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 experiences with winning at fencing, click here https://www.cuttingedgefencing.com/post/how-to-win-at-fencing.
How to win at fencing
Posted bysabrecoachkatePosted inCompetition, Fencing, Fencing information, Fencing newbie, Thoughts, TournamentTags:achievement, competition, Fencing, motivation, performance, the tournament, tournament, training
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 
Goal: being a “gracious” fencer (for our fencing kid) – No, you won’t win pools 100% of the time – you will have “the pool from hell” and not make the cut – especially at the Div 1 level – how you conduct yourself is important – are you kind and helpful to others? Do you treat others the way you would like to be treated? Do you take defeat in an appropriate manner – crying is fine, throwing tantrums not OK. Do you mind your own business and not compare yourself to others (No, a Y10 gold medal cannot in any way be compared to a Div 1 fencer who didn’t make the cut – the Y10 fencer/parent doesn’t have a clue if they think that). Do you watch your mouth and not spout off words in anger/frustration that once out in the universe, can’t be taken back? Is fencing kid ready to go back to club and work some more even after a “bad” tournament? Can fencing kid have a smile on their face (eventually) even if the tournament result is not what they “wanted”? Are you happy with your results even if no one else knows about them? (no social media “likes”, etc) Has fencing kid achieved all this – no – it’s a lifelong process for anyone to be gracious in life —– fencing mom is still working on that daily too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have been fencing for 2 years and absolutely love the sport. This is a great article!! I especially like how it gives some examples of winning goals for diffferent level fencers (and I am going to better study the fencers in my pools now that I know what to look for ♡). I am very much a beginner Veteran fencer and therefore don’t set my goals very high (set #of touches depending on the division). For me personally tournaments are a great place to meet others who love the sport and to basically train with people I don’t get to train with at the club. My main goal is to learn something new each time and re-enforce things I knew but forgot. As the article describes, winning is a term with a very broad definition. I feel like I won the last tournament I entered, as I accomplished every goal I set out to accomplish and met a lot of great people. My measurable goals are different per tournament and division. My goals as a veteran are probably a little different than those of a teenager. My main goal is to have fun while I exercise, lead by example by modeling good sportmanship for my daughter who is also a fencer (not just the mandatory salute and handshake but truly have a good time doing it), and make small overal improvements (the perfect touch or one touch on everyone) when attending tournaments. I do think that sometimes a medal or placing you desire can be a reward and an encouragement to continue to work hard but it should never be THE goal. Thank you so much for this article!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person