Today also made me become a bit nostalgic. I do belong to a fencing club here (Fencers' School of CT in Guilford, which is seriously awesome!), but I still have a bit of an attachment to the first fencing club of which I was a part in high school. The Bacon Academy fencing club. Yes, Bacon. I will never forget Comas, my first fencing coach. There honest aren't words adequate enough to describe Comas as a person. He is well loved by everyone in that school. He has a great love for the sport of fencing, a mind in the gutter, and yet he is one of the most quotable people in my life with his profound statements. I knew him from the second day of freshman year as my fencing coah, and throughout senior year as my AP Spanish teacher. (Sometimes these realms mixed. For example, I distinctly remember being poked with a foil in the middle of class until I could trill a "rr" perfectly)! Today I was greeted at the door with a warm Comas welcome of a hug and kiss on the cheek and knew I had returned to one of the clubs I could call home.
Now, I typically feel like an old fart, because the kids with whom I would have fenced when I was actually in high school have since graduated. However, I have formed connections with the up and coming generation of new and better fencers. I feel like a mother hen for saying this, but I am always more hopeful and more proud of them every time I see them.
The club was still in the forming stage when I was passing through high school. There weren't many serious competitors, and as far as I know, only one of my fellow fencers and I have continued fencing in college. Although, oddly enough we both switched weapons - Kyle became an epeeist , and I a saberist (though as you can see, foil and I are still friends).
Now, there is an entirely different atmosphere. Multiple Bacon fencers just placed in the top 8 at individual state championships, and the men's foil and epee teams moved on to fence very well at the team state championships. An actual epee team exists! It's so exciting! Now I'll just have to work on introducing them to sabre properly :). I've gotten to know the foil teams relatively well, since I usually stop in to practice with them every once in a while over breaks. I am impressed by each and every one with whom I fenced today. (Yeah, my inner coach/proud mama is really kicking in now).
Devon, the club's newest fencer is getting so much experience so quickly, because she isn't afraid to just jump into the competition ASAP! In fact, she really reminds me of me at that age - really excited about the sport and learning everything by diving right in.
Jackie was the same way when she started, and you can tell that she has an incredible love for the sport of fencing. After a couple of years of training under her belt, she took the 5th place medal at the women's individual foil event at states - with another year to go!
Christian is a fencer with so much promise. He had fencing experience before high school and is only a freshman! He's already accomplishing great things and has so much time to grow (as a fencer...he'll probably grow height-wise as well, but he's already a sasquatch :P). Ok, random supernatural reference time over...sorry Sammy...I mean Christian! I will be looking forward o seeing where he goes in the future.
Last, but not least, Cooper is the fencer who has gone farther than any other who has ever been in the club - and he's only a junior. He has moved beyond just high school competitions and has fenced in USFA and large regional competitions. He's a disciplined fencer who also trains at another club in the state, and through training and competition experience, he as earned a D ranking already. Also, through his dedication he has become constructive and self critical, which can help to improve fencing if taken the right way. If not, it will become destructive. In this case, I worry that he is becoming like I was (still am occasionally, working through it) in terms of attitude. I will have to keep an eye on him.
Overall, they are a truly amazing bunch. Since I do have coaching experience, I try to offer all that I can in terms of shaping technique. However, I can learn a lot from their coaching for me on the strip, for they have gone farther then I may have an opportunity for, and I honestly enjoy what they have to teach me as fellow fencers. Thanks, guys!
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