on guard ance -W-1Rsor high perforr.nance renclng gear and sportswear 800.713.4732 www.winsorsport.com United States Fencing Association an 1996 ~ 2000 President: . Donald W Alperstein Vice President: Edwin (Buzz) Hurst Vice President: Sherry Posthumus Vice President: Ralph Zimmerman Secretary: Spring '97Nolume 47, Number 2 Treasurer: Bob Prifrel Official Publication of the United States Fencing Association Dedicated to the memory of Jose R. DeCapriles, 1912 - 1969 Miguel A. DeCapriles, 1906 - 1981 Editor: Candi MacConaugha AMERICAN FENCINC; magazine (lSSN 0002- 8436) is published quarterly by the United States Fencing Association, Inc., One Olym­ NCAA Varsity Fencing - a Critical Assesment pic Plaza, Colorado Springs, CO 80909- by Nelson Grimes 5774. Periodicals postage paid at Colorado 14 Springs, CO 80909-5774. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gimme a "U," Gimme a "S," Gimme a "A" AMERICAN FENCING, USFA, One Olym­ by Bob Largman pic Plaza., Colorado Springs, CO 80909- 16 5774. © 1997 United States Fencing Assn. EDITORS EMERITUS: Ralph M. A Private Moment with a World Champion Goldstein, Mary Huddleson, Emily Johnson, 19 by Steve Sobel Albert Axelrod. EDITORIAL OFFICES: Subscriptions Fencing Whites by Eileen Descallar $18.00 in the U.S. and $24.00 elsewhere. 20 Members of the USFA subscribe through their dues. Please send all correspondence and articles for submission to Editor, AMERI­ 2 2 1997 Junior Olympic Championships CAN FENCING Magazine, 1 Olympic Plaza., Colorado Springs, CO 80909. Contribu­ tors, please note: Articles, results of compe­ titions, photos and cartoons are respectfully ON THE COVER: Bob Largman captured the four 1997 Junior! solicited, preferably on disk, ASCII format, Cadet World Championship finalists: clockwise from top left, otherwise typewritten, double spaced. Pho­ Monique DeBruin, Erinn Smart, Cliff Bayer and Iris tos should be black and white and include Zimmermann. names of those photographed. Opinions ex­ pressed in signed articles do not necessarily reflect the views of AMERICAN FENCING or I Up Front ............................ 2 the USFA.The Editor regrets that materials Technical Talks ................ 10 may not always be returned. ! by Candi MacConaugha by Joe Byrnes PLEASE NOTE: No art or articles from I. President's Corner .............. 4 Sport Science & the Fencer 12 AMERICAN FENCING may be reprinted in by Donald Alperstein by Drs. Richard Gordin & whole or in part without the express written I Readers Write ..................... 6 John Heil permissionof the Editor. DEADLINES: AMERICAN FENCING maga­ Results - Div. I Nationals. 30 zine will publish quarterly in February, May, Fencing Bulletin Board ..... 32 August and November. For inclusion in a I :: E:~:1:~{~~~~~~::~~~:::~::::::: particular issue, materials must be received two months prior to the month of issue. L by Andrew B_u_l_lo_c_k~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The USOC has used its oversight authority to interpret the Act; What's Real ... and What's specifically it has whittled down "athlete" to include only those who are, in the words of the USOC Board of Directors, "competing at a Not ... About the level of proficiency appropriate for selection to a national team in that sport." While we might disagree in concept and in practice with this definition, the law of the sandlot prevails: it's their ballpark and USFA Bylaw Changes ball, hence they get to make the rules. Unfortunately, the legal costs of challenging the USOC are prohibitive although other NGBs, as adversely affected by USOC definition as the USFA but with greater No rhetoric, no scare tactics, no old jealousies resources, are considering taking on Big Brother. triggering an attempt to mislead the membership. The Cost of Decertification The USOC rules us out of compliance with their governance By CANDI MACCONAUGHA, EDITOR requirements. If they continue to do so, the financial consequences of decertification could be devastating to fencers at every level. Without USOC support ($350,000+ per year) and underwriting his is really your magazine. That's why it's the rare occasion (the national office at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado when I the assert an editor's prerogative to reserve a page for my T Springs, team logistics and funding from the Olympic to the World own opinion. But, there have been so many charges and counter­ University games), the USFA would revert to an organization run charges swirling about the proposed bylaws changes that I feel an (Jut of the trunks of volunteer cars. That worked in 1977, but our obligation - as a member of the Board of Directors that twice voted expectations have escalated in the past 20 years. Few of us would to adopt the changes as well as your editor to set the record willingly return to the days of no national competition for any but straight. the most elite athletes, no coach development programs, no insur­ Postings to the internet and position papers widely circulated by ance coverage to protect clubs, no financial support for USFA teams, those opposing the byLlw changes would have you believe that the no age-group competitions to motivate and develop our talented revision represents a "power grab" on the part of the current youth (can your community mount an Under-17 competition with administration, that this is an attempt to "pack" the Board with 100 competitors?). representatives supportive of the President's policies. A look at the Most painful of all would be our elimination from competition in numbers illustrates the absurdity of that misstatement: the Olympic Games. An Olympic medal at a fully attended Games The new Board is a member-driven assembly, not an dite group is in sight; without the right to compete under the United States of political cronies. With the sole exception of the athlete represen­ Olympic Committee umbrella, we may never witness the accom­ tation required by the USOC, every member is either voted on plishment of that dream. directly by the membership (the six officers and the ten section I urge you to vote for the Board of Directors restructuring. The representatives) or approved by the USFA Congress - a body future of our athletes - young and old, recreational or elite - elected by the membership at the sectional and divisional level. depends on it. More importantly, because the majority of non-athlete Directors (ten from the Sections, four from Congress) are elected specifically Westbrook's Winning Way to represent the membership, local and grassroots needs should Peter Westbrook's fencing legend includes 13 National Champi­ receive high priority. Under the proposed changes, these Directors onships in Mens Sabre, three gold medals in the Pan Am Games and will serve on the Board because they want to, not because it is a a bronze medal in the 1984 Olympic Games, plus participation in secondary aspect of their local responsibilities as it now the case. five additional Olympics. Until recently, however, his legend was The Athlete Issue spread solely by word of mouth. Much has been made of the USOC imperative that elite athletes, Now you can read all about the legend and what motivated him elected by their peers, comprise 20% of our Board. Trust me, you in Harnessing Anger: The Way of an American Fencer, written by may quarrel with the wisdom of the demand, but the USOC has the Westbrook with T ej Hazarika. Westbrook recounts that, as a child, power to make it. he had a lot to be angry about: a father who abused his mother, a Title II of the Amateur Sports Act of 1978 creates and governs the home in the housing projects of New Jersey and a future that seemed National Governing Body system, under which the USFA operates. without redemption. But, thanks to the foresight of his mother, The Act specifies that "no amateur sports organization is eligible to Westbrook's life took a different turn when she enrolled him in a be recognized ... as a national governing body unless it ... demon­ private school where he was to take his first fencing lessons. strates that its board of directors ... includes among its members PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, the book lover's bible, calls Harnessing individuals who are actively engaged in amateur competition in the Anger "an inspiring memoir about being poor and biracial; learning sport ... or who have represented the United States in international confidence and self-control; understanding the cultural differences amateur athletic competition ... (and that) membership and voting within our country; and mastering the psychology and politics of power held by such individuals is not less that 20 percent .... " competition and " Further, the Act gives the USOC the authority to recognize Westbrook channeled his anger into winning and enjoyed a 25 NGBs. And under Section 201 (c), the USOC is required to police year career in competitive fencing. But the Westbrook legend is the NGBs for compliance with this and other mandates and to really about life lessons, applicable to even the most sedentary, The suspend or revoke NGB status for noncompliance. book is available at all Barnes & Boble and Borders bookstores. 2 [3[]~Lr ~OD~llOlJl{g [3[]~Lr [PlliO~[]~g [3[]~Lr ~[]lliWO~[]g nI\1N···t·'" E • I\JUlES>} .".,., ..... F"" .. -'"'lw"~'!NT UHl"",11,1"" AM,. '.' .•,' N EQU,.........................,.. ,., ..... ,.,.I .., .., ...,. RIVI.,., ················S..,., .......... ,.,.,. & AdtoJ\S$MOE ..• GeT t"E.B. EST PRICE CAl~AND &1 .••• VICTORY SHOES HIGH QUALITY LOW PRICE LOW TOP REG. $59 SALE $54 HIGH TOP REG. $95 SALE $85 PRACTICE WEAPON, BACK ZIP JACKET, GLOVE, MASK & BAG (5 PIECES). 5 PIECES 4 PIECES (NO BAG) Now Cost Over 5 Sets Now Cost Over 5 Sets FOIL SEI:}i$140 . $123 $110 $120 $105 $94 EPEE SET:? $144> $128 $115 $124 $110 $99 SABRE SET: $150 $133 $119 $135 $115 $103 (FRANCE-LAMES ~LADE: FOIL + $4, EPEE + $10 , SABRE + $12) (FRONT ZIP JACKET + $12; PISTOL GRIP + $3, BIG BAG + $10, SHIPPING COST $8) BLUE GAUNTLET FENC.ING GeAR ING •..