-spend-money-eating kind of place, so the grab a sandwich or salad and feed the kid in the venue between pools and DEs strategy wasn't so easy, especially if said kid was a vegetarian.

First SYC I've gone to where I didn't emerge with a funny parents behaving badly story. Don't know whether I was just watching the wrong events or whether the NAC-like quality of this event had a calming influence.

Reffing was an obvious strong suit and the ref development aspect of the event was apparent (in a good way) even to me as a parent. Kinda cool to see the broad age range of the new refs -- teens to vets.

[Mergs]

Oh, I have several of the funny parents behaving badly stories, but one of the best commets I heard was from a parent that made the statement that "The ref made a wrong call, or the score would be....." (parent also made other statements/asked a question indicating that there was only a minimal knowledge of what was happening). The ref in 'question' was George K. I had to giggle to myself and walk away.

[wakeup]

One more thought -- would it be possible to set up the hall so that spectators watched from the sides of each strip rather than the ends? I don't know what the space constraints are, but it was awkward to watch (at least the strips where the scoring equipment had its back to the seats that were on the side). OTOH, it was easier to walk around/through the venue, so maybe that's the trade-off

[fdad]

Oh, I have several of the funny parents behaving badly stories, but one of the best commets I heard was from a parent that made the statement that "The ref made a wrong call, or the score would be....." (parent also made other statements/asked a question indicating that there was only a minimal knowledge of what was happening). The ref in 'question' was George K. I had to giggle to myself and walk away.

I wasn't there, but I do know G. K.'s best days as a referee are long behind him.

[qatet]

First SYC I've gone to where I didn't emerge with a funny parents behaving badly story. Don't know whether I was just watching the wrong events or whether the NAC-like quality of this event had a calming influence.

Status update from the end of day 3:

Mom, standing, to little girl, sniveling in a tiny ball at the foot of the wall: ... And I don' wanna hear any *crap* about how hard it was!

I heart sycs.

[I'mbetterthanyouandknowit]

I wasn't there, but I do know G. K.'s best days as a referee are long behind him.

Are you an expert in this arena. If you are please identify yourself otherwise someone else will to illustrate your ignorance.

[hello?]

Are you an expert in this arena. If you are please identify yourself otherwise someone else will to illustrate your ignorance.

I think, in all fairness, that the same would apply to you in this case.

[catwood1]

Are you an expert in this arena. If you are please identify yourself otherwise someone else will to illustrate your ignorance.

F.dad isn't a rated referee to the best of my knowledge. That said, he's been around the sport at a high level for a reasonably long time. I'd guess that his statement comes from hearing high level fencers around him saying it.

I also think you'd be hard pressed to find high level fencing people that disagree with him.

[I'mbetterthanyouandknowit]

I think, in all fairness, that the same would apply to you in this case.

I don't go on public forum to berate or smear anyone by name. Why does he feel compelled to do that other than of course his great desire to be noticed at the expense of others.

[lovefoil]

Maybe those high level fencers need to show up and ref. Would be better for everyone. Whether G K is or was a good ref depends on who you ask. All agrees he did a lot for the sport and thanks for that!

[Inquartata]

However, neither he or anyone else in fencing has transcended humanity and ascended to godhead, thus becoming infallible. ALL referees can make mistakes, and do.

Whether that one was an example of same is impossible to say. And of course the likelihood of any given observer correctly identifying a mistake is also in question. But still, you know---even George K. remains mortal.

[hello?]

Are you an expert in this arena. If you are please identify yourself otherwise someone else will to illustrate your ignorance.

Why does he feel compelled to do that other than of course his great desire to be noticed at the expense of others.

So, is he at fault for remaining anonymous or for his great desire to be noticed?

[fdad]

I don't go on public forum to berate or smear anyone by name. Why does he feel compelled to do that other than of course his great desire to be noticed at the expense of others.

I don't think what I sad was berating or anything approaching a smear. I like Mr. K. but he has gotten older and cannot keep up with the actions as well as he used to be able. I am sure he knows the rules better than most, but he calls simultaneous and misses blade actions far too often. I don't think he'd disagree with anything I've said.

[fencerina dad]

If it is at all possible, could we please keep this thread as a Capital Clash 2012 event comment thread and not a George K. comment thread.

Thanks

[Conrad]

Capital Clash sets the standard for a well run SYC. Things we loved:

(1) there was space to walk through the venue without stepping on strips in play.
(2) there was ample space for bags.
(3) Absolute was there in full force.
(4) No long lines for equipment check.
(5) Excellent refereeing.
(6) Excellent attendance.
(7) Fencer friendly schedules. For example., y10 on Friday, Y12 on Sat, Y14 on Sunday meant that a fencer didn't have to miss an extra day of school because the schedule had adjoining age categories and adjoining days. The schedules may have been hard on the refs but it was friendly to the fencers and their families.
(8) Online immediate results.
(9) Despite the heavy schedule things went smoothly and folks with Sunday evening flights made them.
(10) The kids LOVE the pewter cups and the listing for past champions.
(11) The officials were genuinely friendly to the fencers and the parents. What a breath of fresh air! They gave us the impression they were genuinely glad we were there. Sometimes it seems like SYC officials treat fencers and families like they are a bad cold -- something to suffer through until they inevitably go away.

Capital Clash is the only SYC with a real prize for first place. Our fencers expect medals and parents are set up to display medals. Plaques and plastic coated trophies, however nice they seem to the organizers, once home they become ticky tacky clutter. So please, if you are organizing a SYC, stick to medals for the awards unless you are really going to do something classy like Capital Clash. As one particularly illustrious fencer told our family two years ago "I've won alot of awards, but the Capital Clash pewter cup is the coolest one of all."

I'll raise that -- we've been to alot of tournaments, but Capital Clash is consistently the coolest one of all.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

I think it's quite likely that George K version 2012 is a much much worse ref as compared to George K version 1992 (Or pick a more appropriate year if I'm off) and is likely still a much better ref than the parent complaining (although not necessarily, depending on the parent, I suppose).

If it is at all possible, could we please keep this thread as a Capital Clash 2012 event comment thread and not a George K. comment thread.

Thanks

This sort of thing works better if you actually ask a question or make a statement that's on topic rather than scolding people, I've found. In that spirit-- what did YOU like about this year? What did YOU think needed work?

Edit: Or, for that matter, are there questions like that you have for other people?

[catwood1]

I think it's quite likely that George K version 2012 is a much much worse ref as compared to George K version 1992

I kinda like the idea of GK 2.0 being worse than version 1.9. Its like facebook, the more it gets updated, it worse off it is...