6 200 ring sp Born to Fence Bill Reith profi les BEN SOLOMON Choosing the Right Fencing Camp Fencing Legends: Setting the Records Straight American FENCING FEATURES 27 BEN SOLOMON by William Reith 30 TRAINING CAMPS by Sada Jacobson 14 DEPARTMENTS 3 President’s Letter 6 Readers' Letters 7 News Veteran's Fencing, World Cup 9 Postcards from the Strip Fencing as Mastery 12 Sports Med Q&A Turning Injury Into Advantage 13 Sport Science The Fencer-Coach Relationship 14 Fencing History Setting the Records Straight 17 Rules/Referees Over-Aggressive Passivity Calls 27 18 Parent's Corner Online Resources 20 Tech Talk Repair Tips for Bibs 21 Club Tips Demographics 24 Club Profile Salle Mauro Fencing Academy 33 Athlete Q+A Tim Morehouse 35 Tournament Results 2005 World University Games 37 Classifieds Tournaments and Coaching Positions 40 In the Spotlight Lindsey Knauer 30 On the cover: Cover story fencer Ben Solomon at a recent World Cup in Kuwait. Photo by Serge Timacheff, FencingPhotos.com. Spring 2006 · American Fencing 1 The UNITED STATES FENCING ASSOCIATION Contributors President'sCORNER Member Services Directory The UNITED STATES FENCING ASSOCIATION is the national governing body for the sport of fencing in the United States. The USFA is affili- ated with the Federation Internationale d’Escrime, the international In this Issue federation for fencing. The mission of the United States Fencing Association is to develop fencers to achieve international success and to administer and promote the sport in the United States. JEFF BUKANTZ writes the "Rules and Referees" column. He The United States Fencing Association is a member of the FIE Rules Commission. Email Jeff at Phone: (719) 866-4511 [email protected]. Fax: (719) 632-5737 E-mail: [email protected] STEVE DIEHL is a freelance writer based in Park City, Utah, Web: http://www.usfencing.org and the father of youth fencer Caleb Diehl. President Nancy Anderson MEGHAN GARDNER is the director and CEO of Guard Up, Inc. Vice President Sam Cheris in Burlington, Massachusetts. She now consults start-up Vice President Ro Sobalvarro Vice President Edward Wright and small schools in improving their growth, staff training, Secretary Linda Merritt and quality of service. Treasurer Derek Cotton MAURO HAMZA is the head coach of Salle Mauro in Houston, Texas. He's also the proud father of baby Malek - born American Fencing February 16, 2006. Dedicated to the Memory of: Jose R. DeCapriles 1912-1969 Dr. JOHN HEIL is Chair of Sports Medicine & Science for US Miguel A. DeCapriles 1906-1981 Fencing. He is with HCA Lewis-Gale Physicians and can be contacted at [email protected]. EDITOR Cindy Bent Findlay; DR. STEVEN HESKY is a psychologist and sports psychologist [email protected] in private practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Hesky was PRODUCTION/DESIGN Meg Galipault/Jon Stickley introduced to the sport by his son and took saber lessons himself. Associate Editors Bob Block Veterans SADA JACOBSON is the U.S.’s only Senior World Cup Cham- Jeff Bukantz Rules/Referees pion, holding the title for three years running, from 2002- Joe Byrnes Technology 2005. Jacobson won the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Peter Harmer Sports Medicine Games in Athens, Greece. She recently graduated from John Heil Sports Psychology Yale University. Andy Shaw Official Historian MONIKA KAO is a freelance writer in Pittsburgh who played Please send all correspondence and articles for submission to Editor, fencing mom to son Alex for many years. American Fencing, One Olympic Plaza, Colorado Springs , CO 80909- 5774. American Fencing is published quarterly in January, April, July and October. Please contact the editor regarding submission WILLIAM REITH is coach of Alcazar Fencing in Cleveland, deadlines. Please contact Chris Cuddy at (719) 578-4511 regarding Ohio, and Ben Solomon's first coach. advertising. American Fencing (ISSN 0002-8436) is published quarterly by the ANDY SHAW is the USFA's official historian. He is also coach United States Fencing Association, Inc., One Olympic Plaza, Colo- of the Fairfield Avenue School of Fencing in Shreveport, rado Springs, CO 80909-5774. Periodicals postage paid at Colorado LA, and maintains a page of fencing history at fencingon- Springs, CO 80909-5774, and additional offices. Subscriptions to fairfield.com American Fencing are included with membership in the association. Individuals can subscribe for $16 in the United States and $28 else- where. Postmaster: Send address changes to USFA, One Olympic SERGE TIMACHEFF is a fencer, the founder of FencingPhotos. Plaza, Colorado Springs, CO 80909-5774. com, and the official photographer for the International ©2006 United States Fencing Association. All rights reserved. Repro- Fencing Federation (FIE). He is also the author of two books duction in whole or in part without written permission prohibited. on photography, Total Digital Photography and Digital Sports Photography: Taking Winning Shots Every Time. 2 Spring 2006 · American Fencing President'sCORNER Nancy Anderson President, United States Fencing Association he United States Fencing Asso- AT HOME and we have already had stellar ciation is alive and well and, as • Membership in the USFA is at an performances. Ta matter of fact, is the healthiest all-time high. • Three of the weapons are in the top it has ever been. It is my pleasure to • In the past two years, the referee World Cup team standings. report that membership continues to base has grown by almost 50 per- • 4 US fencers are in the top 8 of the expand at a phenomenal rate; tourna- cent; coach membership in the FIE World Junior standings. ments are creating challenging prob- USFA has tripled. • There is significant greater depth in lems with unexpected increases in • The number of fencing-related all the weapons as demonstrated entry fields at all levels from the Divi- businesses has doubled in just the by the number of athletes partici- sions through the NACs; the youth past four years as evidenced by pating in World Cup and interna- programs and regional youth tourna- the space occupied by vendors at tional competitions. ments are gaining in popularity every the national championships. month; and US fencers continue to • Coaches can obtain more ben- The 2008 Olympics in Beijing are upend their foreign counterparts win- efits from the USFA, e.g., insur- 2.5 years away. Though it sounds ning medals at World Cup and other ance coverage. National coaches like a long time, it will pass quickly. In international competitions. are receiving compensation for the order to place US fencing in an opti- The winds of change can be expect- time spent with the national weap- mum position in Bejing, Bob Largman, ed to continue as growth stimulates on programs. team manager of the last two Olympic change—growth brings on unexpected • On-line registration has been a Fencing teams, and Michael Mas- challenges, but challenges that allow request (a demand?) of the mem- sik, Executive Director, traveled with an organization to regroup and analyze bership for some 10 years; final the USOC on a survey trip to Beijing. its evolving mission. Many changes stages are being tested for imple- During that trip they made excellent have occurred over the last 20 years, in mentation in the 2006-2007 sea- inroads with the fencing manager and particular in the last eight years. son. were able to establish a solid com- The USFA has grown by leaps and • Task groups have been formed munication link. In preparing for the bounds such that 8 full time staff focus to evaluate where US fencing is Games, this type of liaison can only on the corporate business of the sport today, what are its needs, and how help US fencers, not just in accom- of fencing. The staff implements the to best accomodate the needs of modations but in casting the positive policies of the Board and works with all the facets of its mission and cor- environment that allows the athletes to the membership and the volunteer responding goals. compete at their best. force—the officers, the committees, • The USFA has an excellent finan- At the upcoming World Junior and and all those working the national cial base with staff working closely Cadet Championships in Korea, the tournaments—to ensure that the oper- with the administration assuring FIE will meet with the representatives ations are as effective as possible. that the organization is operating in of all federations to discuss what team There will always be those who the black. events are to be included at the 2008 critique a business organization from • A goal of the organization for years Olympics within the limits set by the a different perspective and fervently has finally come into fruition: we IOC. US fencing representatives will believe there are better ways to con- have professional marketing and be working with other federations to duct business. The USFA membership fundraising efforts in place with find a meaningful solution for 2008. elects the officers of the organiza- a plan for visibility and financial In conclusion, one can see that the tion; it is their task to support and growth that will go forward for USFA is a very healthy, dynamic, multi- enhance the efforts of those officers. decades. faceted organization and that the sport The people who are actively engaged is doing extremely well with more in the operations of such an organiza- IN THE WORLD fencers, more coaches, and greater tion use the tools and vision at their • The number of US medals at international recognition. Everyone disposal to continue successful plans Junior World Cup and interna- has some role in its success, from the and implement constructive new ideas tional Cadet competitions this local clubs through the national tour- and recommendations.