New Fencing Schedule

Read on for important information about the new practice schedule.

Closed on Labor Day (9/6/21)

New Practice Schedule

Beginning after Labor Day (9/6/21), Hooked on Fencing will return to our pre-COVID practice schedule. This means a few things. First, signing up online for classes will no longer be required. You may simply show up at your fencing time and participate. Second, the new schedule will allow fencers to mix with and fence against others they may not have encountered before, which should be beneficial to all. Here's how the new schedule will look:

Monday/Wednesday/Thursday

5:00-6:00 - Footwork/Fencing for Ages 12 & Below

6:00-7:15 - Open Fencing/Footwork for Intermediate Fencers

6:45-9:30 - Footwork/Open Fencing for Teenage Competitive & Adult Fencers

Saturday 10:15-11:15 - Footwork/Fencing for Ages 12 & Below 11:15-12:00 - Open Fencing/Footwork for Intermediate Fencers 12:00-2:30 - Footwork/Open Fencing for Teenage Competitive & Adult Fencers

All of the times listed are start times. Depending on which category you fall into, you should plan to come at the appropriate start time, but you may stay as late as you like. For instance, an experienced 12-year-old should come at 5pm during the week, but may stay past 6 to fence with the intermediate group.

Speaking of which--the intermediate group includes those fencers age 13-15 who are not competitively rated, as well as brand new fencers to the club. If you are not sure which group you fall into, and therefore which time to come, please feel free to speak to a coach at the club and we will help you plan a practice schedule that works for you.

Private Lesson Scheduling

As we transition back to our pre-COVID schedule, it's also time to reassess our private lesson policy. Prior to last year, lessons were not scheduled separately from fencing. Instead, fencers were pulled aside during open fencing each day. We tracked attendance, and each fencer received a lesson every 3-4 times they attended the club. In other words, if a fencer attended every practice, they would be guaranteed a lesson each week. However, because our practice schedule was extremely limited last year, we took the extra step of offering members a scheduled lesson each week.

During the month of September, we will transition back to the old lesson schedule. We will re-institute the sign-in, and lessons will once again be based on attendance. HOWEVER, because scheduled lessons have been very popular, we've looked for a way to implement them as well. Because private lessons are our biggest time commitment, we've decided to institute 3 new tiers of memberships.

Here's how it works. For your current membership rate (whatever you're paying now) you'll continue to receive the same benefits we've always offered. That means unlimited weekly practices, use of club equipment, and private lessons based on attendance. For $20 more per month, you can instead schedule your lessons at a consistent weekly time. This way, it will be completely unaffected by attendance. For $50 more per month (over the base rate), you can both schedule a weekly lesson AND receive lessons according to attendance. This is the first time we've ever offered the option of multiple lessons per week, which has often been requested. This option is best-suited to competitive fencers looking sharpen their skills as much as possible.

We will phase the new lesson schedule in over the month of September and beyond. If you would like to take advantage of scheduled lessons, let us know when your membership renews. Otherwise, you can continue to fence and receive lessons the way we've always done things. If you have any questions, let us know!

Informational Meeting

On Saturday, September 11th, we will be holding an informational meeting at the club at 11:30am. All members are invited to attend! Since the new season just started, I thought it might be a good opportunity to pass on some information about the upcoming season, especially to newer members who didn't get the full fencing experience this past year. We will discuss the process for getting involved with tournaments, the new practice and lesson schedule, plans for the 21/22 season, and a few other topics. We'll also end with a Q&A involving coaches, fencers, and parents. If you have any questions about the club, competitions, college, or anything else, please attend and make your voice heard!

Chuck Provance

I'm sad to share the news that Chuck Provance lost his battle with Covid-19 this past week. For those who don't know, Chuck has been a presence at the club for almost a decade, watching two of his daughters grow from beginners to national medalists. In that time, he was a good friend, an outspoken cheerleader for every member of the club, and always ready to lend a hand. Above all, he was fiercely proud of his daughters. Chuck, you will be missed.

Hug a loved one,

-Nick