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Post by ElCaribe on Sept 14, 2006 18:58:07 GMT -6
John and all, we cannot stress enough the importance of folks putting in a good word for the Harris County Houston Sports Authority's bids for 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 USFA events. A NAC in Memphis is coming up. Little things like a friendly word to Christine Simmons at the registration table about the USFA returning to Houston and the GRB Convention Center will go a very very long way. If you are headed to Memphis, please give a Texas friendly invite to any USFA official. THANKS!
Questions, please call.
Marty Wysocki 713 870 3346
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Post by schlager7 on Sept 15, 2006 8:21:52 GMT -6
I'm afraid I won't be going, but I strongly second Marty's call! I noticed that this last summer in San Antonio, it was not a local club but a sports authority type organization that hosted the zonal competitions.
I have enjoyed both NCAA Championships that have been held in Houston (along with the Div I/Junior NAC).
I wonder if partnering with large, professional sports organizations may be the coming thing as fencing grows and reaches a wider audience.
All I can say is, I am glad the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority has jumped on board. Thanks, Cathy!
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Post by DavidSierra on Sept 15, 2006 10:01:39 GMT -6
Well, as much as I support the Houston Bids... I also am interested in a NAC being held in San Antonio, as rumors seem to indicate. Personally, I'd prefer one there - hey, its an equal drive, but, I have family there, and lets face it - Downtown San Antonio vs Downtown Houston... its a no brainer! *grin* That being said, Houston vs almost any place else that the USFA has been recently (with perhaps the exception of Reno and Sacramento)... Houston wins
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Post by vraptor on Sept 15, 2006 14:30:19 GMT -6
I second (third, fourth, whatever) everything that's been said here. Houston would be a great place for the USFA to hold national events. For that matter, Texas has enough facilities and attractions in Dallas, Austin, or San Antonio to easily draw some event. Austin has had Summer Nationals twice, and the USFA seems to like it there. For my part, I can jump in the truck or hop on Southworst and head out to whatever Texas town the USFA selects. I got relatives everywhere. But Houston would be really nice.
Now, that said...
The Division has certainly improved over the last couple of years, regarding the professionalism of it's management and it's general level of political strife, but it has a way to go. HCHSA sees an opportunity here to put Houston on the map but that could change if we don't get our act together. At the NCAAs, I saw enough evidence of this political strife to make me wary that we could lose the cooperation of the people who are trying to help us. There are three things we need to do.
Thing 1. Grow Up! Just because you are Club A doesn't mean that Club B is the spawn of Satan. You might not like the way they part their hair, but so what? Something like Summer Nationals is good for all of us and the people who are trying to get a major competition here don't want to hear how Club B tried to hold their tournament over yours.
Thing 2. Grow UP! Don't make, or even imply committments (or the lack of them) for anybody but yourself or your club members. Don't sign up for what you can't support. Don't answer questions that you don't know about. If a third party does as a question that you can't answer, tell them you don't know but then tell them that you'll find out or point them at the person who would know. A lot of the problems in the division right now are based on lack of, or garbled communications.
Thing 3. GROW THE #%&$ UP! If somebody from Club B does shaft you, grit your teeth and smile. Fix the problem, don't make it worse. You can settle things with the miscreant after the event is over. We (at last) have a politically backed organzation paying attention to our sport. Their continued support is going to depend on how we support them. If they know that we have solid organziation and a dependable manpower pool, the possibilites are breathtaking.
The Division has had explosive growth over the last few years. I think some of our problems are a result of that growth, mostly because we didn't expect it. We've gotten used to being an orphan sport but the indications are that things are changing.
HCHSA has had a taste of what a great sport fencing can be, but they've also had a taste of our dysfunctionality. They're still willing to help. It's in their interest to do so. But if we want to be involved in this, we're going to have to step up and do things they way the HCHSA is used to. That means cooperate, participate, and mediate. It would be really stupid to be shut out of our own sport.
The day's gonna come when Giff Neilson doesn't begin his sports segue with a football or baseball, but with a sabre. I've always wanted to see Greg and Lisa dive under the desk for cover.
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Post by schlager7 on Sept 19, 2006 8:44:52 GMT -6
Just keeping it out there... Here's what is going up later today (among other things) on the rogue site.
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As noted last week, the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority will be submitting formal bids to the United States Fencing Association, to host Summer Nationals, NAC's and JO's in Houston for the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 fencing seasons.
Additionally, it has been observed that San Antonio is being considered a likely host for the JO's for the 2007-2008 fencing season.
The US Summer National Fencing Championships have been held three times in Austin over the last decade.
Houston has recently played host to two consecutive NCAA fencing championships and a Div I/Junior NAC.
San Antonio was the site, this last spring of the 2006 Junior/Cadet Pan-American Zonal Championships.
We stand on the brink of developing into one of the major states for fencing. The Gulf Coast Division has gone from averaging around 300 members by the end of each season to averaging over 600 members by each season’s close. The Southwest Section is one of the most dynamic sections in the country, their circuit of tournaments serving as a model for other sections to try and emulate.
Now is a critical time. Competition and rivalry are all well and good on strip. Off strip, we need to pull together and stay together, especially where the fencing world at-large is concerned.
As Marty Wysocki has remarked, “we cannot stress enough the importance of folks putting in a good word for the Harris County Houston Sports Authority's bids for 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 USFA events. A NAC in Memphis is coming up. Little things like a friendly word to Christine Simmons at the registration table about the USFA returning to Houston and the George R. Brown Convention Center will go a very, very long way. If you are headed to Memphis, please give a Texas friendly invite to any USFA official.”
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Post by katyblades on Sept 19, 2006 14:49:52 GMT -6
You are right Vraptor. I was announcing when I saw and heard Cathy D "thrown under the bus" by a local club head at NCAAs. I could not help overhearing, and it did not do anyone any good. The HSA has many NCAA sports that they are involved in, and they want to support all sports but no one will be involved in something that hurts them for the important things, (FINAL FOUR BASKETBALL, ETC.).
We have had the HSA behind us in the fencing community for over two years. It would do us good to make certain we made their job easier instead of harder. They are willing and have laid their knecks on the line for our sport several times, and said they would do things that are above and beyond in the sport. They have done things that were never done before, (live webcast of the saber finals that I announced), and were prevented by the USFA from doing even more things for the NACs. As they keep pushing fencing into the 20th century, lets keep helping them.
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Post by kd5mdk on Sept 19, 2006 21:57:16 GMT -6
Surely you mean fall, right?
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Post by schlager7 on Sept 19, 2006 23:25:30 GMT -6
Yes, I did. Happily, the quote above was from the rushed, lunch-time draft, before actual posting.
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