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2008-2009 Gulf Coast Division Fencing Season
As always, subject to change...
| WEEKEND | TOURNAMENT | LOC | NOTES |
| 14-15 Feb. 2009 | no local tournament | Junior Olympics - N Mx | |
| 21-22 Feb. 2009 | Gulf Coast SSCC & RYC | Young Elites | HAFC |
| 28 Feb. 2009 | no local tournament | ||
| 1 Mar. 2009 | Alliance Four Seasons Cup | Alliance | |
| 7-8 Mar. 2009 | Youth Tournament | Salle Mauro | |
| 7-8 Mar. 2009 | Houston Cup, Youth Battle #7 | Alliance | |
| 14-15 Mar. 2009 | SUPER YOUTH CIRCUIT | BCFA | Actual dates 13-15 Mar. |
| 21 Mar. 2009 | Clear Lake Open | CLFC | DIVISION EXCLUSIVE |
| 22 Mar. 2009 | no local tournament | ||
| 28-29 Mar. 2009 | Van Buskirk Memorial & RYC | Salle Mauro/Rice U | SSCC #4 |
| 4-5 Apr. 2009 | Gulf Coast Divisional Qualifiers | Katy Blades | HAFC |
| 11 Apr. 2009 | Houston Cup, Youth Battle #8 | Alliance | |
| 12 Apr. 2009 | no local tournament | ||
| 18-19 Apr. 2009 | SW Sectional Qualifiers | UH Wellness Center | |
| 25 Apr. 2009 | Jean Laffite Classic | Galveston FC | |
| 26 Apr. 2009 | no local tournament | ||
| 2-3 May 2009 | Academy of Fencing Tournament | AoF | DIVISION EXCLUSIVE |
| 9 May. 2009 | Schools Championship. Houston | Alliance | non-USFA |
| 9-10 May 2009 | Katy Blades Tournament | Katy Blades | DIVISION EXCLUSIVE |
| 16-17 May 2009 | Young Elites Tournament | Young Elites | DIVISION EXCLUSIVE |
| 23-24 May 2009 | no local tournament | ||
| 30-31 May 2009 | no local tournament | ||
| 6-7 Jun. 2009 | Academy of Fencing Tournament | AoF | |
| 13-14 Jun. 2009 | no local tournament | ||
| 20 Jun. 2009 | Houston Cup, Youth Battle #10 | Alliance | |
| 21 Jun. 2009 | Alliance Four Season Cup, Summer | Alliance | |
| 27-28 Jun. 2009 | no local tournament | ||
| 4-5 Jul. 2009 | SUMMER NATIONALS | Dallas | |
| 11-12 Jul. 2009 | SUMMER NATIONALS | Dallas | |
| 18-19 Jul. 2009 | no local tournament | ||
| 25-26 Jul. 2009 | no local tournament |
Rules of the Tournament Game
Any group or organization may hold as many tournaments as they wish; however, for a tournament to be sanctioned by the United States Fencing Association (USFA), there are criteria to be met. The criteria below represents that established by the Gulf Coast Division of the USFA. To be a sanctioned event (allowing letter classification changes) the host club, also known as the LOC (local organizing committee), must have been a USFA member-club for
The tournament format must also be in some format recognized by the USFA.
There must be adequate prior advertisement of the event so that all fencers may have an equal opportunity to compete. (The most common form of "adequate prior advertisement" is 6 weeks notice on AskFRED.net) Any possible competition or format changes must be included in the announcement/advertisement.
The Fencing Season runs from August 1st through July 31st. At the beginning of each season, the Gulf Coast Division holds a meeting for representatives of all the USFA member-clubs within the division. Most years there are anywhere from 12-18 clubs who are members. The calendar is reviewed and tournament dates allotted.
Certain weekends are "blacked out," that is, no local tournament scheduled on these weekends will get sanctioned. The blacked out weekends are those of: our local divisional qualifiers for the national championships; our local qualifiers to the Junior Olympics; our Section's qualifiers to the nationals; those with a national-level tournament held within our division (North American Cups, Super Youth Circuits or Nationals); and those with a Southwest Section Circuit Cup tournament. Most years this amounts to about nine weekends.
After allowing for the blacked out weekends, each USFA member-club in the division is allotted one "Divisional Exclusive" weekend. On that weekend, only that club may hold a sanctioned tournament. Among other things, this is to encourage turnout at tournaments held by clubs that are small and/or outside the population core of the Gulf Coast Division (Houston).
Most seasons there are about 15 member clubs, each being granted an exclusive weekend. So 24 (15 exclusives + 9 blackouts) of 52 weekends are allotted. The remainder are divided among such clubs as wish to host more than one tournament per year. These are not "exclusive" and more than one tournament may be held on a given weekend, with much effort made to make them distinct events from each other (for example: on the same weekend, one club holds a tournament on Saturday, one on Sunday; or one holds an epee tournament while the other is all-sabre; or one is for youth and one holds a veterans event... you get the idea).
The tournament format must also be in some format recognized by the USFA.
There must be adequate prior advertisement of the event so that all fencers may have an equal opportunity to compete. (The most common form of "adequate prior advertisement" is 6 weeks notice on AskFRED.net) Any possible competition or format changes must be included in the announcement/advertisement.
The Fencing Season runs from August 1st through July 31st. At the beginning of each season, the Gulf Coast Division holds a meeting for representatives of all the USFA member-clubs within the division. Most years there are anywhere from 12-18 clubs who are members. The calendar is reviewed and tournament dates allotted.
Certain weekends are "blacked out," that is, no local tournament scheduled on these weekends will get sanctioned. The blacked out weekends are those of: our local divisional qualifiers for the national championships; our local qualifiers to the Junior Olympics; our Section's qualifiers to the nationals; those with a national-level tournament held within our division (North American Cups, Super Youth Circuits or Nationals); and those with a Southwest Section Circuit Cup tournament. Most years this amounts to about nine weekends.
After allowing for the blacked out weekends, each USFA member-club in the division is allotted one "Divisional Exclusive" weekend. On that weekend, only that club may hold a sanctioned tournament. Among other things, this is to encourage turnout at tournaments held by clubs that are small and/or outside the population core of the Gulf Coast Division (Houston).
Most seasons there are about 15 member clubs, each being granted an exclusive weekend. So 24 (15 exclusives + 9 blackouts) of 52 weekends are allotted. The remainder are divided among such clubs as wish to host more than one tournament per year. These are not "exclusive" and more than one tournament may be held on a given weekend, with much effort made to make them distinct events from each other (for example: on the same weekend, one club holds a tournament on Saturday, one on Sunday; or one holds an epee tournament while the other is all-sabre; or one is for youth and one holds a veterans event... you get the idea).
