Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

Adam · 10-30-2003, 07:42 PM

Im a senior in Highschool, and I just started fencing 9 months ago, so this was my first tryout for the fencing team. First, not to be bragging or anything, for the 9 months I've been fencing I think im one of the best.
Anyways, so I go to tryouts (new trier highschool) and we get there, do some warmups for like 20, then excercises for about 20 minutes, then after that we just did like 25 minutes of footwork, and then 25 minutes of sprinting.

So in total we did 0 (zero) nada fencing. We did some practice but we did not even do a single bout. I was wondering how with 40 kids all doing these excercises you can really tell who is good.
Because I have only fenced 9 months, my technique and footwork might not be on par with the people fencing longer than me, but the way I think when fecncing is what I think makes me good. And thats what I think is alot more important.

Oh well

[EDIT] Just to make sure, I'm not mad or anything. Im just trying to say that I was surprised at how it was done

40Saberthieves · 10-30-2003, 07:49 PM

Did you really think you would bout on the first day of tryouts?

Adam · 10-30-2003, 07:59 PM

I wrote about the second day

40Saberthieves · 10-30-2003, 08:01 PM

Whatever, close enough.

And what school do you go to that you get to start fencing so early.

I have to wait 2 more weeks!

Adam · 10-30-2003, 08:10 PM

New trier, its in illinois

Wizardly · 10-30-2003, 08:19 PM

I know your coaches, but I can't say I talk to them all that much, so I can only venture a guess as to what they're looking for.

- Who's head is in the game, who is slacking off, who is trying, enthusiasm
- Form, strength, stamina, precision, ability to change direction
- Exerience, knowledge

Fencing programs tend to attract a lot of interested students that shows up with very little experience. Coaches with teams to look after (rather than clubs with individual students to look after), are going to put their attention to where it can do the most good for the team, which generally lies with those that have the most experience and training.

If you don't make the varsity team or think you're getting passed over, you just have to prove you're worth the time. Pester them for lessons, show a strong work ethic, and win your bouts.

Adam · 10-30-2003, 08:39 PM

Quote:

- Who's head is in the game, who is slacking off, who is trying, enthusiasm
- Form, strength, stamina, precision, ability to change direction
- Exerience, knowledge

I think I did most of those things, I tried really hard and pushed myself alot, but for like half the time with weapons I was helping and explaining to this one kid how to do the excercises we were supposed to do. And because of that they probobly saw alot less fencing, and it could have looked like I was just confuzed or somthing.

See and the second problem is that there are only 4 spaces on the team. I know two of the people on the team(they are really good), and I know that theres a captain, so that pretty much leaves one space open

, Im just gonna see what happens and if I dont get in, oh well.

Wizardly · 10-30-2003, 08:58 PM

What, no alternates?

There's always JV team, JV captain, and Culver has a 4-man team tourney that the schools usually enter 2 teams in (unless things have changed). It' snot like you wont be fencing, just not in the duel meets.

Adam · 10-30-2003, 09:02 PM

Heh, to tell you the truth, I dont really know all that Varsity, and JV stuff. I was never interested in school sports untill fencing.

What I always THOUGHT it was was just Varsity is Seniors, and then JV is juniors and below, and obviously thats not correct. Could someone explain how all that stuff works?

40Saberthieves · 10-30-2003, 09:10 PM

In most schools, varsity is for the good players, JV is for the "will be good in a year or two but not quite there yet" players

Wizardly · 10-30-2003, 09:22 PM

Let's see, men's varsity teams have 4 members and typically from 1-3 alternates. Women's teams have 5 (last I checked) and the same number of alternates. That might have changed since the schools picked up women's saber though.

The schools will travel around the circuit having as many as 4 duel meets where all 4 team members fence the 4 team members of another school. There probably aren't any duel meets for teh JV team. Each high school has it's own tournament (I believe Stevenson's is the first). Some are individual, some are team tournaments.

If you're good, you're on varisty no matter how old you are. If you suck or aren't good enough, you are on JV. Neither gets the babes - you're fencers. Then at the end of the year, they have a "high school" championship (which is more accurately described as a "high school-age championship.

40Saberthieves · 10-30-2003, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Wizardly
Neither gets the babes - you're fencers. Then at the end of the year, they have a "high school" championship (which is more accurately described as a "high school-age championship.

Chicks love swords.

MHS Fencer · 10-31-2003, 12:07 AM

I know a number of ex-new trier fencers, and as i recall the tryouts were initially to make sure that people there were going to be dedicated and to treat it like a time. Just show your dedication and it should work out - good luck!

Had I not moved a number of years ago, i would have attended new trier myself (originally from winnetka)

Wizardly · 10-31-2003, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by RogueNine
Chicks love swords.

Which is why we're screwed, not having any actual swords.

40Saberthieves · 10-31-2003, 06:48 AM

Shhhhhh. They dont know that

Army Fencer · 11-01-2003, 01:07 AM

Some thoughts from the other side, when I was a team captain:

I had to set up a program in college where we (the students) had to make cuts. It was hard, but I think we made the right set of decisions. We were very rigorous in our methods. A few fencers came with experience, and other did not. We split the two groups, and set of body of standards for the prospective fencers to meet. (including an application, specific try-outs for both groups, physical fitness tests, and interviews for everybody that made it that far).

We were looking for a lot of things: innate physical ability (how fast can they run, how far can they go), attention to detail (candidates that didn't bring water bottles to the physical fitness test when instructed were docked points), teamwork (did they help other potential fencers?), their ability to learn new tasks (very hard to test--learning footwork the first day is the best indicator I know of), and the ability for the individual to fit the needs of the team (we didn't even consider juniors or seniors that tried out--sorry).

Making cuts is EXTREMELY difficult for everybody. If you have an experienced coach, they'll be able to tell who can make the best impact on the team. Believe me, if you've got fencing experience, that counts, because they should already have seen you in action. Of course, this can work against you if you haven't been working and didn't learn anything when you had the opportunity.

Simple things make a big impact. If the coach sees you slacking off for try-outs for two minutes, that's how he'll remember you. If he sees you helping your buddy for two minutes, that's how he'll remember you.

If worst comes to worst and you don't make the team, find a local club, fence your butt off, and try again in college.

Flunge · 11-01-2003, 10:09 PM

At New Trier, to the best of my knowledge, the top 4 fencers in each weapon, and occasionally a sub, make up the varsity.

The JV is 3 or 4 freshmen and sophomore fencers in each weapon (Gaining experience so they can be the next varsity fencers).

Chobes · 11-01-2003, 11:19 PM

i am suprised all ya'll have fencing as a program at your school... i go to foothill high in southern california, and i asked our principal and he said foils violate the " no tolerance to any weapons " policy.. so no fencing is allowed at the school. trust me, i tried to bring my foil once and i got in alot of trouble... i'd love to have fencing at our school! thats the only school sport i'd do!

btw.. chicks dig fencers

its sexy! haha

~Chobes~

Wizardly · 11-01-2003, 11:25 PM

Chobes -

Demonstration time. What you should do is bring a manequin or other humanoid object and perform a demonstration of sporting equipment. Be sure to start out with a baseball bat. Beat the crap out of the thing. Tennis rackets, hockey sticks, golf clubs, cleets, baseballs, ice skates. Wrestle the thing (and try to break it if you can to ge teh point across), tackle it, cross check it. Then poke at it with a dinky little foil.

BTW: the athletic trainers got more chicks than the fencers. The female cheerleaders got more chicks than the fencers.

Chobes · 11-02-2003, 11:32 PM

ooo thats a very good idea, wizardly... thank you very much for that suggestion i think i will put that into action and see what happens!

hehe, the female cheerleaders got more chicks than the fencers? interesting..