Scholastic and Collegiate Programs

Scholastic and Collegiate Programs 

As part of the continued growth of our sport in this country, and in light of the truly staggering explosion in the number of junior and youth competitors, it is well past time for us to expand our efforts with regards to scholastic and collegiate programs.

 

Where are all of those fencers going to continue in the sport?  Currently, fencing is offered as an NCAA varsity sport at only 44 institutions.  That includes Division I, II, and III programs. 

 

There are hundreds of club-level collegiate programs, ranging from groups of 5-6 people who meet recreationally once a week to teams of 50-60 athletes with a intercollegiate schedule of 25 or more dual meets a year against a mix of club and varsity opponents.

 

At the scholastic level, we are all aware of New Jersey, with approximately 60 high school programs (and growing!).  Outside of that state, however, we are looking mostly at isolated pockets or clusters of schools that compete against each other.  Yet many areas of the country have active efforts to expand what offerings are available or to create leagues where there have never even been programs before.

 

These efforts shouldn’t be isolated and unsupported. 

 

We have, in the past, had a “Schools/Clubs Committee”.  That committee needs to be revitalized and tasked with looking at the following areas:

  • Working with National Office staff to develop strategic data identifying the best areas in which to increase growth in high school and collegiate programs.
  • Working with volunteers and existing committees to reach out to nationally-targeted areas.
  • Development of an information packet and materials for “New School Program” presentations.
  • Proactively working to maintain relationships with, and support the continued existence of, current NCAA varsity programs.
  • Methods of supporting efforts towards the creation of new NCAA varsity programs, whether from scratch or from the elevation of existing collegiate club programs.
  • How best to foster the creation of new collegiate club programs.
  • Means of helping boost collegiate club programs from recreational to competitive status.

 

When a group of people in an area such as Northern Virginia are trying to generate interest in high school fencing they should have easily-identifiable points of contact for support, resources, presentation materials, and suggestions.  What has worked in Connecticut that can be transferred elsewhere?  What can we learn from Chicago?  Are there easily-identifiable answers to common concerns posed by school administrators?  Studies of the injury risks involved with the sport?  How is liability coverage handled?  How do we handle the Catch-22 of not being able to create programs in an area until there are other programs to compete against?

 

USFencing can also help serve as a clearinghouse for information.  We should have presentations at select national tournaments – certainly Junior Olympics and Summer Nationals, perhaps also NAC B – targeted at junior fencers and their parents to help inform them about options for continuing to compete in college.  Many varsity collegiate programs display media guides at national tournaments.  Means should be explored for helping collegiate club programs provide at least basic information there as well.

 

We should expand existing relationships with the organizing bodies of scholastic and collegiate competition.  We should invite a representative of the NCAA fencing committee to sit on the Board as a non-voting member and liaison between our two organizations.  We should engage in regular and formal communications with the USACFC (United States Association of Collegiate Fencing Clubs), the body that organizes and puts on the national championship tournament for collegiate club programs.  We should have formal ties with the NJIFA (New Jersey Interscholastic Fencing Association), the Great Lakes High School Fencing Conference, and other, similar, organizations.