The SabreCoachKate Blog has moved over to a new site, on https://www.cuttingedgefencing.com/sabrecoachkate-blog! To view this post about Coach Kate’s new blog, click here https://www.cuttingedgefencing.com/post/welcome-to-my-sabre-fencing-blog.
Welcome to my Sabre Fencing Blog!
Published by sabrecoachkate
I am a native Iowan who longed for more than a simple Midwestern life. I went to school in France for two years and fell in love with the people, culture, and language. Since I am a crazy woman I moved to Texas–land of Spanish-speakers–after graduation to teach French in a high school. 13 years in public school taught me a lot and gave me many leadership opportunities. In 2012, my husband, David, and I decided to take a risk and both teach part-time so we could try and build up our fencing club. It was a long, challenging road, full of sacrifice and lots of beans and rice to save money. It paid off as the club grew from 1400 square feet, to 5600, to our third location with 10 metal strips, a workout area, a full armory, and a large parent area. One year in, when we were just starting to break even, Covid came. We offered classes every night on Zoom and worked so hard to keep our tight-knit community together but, as more people had to drop fencing for financial reasons, we had to close CEFC. When quarantine was over, we tried to have a physical location again in a room on the top floor of a hockey center in Euless but it just wasn’t the same. We sold all our equipment to a friend in St. Louis and reluctantly closed the door on that dream. David interviewed for other coaching positions and was hired as the sabre coach at Atlantic Fencing Academy in New Jersey. We packed up everything that would fit into our pickup and moved East. I found a job as an Instructional Designer at Seton Hall University and David also secured the Head Fencing Coach job at Wagner College. We never imagined he’d be a Division 1 NCAA coach, but here we are. I’m a Volunteer Coach there so we still get to travel together to tournaments and keep our joint involvement in the fencing world alive. I was never able to successfully coach and compete at the same time and had given up competition for about five years to focus on the club and our fencers. Now that I no longer have the stress of club ownership, I have once again turned my focus and determination to making the Veteran World Team. Although I still miss the camaraderie of CEFC and being able to train regularly with adult fencers, I find ways of keeping my fencing skills sharp. Although life definitely threw some curve balls, this move has been good for me. I enjoy exploring this new area and relish seeing the Raritan Bay every time I return to our apartment complex, the New York skyline as I venture farther north, and the Atlantic Ocean at Shore Points south. I now have strong opinions about pizza and know how to navigate jug handles. It doesn’t feel yet like “home” but I look forward to the kinds of adventure this new chapter will bring. View more posts
SabreCoachKate 
That is an incredible success story. You truly are a great person and I admire the fact that you are confident enough to display your feelings through your fencing journey. For me personally that is very helpful. My original goal was to just get moving. I had no idea if I would like fencing or if my body would support it. I have ridden horses all my life but because of the wear and tear on my knees I sadly had to let that go.
So my fencing journey started only about 6 months ago and although I have no ambition to compete at a high level at this time, I do find myself struggling with my goals. My original goal is/was to exercise and have fun doing it. And that, I am really accomplishing with fencing. However, I find myself getting more frustrated about not doing things correctly and not scoring the points.
So I now find myself setting another goal for fencing. I struggle with this one as I didn’t set out to take fencing very serious. And I find that I need to control my competitive side and remind myself why I started fencing. Here I go again. Never in life do I seem to be able to things halfway.
Given my competitive nature I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I know that I am super competitive in everything I have ever done. My riding experience has been a great preparation for fencing because like fencing, competitive riding is a very subjective sport. So I probably get a lot less frustrated with refs and opponents then most of the other fencers. My riding instructor would remind us over and over “Maud it all comes out in the wash. Sometimes you win when you shouldn’t have won and sometimes you lose when you shouldn’t have lost”. I hear her voice when Niki doesn’t get a point that I think she should have or even when we just bout at the club.
I do find myself frustrated with my abilities to fence correctly. So although the struggles Kate had with anger have for me been resolved a long time ago in the riding world, my feelings are more those of disappointment in myself. Disappointment that I am not fast enough or can’t remember all the new skills I have learned and apply them when I need them.
Therefore it is good to hear your story Kate and your frustrations along your journey. It seems I have some of the same struggles even if they are for different reasons. And I see many others with the same frustrations. It is nice to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing, Maud. It’s always nice to know that we don’t have to do this journey all by ourselves 🙂
LikeLike
Congratulations on your new blog! Thanks for sharing your fencing story – you’re truly an inspiration – especially to one young lady I’m very familiar with!
LikeLike
Thank you, Fencing Mom!
LikeLike
Great blog, Kate. I don’t think I EVER saw you as overweight, though. Perfectionist, yes…
I think most women struggle with the perfectionist thing.
LikeLike
Great idea for the blog! Of course, I started on strip the same time Maud did, but I’ve been involved in the sport since 2009 when darling daughter took it up. Of course, there are few things more fear-inspiring than having same darling daughter barreling down the strip at you with a big ugly stick in her hand.
Long/short, I’d been looking for some sort of competitive outlet for all the working out I do. I used to be a cyclist way back when, but have just worked out for the sake of working out (mostly running and gym equipment). It has kept me from strangling a few people over the years, I have to say. Returning to cycling, running 5Ks or longer, and most team sports really didn’t interest me, though I had considered them.
The fact that fencing is (usually) an individual sport, but with the camaraderie of a team sport, really appealed to me. I am also more inclined to push through when I hit a difficult patch in either a workout or a bout than I would have before. I know this sort of discipline tends to spill over to other aspects of one’s life, as well (not that I’m especially undisciplined to begin with).
In any case, thanks for beginning this blog. See ya at the bronze class tomorrow!
LikeLike
Nice blog for all fencers who love fencing.
LikeLike
Thank you, Noura!
LikeLike