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Post by schlager7 on Aug 16, 2007 10:46:28 GMT -6
(Many of these tournaments do not have titles as yet so the club name appears as the title for the time being).
NOTE: Each USFA Member Club in good standing is entitled to one exclusive weekend, during which no other club may schedule a tournament. Those tournaments are listed in yellow
FALL
TAX-FREE WEEKEND TOURNAMENT Katy Blades Saturday, 18 August 2007
FETE DE LUNE (Veterans') Clear Lake Fencing Club Saturday, 25 August 2007
CALL TO ARMS Fencing Club at the University of Houston 1-2 September 2007
ALLIANCE TOURNAMENT Alliance Fencing Academy 15-16 September 2007
SWIFA #1 Saturday, 22 September 2007 Texas A&M University College Station, TX (not a USFA event but held within the division's borders)
BATTLE OF THE GLADIATORS Salle Mauro 22-23 September 2007
GULF COAST OPEN Gulf Coast SSCC 29-30 September 2007
WESTCHESTER TOURNAMENT Westchester Fencing Club 13-14 October 2007
BLACKED-OUT WEEKEND 20-21 October 2007 Longhorn Open - SSCC
SWIFA #2 Saturday, 27 October 2007 Rice University Houston, TX (not a USFA event but held within the division's borders)
KATY BLADES TOURNAMENT Katy Blades 27-28 October 2007
BAYOU CITY TOURNAMENT Bayou City Fencing Academy 3-4 November 2007
CLEAR LAKE TOURNAMENT Clear Lake Fencing Club 17-18 November 2007
GOBBLER'S REVENGE Brazosport Fencing Extravaganza 24-25 November 2007
REGIONAL YOUTH CIRCUIT Bayou City Fencing Academy 1-2 December 2007
BAYOU CITY TOURNAMENT Bayou City Fencing Academy 8-9 December 2007
JO QUALIFIERS Galveston Fencing CLub 15-16 December 2007
ALLIANCE WINTER CUP Alliance Fencing Academy 30 December 2007
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SPRING
UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS TOURNAMENT University of St. Thomas Fencing Club 5-6 January 2008
ACADEMY OF FENCING TOURNAMENT Academy of Fencing 2-3 February 2008
E & UNDER FOIL University of St. Thomas Fencing Club 9-10 February 2008
BLACKED-OUT WEEKEND 23-24 February 2008 Rose Condon Memorial - SSCC
VAN BUSKIRK MEMORIAL Rice Fencing Club 1-2 March 2008
ALLIANCE TOURNAMENT Alliance Fencing Academy 8-9 March 2008
SUPER YOUTH CIRCUIT Bayou City Fencing Academy 15-16 March 2008
KATY BLADES TOURNAMENT Katy Blades 22 March 2008
BLACKED-OUT WEEKEND 29-30 March 2008 Oz Parsons Memorial - SSCC
SOUTH HOUSTON TOURNAMENT South Houston High School Fencing Program 5-6 April 2008
SENIOR OLYMPICS HOUSTON Bayou City Fencing Academy 5-6 April 2008 (not a USFA event but held within the division's borders)
GULF COAST DIVISIONAL QUALIFIERS Clear Lake Fencing Club 12-13 April 2008
YOUNG ELITES TOURNAMENT Young Elites of Houston 19-20 April 2008
BLACKED-OUT WEEKEND 3-4 May 2008 SW Section Qualifiers
Regional Youth Circuit Salle Mauro 10-11 May 2008
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON TOURNAMENT Fencing Club at the University of Houston 17-18 May 2008
KATY BLADES TOURNAMENT Katy Blades 24-25 May 2008
GALVESTON TOURNAMENT Galveston Fencing Club 31 May - 1 June 2008
ACADEMY OF FENCING TOURNAMENT Academy of Fencing 7-8 June 2008
ALLIANCE SUMMER CUP Alliance Fencing Academy 14-15 June 2008
YOUNG ELITES TOURNAMENT Young Elites of Houston 21-22 June 2008
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kb
Squire
Posts: 261
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Post by kb on Aug 17, 2007 6:47:37 GMT -6
Where are the SW Section Qualifiers going to be held this year? That is the same weekend as Senior Prom and the all-night party for 2 fencers I know of. If in Houston, they could make both, but if not in Houston...there will be a decision to be made.
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nemo
Blademaster
mobilis in mobili
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Post by nemo on Aug 17, 2007 7:07:42 GMT -6
I think they have serious decisions to make. Word is Sectionals this year will be hosted by the Border Tx Division.
Read: El Paso.
On another note, looks like most of this years tourneys will be at Alliance, Katy Blade or BCFA.
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kb
Squire
Posts: 261
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Post by kb on Aug 17, 2007 11:07:36 GMT -6
LOL- I told my senior and he just said "What's to choose from? Dancing with people you don't like or fencing with people you do like?"
I checked the history and thought it might be Houston: 07-Dallas 06-S'Port 05-Houston 04-Dallas
But hey - El Paso is okay by me!
Hope they announce soon so I can get cheap-o Southwest fares when they come up.
KB
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Post by schlager7 on Aug 17, 2007 13:25:09 GMT -6
Rather like our division, the Section has a rotation system in place to determine which division hosts sectionals each year:
I believe Border Texas has always passed on the offer until now. Perhaps next year we will all meet in New Orleans.
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Post by katyblades on Aug 18, 2007 19:48:30 GMT -6
Nemo,
You are not accurate on the Katy Blades part. Clear Lake actually has a similar number of tournaments on the schedule as Katy Blades. You are correct that Bayou City will be hosting a majority of tournaments this year.
There was an interesting discussion at the tournament committee meeting. The proposal was that any club could not host any other fencing event during a club's chosen weekend, USFA or not. Since it was my proposal at the meeting I objected, and they will try to get a ruling from Don Alperstein. Louise already has issues with Senior Olympics which conflicts with South Houston's date in April.
The fact is that they are attempting to tell a private enterprise such as Bayou City what she can do with her business when they have something else reserved in town. It is like telling a golf course they can't hold any other event when the PGA is being held on a weekend. I remember the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, and it would be interesting for Longblade to comment.
In particular, I mentioned SWIFA and high school programs. They felt that SWIFA was different than high school fencing. That is why we don't have high school fencing now.
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Post by Aldo N on Aug 18, 2007 20:09:57 GMT -6
I remember the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, and it would be interesting for Longblade to comment. From [[Sherman Anti-Trust Act]] I'll admit to being an idiot, but I miss the connection.
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nemo
Blademaster
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Posts: 729
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Post by nemo on Aug 18, 2007 22:37:22 GMT -6
Actually, I rarely make it to Clear lake's side of town. I was just noting a lot of the tournaments this season are on MY side of town.
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Post by LongBlade on Aug 19, 2007 10:42:19 GMT -6
I remember the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, and it would be interesting for Longblade to comment. The Sherman Act provides: "Every contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, is declared to be illegal". The Act also provides: "Every person who shall monopolize, or attempt to monopolize, or combine or conspire with any other person or persons, to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, shall be deemed guilty of a felony." I'll admit to being an idiot, but I miss the connection. Me, too... miss the connection, that is. You voluntarily became a member of the USFA. And because of your location you are in the Gulf Coast Division. You don't have to be a member. You could hold unsanctioned tournaments. You could teach classical fencing. You could move. How is that restraint of trade or commerce?
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Post by LongBlade on Aug 19, 2007 10:46:06 GMT -6
In particular, I mentioned SWIFA and high school programs. They felt that SWIFA was different than high school fencing. That is why we don't have high school fencing now. SWIFA is different than High School fencing. SWIFA is a non-USFA collegiate fencing conference. How does that have any effect on High School programs?
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Post by katyblades on Aug 28, 2007 10:39:44 GMT -6
Dear Kyle,
Classical fencing and unsanctioned tournaments were also mentioned as prohibited. I think organized practices would also be prohibited under this scenario also. Here is the wording from the email sent by the division officer;
"Please remember that NOTHING (sanctioned or unsanctioned) can be scheduled against an exclusive weekend as that would nullify the whole point of those week-ends!"
It was mentioned in the meeting that any fencing event was under this "ruling". This was not in the by-laws, and had just been thought up by the executive committee. That is an issue within itself. The wording is generic enough to include any fencing activity that would include SWIFA tournaments. The word "NOTHING" is extremely broad in scope. The differences between high school fencing and SWIFA are just 15 years of development. SWIFA had no one blocking its development, just inertia of not changing. There are a number of high school programs across the country where schools join with their members and the fencers compete. Similar to Pop-Warner football versus high school football. I came across several programs nationally in place, and they have interesting developments. Look in New Jersey, and these events are non-USFA regulated. In the meeting I specifically mentioned these types of programs, a high school association that would hold their events for their enrolled members. This was also forbidden in this "NOTHING" statement. If an association holds tournaments that are non-sanctioned then what jurisdiction does the USFA hold over it?
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Post by schlager7 on Aug 28, 2007 11:46:28 GMT -6
Two quick points: Actually, I rarely make it to Clear lake's side of town. I was just noting a lot of the tournaments this season are on MY side of town. Yeah, but you'll have to trek to the Southeast side for either qualifier. ;D Classical fencing and unsanctioned tournaments were also mentioned as prohibited. I think organized practices would also be prohibited under this scenario also. Here is the wording from the email sent by the division officer;
"Please remember that NOTHING (sanctioned or unsanctioned) can be scheduled against an exclusive weekend as that would nullify the whole point of those week-ends!" I confess to having reservations as well, although as far as I know, there are no classical salle d'armes in the Gulf Coast area. Still, if we refer to "any and all fencing," taken reductio ad absurdum one might try to make a case against historical fencing, the fencing done by some in the Society for Creative Anachronisms and stage fencing... although my personal belief is ARMA, Schola St. George, Tattershall, the SCA and the SAFD would just laugh at us... As to the rest: I understand that it can be frustrating to go the expense and effort of setting up a tournament only to find fencers staying away in noticeable numbers, then realize there was an unsanctioned/non-USFA "tournament" scheduled opposite what one club thought was their "exclusive" weekend. It was indeed, a similar situation which led to the creation of "exclusive" weekends, one per club. We have some 17 clubs in our division and everyone wants their moment in the sun. Still... not everyone is competitive who fences. Also the degree of competitive impulse varies. Some folks make almost every local event, but only a few farther away than Austin. On the other side, we have national/international competitors who rarely show for a local divisional event. It is not a one-size fits all world. My take is that the USFA (and by default, the division ECs as their local representatives) is the governing body for competitve events in foil, epee and sabre that lead to classificiations and/or ratings points and ultimately up the food chain to the Olympics, etc. I can't help but feel that those activities which stand off to one side of that particular food-chain... 1 - not only 1-touch epee, classical fencing, the SCA, stage combat, historical fencing, 2 - but also local exhibitions and demonstrations which follow USFA rules but give out no changes in classificiations and parallel organizations that may largely follow USFA rules(UIL, NCAA, SWIFA, USACFC, etc) but also offer no changes to a fencer's current USFA classification, if any, simply fall outside the juridiction of the division. Now, I can see a case for a division, and, thus, the USFA, penalizing individuals and/or a club in some manner if they or the club are members of the USFA and they engaged in an activity that was patently illegal or dangerous (sabre without masks, for instance). This would be based not on it being an unsanctioned event, but that individuals or organizations would possibly be dragging the USFA (and by default the division) into litigation or criminal charges (or both). As to the fictional Joe Jones Fencing Academy holding a practice/NCAA/UIL/exhibition (unsanctioned) tournament opposite the John Trojanowski salle d'armes on my club's one exclusive date... well, I probably would not appreciate it and might be less inclined to really endorse their tournament when it came around, but the rest of the world rarely does things just the way I'd like it. Besides, if I get known for running good tournaments, that fit the needs of the fencers, they will come, eventually. Life just isn't easy.
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Post by katyblades on Aug 28, 2007 17:43:59 GMT -6
John,
I see us thinking along the same lines. The Senior Olympics should not be banned because it falls on South Houston's date. Also, since the St. Thomas date is E and under foil what is against a Div. I Foil or youth event Y10/Y12 the same day since it it is not sanctioned? Also, what hurts that there is an unsanctioned epee that day for high school students?
Going further, what about day camps those days for fencers of saber or epee similar to the Salle Mauro saber camp? I think that having good choices in town can be positive for fencing, but not allowing choices that don't conflict or eliminating the possibilities of choices is not a good thing.
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Post by schlager7 on Aug 28, 2007 18:21:15 GMT -6
To a degree, yes.
I do think that on the weekend where one club was given a "Divisional Exclusive," that should be the end of it for competitive ventures that offer fencers a chance to improve their ratings. In essence, that is what makes a USFA event.
The USFA (its sections and divisions) is the governing body of the type of competitive, sport fencing that matriculates upwards from the various clubs up to the Olympics and World Championships. If you are working up that food chain you need to compete in USFA sanctioned events. If you have no interest in such, it becomes nothing more than a program you buy into for insurance and the right to compete in tournaments that require membership.
Now, if you hold a non-sanctioned event opposite my club's tournament date, I think it less than desirable, but ultimately, not something to warrant punishment.
Basically, anyone can beg, borrow or buy a foil/epee/sabre/etc and engage in any activity they can get away with. It just won't be a USFA event.
The nature of a sanctioned event is that it offers fencers a chance to improve their letter classification. Many clubs that are either small or far from the dense population core of our division have a hard time attracting fencers even when it is sanctioned if there is a sanctioned event more "in-town."
To that end, I see value in enforcing a Divisional Exclusive.
Lets take the Spindletop Cavaliers as an example, small and way east of most of the fencers in our division. On their Exclusive weekend, no one in our division should be able to offer a different tournament that can up a competitor's classificiation.
Basically, if you really want to boost your rank, on that weekend, within our division, you have to go there.Period.
On the other hand, if you are in a college holding a SWIFA tournament (non-USFA), you should not be punished.
If you are fencing in a demo or an exhibition, not a true tournament with the possibility to change your letter, you should not be punished.
If you are holding an essentially "invitational" or "closed" competition... end of a class, end of a camp, you should not be punished.
If you are holding a 1-touch epee or dry foil or intra-salle event, you should not be punished.
The nature of sanctioned tournaments that offer the possibility of improving your ranking within the USFA, which is where the really evil conflicts always seem to boil over, those I can see keeping a close watch on.
As a comedian I used to enjoy would say, "That's just my opinion. I could be wrong."
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Post by LongBlade on Aug 29, 2007 0:02:12 GMT -6
Dear Kyle, Classical fencing and unsanctioned tournaments were also mentioned as prohibited. I think organized practices would also be prohibited under this scenario also. Here is the wording from the email sent by the division officer; "Please remember that NOTHING (sanctioned or unsanctioned) can be scheduled against an exclusive weekend as that would nullify the whole point of those week-ends!" It was mentioned in the meeting that any fencing event was under this "ruling". This was not in the by-laws, and had just been thought up by the executive committee. That is an issue within itself. The wording is generic enough to include any fencing activity that would include SWIFA tournaments. The word "NOTHING" is extremely broad in scope. The differences between high school fencing and SWIFA are just 15 years of development. SWIFA had no one blocking its development, just inertia of not changing. There are a number of high school programs across the country where schools join with their members and the fencers compete. Similar to Pop-Warner football versus high school football. I came across several programs nationally in place, and they have interesting developments. Look in New Jersey, and these events are non-USFA regulated. In the meeting I specifically mentioned these types of programs, a high school association that would hold their events for their enrolled members. This was also forbidden in this "NOTHING" statement. If an association holds tournaments that are non-sanctioned then what jurisdiction does the USFA hold over it? Augie, My very good and dear friend, Please take this in the spirit it is intended! I understand your frustration! The USFA Division officer who sent you that has no impact on SWIFA or Classisal fencing oganizations. He simply has no say with any authority over a non-USFA organization. Your club is a voluntary member of the USFA. You and your club members fence under their authority as such. The USFA (or it's Divisions or Sections) have no power to prohibit a tournament not sanctioned by the USFA. The USFA only has any power what-so-ever upon someone who is a member of the USFA. SWIFA is not a member of the USFA. Never has been. Never will be. They do not govern us. Clasical fencing and SCA fencing is not governed by USFA rules and I am unaware of any club that claims membership in the USFA. Those organizations function without guidance or sanctioning of the USFA (SWIFA does utilize the USFA rules except as we vote otherwise; eg: no requirement of knickers but, our own requirement of full coverage with warm-ups or pants with all pockets covered and sealed). It's a collegiate group and a lot of our members are just beginning and/or operate on a shoe-string budget. Our requirements for masks, jackets, plastrons, and full-coverage socks are the same. Safety is the ultimate goal and the USFA rules provide that but, some of the SWIFA kids couldn't compete with those expensive requirements. If the USFA decides not to sanction SWIFA events... nobody in SWIFA cares. We never applied for it and it was never intended that it would be sanctioned by USFA. It is a closed-to-members-only collegiate conference. As a practical matter, we try to set the SWIFA tournaments to mark our spot well in advance of USFA tournies and we try to avoid the big, standing USFA tournaments we know of in advance. We also have to work with the premise of having two tournaments in the Spring Semester and two in the Fall. The vast majority of our members are USFA members or are eligable to be members. We just do our own thing. The next week, many of our members will be fencing in a USFA sanctioned tourney. I, personally, am a member of the USFA but, as the Chair of the SWIFA Conference, I am not subject to their rules in that capacity. I have to abide by their rules to fence in a USFA tournament, however. I hope this clears up the position I took a little earlier. Kyle
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Post by katyblades on Aug 29, 2007 11:22:15 GMT -6
Kyle,
I think you said more clearly what I said at the meeting. Any USFA sanctioned event requires USFA approval. Any non-USFA event, (SWIFA, Non-USFA youth events, birthday parties, camps, etc., 2 on 2 electrical tournaments (lots of fun)), are not subject to any USFA jurisdiction. When I am not wearing my USFA hat then I can participate or hold any event I want.
Along John's lines, it is better to have only one sanctioned event in town per weekend or at least day in some circumstances. My club has gotten large enough where it does not matter as much who wants to attend once school kicks back in. Not competing for fencers on a given weekend is good, but we do have to offer them choices. What is an epee fencer supposed to do during St. Thomas's weekend, or saber fencer, or "D" or above foilist? Then we are telling our fencers that they are just going to have to wait. Customers, (fencers), should be the priority of the USFA or any business. How they are treated will determine whether they go make a separate association or group such as SWIFA.
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Post by schlager7 on Apr 19, 2008 17:31:50 GMT -6
As we near the end of the end of the fencing season that (more or less) terminates with summer nationals, I wanted to re-visit the 2007-2008 Fencing Season as it was drawn up and agreed to at our annual tournament scheduling meeting. More importantly, I wanted to make a weekend-by-weekend review of the year, thus far. (For the original schedule, see the first post in this thread...)
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4-5 August 2007 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT
11-12 August 2007 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT
18 August 2007 - TAX-FREE WEEKEND TOURNAMENT (KB) 19 August 2007 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENTS
25 August 2007 - FETE DE LUNE (CLFC) 26 August 2007 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT
1-2 September 2007 - CALL TO ARMS (FCUH)
8-9 September 2007 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT
15-16 September 2007 - HOUSTON CUP #1 (ALL)
22-23 September 2007 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT (22 September 2007 - SWIFA #1 @ TAMU... non USFA)
29-30 September 2007 - GULF COAST SSCC (BCFA)
6-7 October 2007 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT (Tuscon NAC - Div II/III & Cadet same weekend, but no local "blackout" requirement)
13-14 October 2007 - WFC TOURNAMENT - CANCELLED
20-21 October 2007 - BLACKED-OUT WEEKEND (Longhorn Open - SSCC)
27-28 October 2007 - HOUSTON CUP #3 (KB) (27 October 2007 - SWIFA #2 @ Rice... non-USFA)
3-4 November 2007 - BATTLE ON THE BAYOU (BCFA)
10-11 November 2007 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT (Dallas NAC - Jr, Cadet & Y14 same weekend, but no local "blackout" requirement)
17-18 November 2007 - CLEAR LAKE E & UNDER (CLFC)
24 November 2007 - GOBBLER'S REVENGE (BFE/GFC) 25 November 2008 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT
1-2 December 2007 - REGIONAL YOUTH CIRCUIT (BCFA)
8 December 2007 - BCFA HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT (BCFA) 9 December 2007 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENTS (Richmond NAC - Div I/Vet same weekend, but no local "blackout" requirement)
15-16 December 2007 - JO QUALIFIERS (GFC)
22-23 December 2007 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT
29 December 2007 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT 30 December 2007 - ALLIANCE WINTER CUP (ALL)
5 January 2008 - THE U-ltimate SHOWDOWN (USTFC) 6 January 2008 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT
12-13 January 2008 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT (Dallas RYC same weekend, but no local "blackout" requirement)
19-20 January 2008 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT (Atlanta NAC - Div I/Jr same weekend, but no local "blackout" requirement)
26-27 January 2008 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT (Poujardieu Memorial same weekend, but no local "blackout" requirement)
2-3 February 2008 - BLACKED-OUT WEEKEND (Grand Prix - SSCC)
9 February 2008 - E & UNDER FOIL (USTFC) 10 February 2008 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT
16-17 February 2008 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT (Junior Olympics same weekend, but no local "blackout" requirement)
23-24 February 2008 - BLACKED-OUT WEEKEND (Rose Condon Memorial - SSCC)
1-2 March 2008 - VAN BUSKIRK MEMORIAL (RUFC) - CANCELLED
8 March 2008 - HOUSTON CUP #5 (ALL) 9 March 2008 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT (Rosemont NAC - Div II/III/Vet same weekend, but no local "blackout" requirement)
15-16 March 2008 - SUPER YOUTH CIRCUIT (BCFA) 22-23 March 2008 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT (Easter Weekend)
29-30 March 2008 - BLACKED-OUT WEEKEND (Oz Parsons Memorial - SSCC)
5-6 April 2008 - SOUTH HOUSTON TOURNAMENT - CANCELLED (5-6 April 2008 - SENIOR OLYMPICS HOUSTON, non-USFA)
12-13 April 2008 - GULF COAST QUALIFIERS (CLFC)
19-20 April 2008 - YOUNG ELITES TOURNAMENT - CANCELLED
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26-27 April 2008 - HEAVY METAL (TAMU) (USFA status unresolved)
3-4 May 2008 - BLACKED-OUT WEEKEND (SW Section Qualifiers)
10-11 May 2008 - REGIONAL YOUTH CIRCUIT (SM)
17-18 May 2008 - UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON TOURNAMENT (FCUH)
24-25 May 2008 - KATY BLADES TOURNAMENT (KB)
31 May 2008 - JEAN LAFFITE CLASSIC (GFC) 1 June 2008 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT
7-8 June 2008 - ACADEMY OF FENCING TOURNAMENT (AoF)
14-15 June 2008 - ALLIANCE SUMMER CUP (ALL)
21-22 June 2008 - YOUNG ELITES TOURNAMENT (YEH)
28-29 June 2008 - NO LOCAL TOURNAMENT
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Post by fox on Apr 20, 2008 21:47:28 GMT -6
I'm lost. What should I be divining from this review?
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nemo
Blademaster
mobilis in mobili
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Post by nemo on Apr 20, 2008 22:22:00 GMT -6
I'm lost. What should I be divining from this review? For one thing, that there have been 35+ days we could have fenced locally, but had no tournaments scheduled!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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fly
Apprentice
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Post by fly on Apr 21, 2008 6:35:42 GMT -6
I'm lost. What should I be divining from this review? For one thing, that there have been 35+ days we could have fenced locally, but had no tournaments scheduled!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not to mention some club(s) had tournament day(s) that were squandered. I heard there was one "tournament" that was advertised on FRED, but didn't even have strips marked on the floor, was self-directed, and could have been a strong A2. It feels like everyone has just given up.
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Post by schlager7 on Apr 21, 2008 7:17:45 GMT -6
Actually, as is often the case when you review a set of circumstances, there may be many worthwhile points.
1.) nemo is correct on one. There were many weekends (or half-weekends) that we, as a fencing community did not exploit. On this point, if there is guilt, it equally shared.
For instance, most weekends opposite a NAC had no local tournaments scheduled, yet most of our division's 600-odd members do not attend any one given NAC. If we had exceptional attendance of, say, 200 Gulf Coast members at a given NAC (fencers & parents), 2/3 of our membership is still sitting at home with nothing to do.
While we do "blackout" weekends opposite SSCC tournaments (per our division's agreement with the SW Section), we need not blackout opposite NACs (unless it is held in our division) or out-of-division RYCs and SYCs.
In another instance, there were no local tournaments opposite the Poujardieu Memorial. The Pouj is a top flight, prestigious tournament and I, personally, encourage all of our C-or-better fencers to attend. Most of our U-fencers, however, are just going to be handed their heads. A really ambitious U, E or D... yes, they might want to go and get a taste. Recreational U-fencers? A local U-only or E & Under might serve them better.
2.) Another problem is that we had clubs that were granted tournaments and then canceled them with little notice to the division. If another club wished to take advantage of an opening caused by a club canceling their tournament, they need to get it cleared and "advertised" six weeks in advance. If a club opts out, they really should let the powers that be know, if only because it is the decent thing to do.
3.) Finally, some clubs got tournament dates for a weekend and only used one. Now I am NOT talking about "exclusive" weekends. Just generic tournament dates granted.
To give a better example, the University of St. Thomas Fencing Club held a non-exclusive tournament this last January 5th. It was U-only mixed foil. It was one day only. No one hosted an epee tournament. No one hosted a sabre tournament. No one else even hosted a Div I-style (C or better) foil event.
Absolutely no one held a tournament of any type on that Sunday. (or for the rest of January).
Now this also makes it incumbent on clubs granted dates to be responsible, too. If you get an entire weekend but wind up deciding to do a single-day, small tournament, let the division know as soon as you make that decision. It frees up a date for use by the rest of our division's fencers.
In short, I guess, it just seems like we are just flat out missing good opportunities.
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nemo
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Post by nemo on Apr 21, 2008 8:38:53 GMT -6
unresolved?
Now, what is it I am missing?
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Post by schlager7 on Apr 21, 2008 8:47:43 GMT -6
Actually, I flagged that tournament that way just because I could not find it on the division calendar.
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Post by JEC on Apr 21, 2008 21:29:53 GMT -6
Is the GC Division sanctioning the Heavy Metal or not? For people from neighboring division is quite a trip, and not having USFA blessing is an issue.
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Post by MTD on Apr 21, 2008 22:05:01 GMT -6
The (Spring 2008) Heavy Metal is not, and never has been (either on its current date or its earlier, abandoned, date) a USFA tournament. To the best of my knowledge, the organizers never approached the Division about getting onto the calendar and getting USFA sanction. (Indeed, I have seen a message from the Chairman of the Division Tournament Committee to the organizers, sent a month or so ago, asking them to clarify on askFRED that the tournament is not USFA-sanctioned.)
It would actually violate the Bylaws of the Gulf Coast Texas Division for the Division Tournament Committee to sanction the tournament. The organizers, for reasons repeatedly brought to their attention (brought to their attention for general reasons, not specifically for reasons unique to the Heavy Metal) are not eligible for calendar space on the calendar of the Division. They opted not to be associated with the USFA this fencing year.
However, that being said, there may be some great fencing this weekend.
Matt Delevoryas Secretary Gulf Coast Texas Division
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