New England

[Ordway]

It was interesting to read the bumped thread (I'm an UMass alum, so it's interesting to hear discussion of the NE clubs) and Orestes' post. It was nice to hear about the better experience with a different club, and I think it really brings home the MOST important aspect of choosing a club:

Your club should be a good match for you, personally!

It doesn't matter how great the coaches or facilities are, if you don't feel happy or comfortable fencing there. When I was in MD division, the one club with some decent sabrists was one that I ended up profoundly disliking, as the members were either actively obnoxious or gave newcomers the cold shoulder. (To be fair, this was atypical of the division. MD Div. sucks like a black hole when it comes to sabre, but the rest of the people were at least very nice and pleasant.)

On the other hand, when you find a place where you feel comfortable and welcomed, it can bring out the best in you (especially when it's also a strong club.) Finding the right "fit" can make the difference between being an OK fencer and a good one. I know that I've dramatically upsized my competitive goals after changing environments.

I'm glad that I took the time to go "club shopping" when I moved, and I recommend to others to do the same: contact the coaches, visit for a session or two, go to a competition and observe how the others from that club do (and behave), and ask around other fencers in the area to get their descriptions of what the different clubs are like. I took a while to make a decision, but it turned out to be definitely the right one.

[telkanuru]

I was amused to go back and see when BFC had the best space...