The Rogue Texas Gulf Coast Fencing Site

Following America's best results in fencing at any Olympic Games in living memory, many clubs saw a noticable "bump" in new memberships in the last quarter of 2008. Others did not. On such cyberspace watering holes for fencers as Fencing Net, there were those who groused that the USFA did not seem to be seizing or capitalizing on this success to "grow the sport." The criticism may be true or it may not. For a fact, that is not the concern of this article. The focus of this piece is what did YOU do? What are you doing now?

Playing the armchair quarterback (or, in our case, armchair coach or referee) may be easy work, but it will not get you on the cover of Sports Illustrated or American Fencing. It also does not help fencing. If you have a love and passion for this unique institution, perhaps it is time to share the love.

So now you are lost. You are a fencer or, perhaps, you also referee, but you don't coach or own a club. Or... You ARE a coach or club owner, but it is all you can do to keep your own fencers together, growing, improving. In essence, you do your job, but that's about it. There is also the question, "What can I do?"

Quite a lot, as it turns out, if you are motivated and know how to capitalize on your strengths and connections. The prime example of how far this can go is Tim Morehouse, a US Olympic fencer who has created his own blog that, among other things, illustrates his many (often successful) attempts to put fencing out in the public spotlight. Tim is young, bright, with the cache of an Olympian and in a better position than most of us.

It is no excuse for inactivity on our part. In fact, you may be surprised what can happen.

Here's a true story. During the 2009 summer National Fencing Championships in Grapevine, TX, I had to stay in the Houston/Galveston area because of my work. Many of my friends, of course, were off competing. For two or three days the USFA website did an admirable job of posting results in a semi-timely manner. Inevitably, of course, we got to a point where the updates ceased. I got stray emails and sniffed around FNet and some other sites, but it was very hit-or-miss. By Sunday morning, July 5, I was getting a bit peeved. Over my morning coffee I decided to peruse the websites of the TV stations and newspapers in the DFW Metroplex.

I found exactly jack.

My last stop was the website of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and I was a bit snippy by this point. They, too, had zip for coverage, but they also had a clickable link for those who had a sports "tip."

Being in a snit I simply entered, "Psst. Just thought I'd let you know that the National Championships of a sport that has been in every Summer Olympic Games since 1896 is happening right now in the Gaylord Hotel in Grapevine... I just thought the total lack of coverage was a bit remiss..."

Imagine my surprise the next day when I found in my email a response, "What would that sport be? We’ve heard nothing..."

I immediately sent back, "The 2009 National Fencing Championships are running from July 3-12 at the Gaylord Hotel in Grapevine Texas. There are literally thousands of fencers from every state. There are competitions in all age ranges from Y-10 (Youth aged 10 and under) to Vet 70+ (aged 70 and up). Plus this is where the US National team is picked. Mariel Zagunis, 2x Olympic Gold Medallist in Women's Sabre is/was there."

I also included links the USFA page with the schedule of events and to the page with the results thus far (such as they were.) The next thing I know I am being asked if I am an organizer (shows how little THEY knew) and asking if they can they meet me at the Gaylord. (I am, of course, 300 miles from the venue!) I sent them names, email addresses and telephone numbers of the folks I knew who were active in North Texas. Calls were made. A reporter actually came out.

Granted, the final result was simply a July 10th human interest piece on a woman who had returned to fencing after 57 years... but it was something! Upon reflection, that actually is a nice bit of positive information about fencing when you think about it. The point is, you never know what will happen until you take a chance and try.

There is also another point: Never assume that someone else is handling this.

We have fed ourselves the tired old line that the world at large has no interest in fencing for so very many years that we believe it without question. Our coaches, our club owners sometimes accept it as a given, too.

Don't.

Contact your community newspaper... television station... radio station every time you begin a new session of classes or hold a tournament. Send photgraphic attachments. They may not print them, but they will SEE them. Don't wait until the weekend before your event. These guys map out things way in advance. The news media business, like so many others, is going through personnel cutbacks and must focus their limited resources on MAJOR events.

That does not include us... yet.

Put a bumper sticker on your car. Wear your fencing T-shirts in public, not just at the salle. Throw an old foil, epee or sabre, or fencing mask under the rear windshield of your car. Donate a fencing weapon in your club's name if a local group holds a silent auction. Find honors students who need community service credits and let them help run a tournament. Display your fencings medals, trophies and photos at your workplace (if appropriate.)

Put up posters at your school, local businesses, churches for your tournaments and then make sure you have a place to sit for anyone who decides to look in and take it in. Make sure there is someone on hand to explain what they are seeing (foil, epee, sabre... a little PR can go a long way).

Put on demonstrations for the scouts, church groups, at shopping malls, at your local cinema if there is a film showing that ties into fencing. Ask your school, YMCA etc to offer fencing classes and, when they say they have no one who knows enough to teach it, point them to you coach(es) or the USFA.

Be relentless and creative. A lot more people would give our sport a try, if only they knew we exist.