Today’s lesson is a cautionary tale, for everyone. We had the team of Kyler Schoonmaker, Rayne Schoonmaker, and Liam Coyle attend the homeschool meet at Oak Ridge yesterday. I was refereeing a different match, and to be honest, the fencers were not paying the amount of attention that they should have been to each others’ fencing as they were a team. They were fencing Twin City and were a bit behind, but it might not have been insurmountable. They then fenced a person out of order. They believe the referee called the names incorrectly, but, as they were not paying attention, no one noticed that a person was fencing the same fencer again, or that someone had fenced three times before someone else had fenced two times. When the error was caught, the referee consulted the other coaches and we all remembered the rule as basically a black card and the team loses the match. However, as I was looking up the rule to be able to report it to all of you, I discovered in the rule book that the rule has changed. It is now that once the error is discovered, you annul the touches in the encounter where the error was committed and any subsequent encounters which have been fenced, and resume the match from the point of the error. I apologize to the guys for not being up on the most current rules. However, this is just another reason that more of you need to be out there getting more involved with the world of fencing. The club is just getting too big for me to be the guy who coaches, and the guy who takes people to all the different meets, and then the guy who tries to then find time to attend the latest referee clinic. As I have been telling people, not counting the next two holiday Saturdays, my first free Saturday is March 31st, the day before Easter. That doesn’t count the dates when I am already double booked, meaning I have to choose between going to an NCFL meet or helping a fencer(s) at at a USA Fencing meet, etc. Just another indication that we need more fencers who can referee, or armor, or run the bout committee table, or help set up a tournament by hiring referees, or getting trophies, or even coaching. But, again, my apologies to Kyler, Rayne, and Liam,
Anyway, the guys were much more interested in their next match and they defeated Oak Ridge 45-43. Considering that this was Rayne’s first ever team match and Liam’s first ever match period, that is quite an accomplishment. It did require some heroics by Kyler, as I believe the score going into the last encounter had him behind 40-30 or 40-29. When we get our full A team for a meet we should be in good shape.
This holiday week will look like this: Monday, the afterschool and evening classes will meet. We will finish the evening class. Tuesday, afterschool will finish for the year and there will be evening practice. The last
homeschool practice for the year will be on Wednesday, the 20th, and I will be in for a 1:00 pm start for the advanced fencers. No other classes Wednesday. I was
planning on coming in on Thursday evening, the 21st for practice. Brendan would like to end practice a little early which would allow the “adult” fencers to go out for some holiday cheer.
homeschool practice for the year will be on Wednesday, the 20th, and I will be in for a 1:00 pm start for the advanced fencers. No other classes Wednesday. I was
planning on coming in on Thursday evening, the 21st for practice. Brendan would like to end practice a little early which would allow the “adult” fencers to go out for some holiday cheer.
RTF
(Research Triangle Fencing) is holding a foil/sabre camp December
27-30. These are basically the Duke coaches, so it will be a solid,
more advanced camp. See askfred for details.
(Research Triangle Fencing) is holding a foil/sabre camp December
27-30. These are basically the Duke coaches, so it will be a solid,
more advanced camp. See askfred for details.
The 28th seemed to be better for most of the people who replied concerning a one day camp from 9-5. Cost would be $20 for the whole day. The idea is to
work with people to improve their fencing, possibly getting them ready
for competitions. All weapons would be welcome. The further idea would
be to let parents drop youngsters off and have some personal time over
the vacation. Or for older fencers to leave the kids/grandkids at home
and have some fencing time. You would need to bring a lunch.
work with people to improve their fencing, possibly getting them ready
for competitions. All weapons would be welcome. The further idea would
be to let parents drop youngsters off and have some personal time over
the vacation. Or for older fencers to leave the kids/grandkids at home
and have some fencing time. You would need to bring a lunch.
I would then hang around for evening practice if there seems to be interest.
Be warned, after New Year’s everything starts back up quickly and keeps roaring on until about April.
The
Old Man Winter tournament is the first Saturday of the year, January
6th. It will have Open foil, Open epee, and veteran (40+) epee. Start
getting signed up. At the moment, only two CFFA fencers are signed up. Neither of them are the Veteran fencers this event is supposedly held for.
Old Man Winter tournament is the first Saturday of the year, January
6th. It will have Open foil, Open epee, and veteran (40+) epee. Start
getting signed up. At the moment, only two CFFA fencers are signed up. Neither of them are the Veteran fencers this event is supposedly held for.
January 13 is the date for the next NCFL meet, but that may change. I will keep people informed. I am also not certain where and when the make up event will be.
January 20 is the next homeschool event and we will be hosting it. Start time is 1:30 pm.
All
of our events for next spring are on askfred, including the Lynn Krupey
Memorial Iron Maiden. This is still the only 3 weapon event
exclusively for women in the state, so it would be good to get our
people signed up
soon to draw other women. Leslie Marx is already entered in the women’s
epee. Leslie is an Olympian, two time US National Champion, Pan
American games gold medalist, and current world Vet 50-59 World
Champion. This is your chance to fence someone of that caliber. Of
course, a little practice wouldn’t hurt. Right now there is only CFFA fencer signed up. In epee, we could get to an A1 event, but we need to provide some bodies and ranks. Where are Erica (Erica??!!??), Kenyatta, Christi, Nora, Laurie, Kaitlyn, Bracey, Summer, Marissa, and Lydia? In foil, where are Nora, Emma Graf, Laurie, Callie, Catherine, Lauren, Taylor, Alex, Hannah, and even Nicole? In sabre where are Bea, Elina, Erica, Alex and all the other UNCW women who are playing with sabres? This could become an annually huge event, but we have to show that our women will support it.
of our events for next spring are on askfred, including the Lynn Krupey
Memorial Iron Maiden. This is still the only 3 weapon event
exclusively for women in the state, so it would be good to get our
people signed up
soon to draw other women. Leslie Marx is already entered in the women’s
epee. Leslie is an Olympian, two time US National Champion, Pan
American games gold medalist, and current world Vet 50-59 World
Champion. This is your chance to fence someone of that caliber. Of
course, a little practice wouldn’t hurt. Right now there is only CFFA fencer signed up. In epee, we could get to an A1 event, but we need to provide some bodies and ranks. Where are Erica (Erica??!!??), Kenyatta, Christi, Nora, Laurie, Kaitlyn, Bracey, Summer, Marissa, and Lydia? In foil, where are Nora, Emma Graf, Laurie, Callie, Catherine, Lauren, Taylor, Alex, Hannah, and even Nicole? In sabre where are Bea, Elina, Erica, Alex and all the other UNCW women who are playing with sabres? This could become an annually huge event, but we have to show that our women will support it.
pax vobiscum,
Greg Spahr
Head Coach
Cape Fear Fencing Association
Head Coach
Cape Fear Fencing Association
“The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that’s the way to bet.” Damon Runyon
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