I used to coach at Lowell HS and technically I'm still their coach but this year they are not fielding a team.
For the past 8 or 9 years I've also helped at Marian Catholic, it is the team where my daughter was a fencer. For the past two years they have had a non-fencer as the coach of their saber team. So I've been the frequent guest coach there and this year I'm now there 2 times each week.
I've been friends with the new coach at Homewood Flossmoor HS, another nearby school, for the past few years. He has a big team and not enough supervision so I am now guest coaching there 1 time per week.
Finished our 2nd high school tournament yesterday, between the two teams we picked up 4 Saber medals. Girls Gold and 5th places. Boys Bronze and 5th places.
The girl who got gold is a Russian foreign exchange student with 7 years of experience and better footwork than most coaches I know. She has won gold medals in EVERY tournament she has been to since she came to the US late this summer. Her school head coach apparently spoke to her about me. I've arranged to have the best US Saber coach & fencer in the midwest give her private lessons. Those happen about 1 time per week. I have her 3 days each week. My goal is not to destroy her skills Seriously this girl is 16 and awesome, could easily make the Russian National team, possibly olympics.
The other kids are kids I usually get as freshman and work with through high school. Some are also excellent fencers, some are casual fencers. Many fence year around and attend the local fencing club. Many are only social members and fence as little as possible even in the season. I really like working with the kids who, even if they are not very good, try hard. Effort is everything because skills are acquired over time and with practice. But if they don't try they never get any skills, never learn anything, especially about life.
Most are a lot of fun.
For the past 8 or 9 years I've also helped at Marian Catholic, it is the team where my daughter was a fencer. For the past two years they have had a non-fencer as the coach of their saber team. So I've been the frequent guest coach there and this year I'm now there 2 times each week.
I've been friends with the new coach at Homewood Flossmoor HS, another nearby school, for the past few years. He has a big team and not enough supervision so I am now guest coaching there 1 time per week.
Finished our 2nd high school tournament yesterday, between the two teams we picked up 4 Saber medals. Girls Gold and 5th places. Boys Bronze and 5th places.
The girl who got gold is a Russian foreign exchange student with 7 years of experience and better footwork than most coaches I know. She has won gold medals in EVERY tournament she has been to since she came to the US late this summer. Her school head coach apparently spoke to her about me. I've arranged to have the best US Saber coach & fencer in the midwest give her private lessons. Those happen about 1 time per week. I have her 3 days each week. My goal is not to destroy her skills Seriously this girl is 16 and awesome, could easily make the Russian National team, possibly olympics.
The other kids are kids I usually get as freshman and work with through high school. Some are also excellent fencers, some are casual fencers. Many fence year around and attend the local fencing club. Many are only social members and fence as little as possible even in the season. I really like working with the kids who, even if they are not very good, try hard. Effort is everything because skills are acquired over time and with practice. But if they don't try they never get any skills, never learn anything, especially about life.
Most are a lot of fun.