Fencers Club School Partnership by Elizabeth Cross

Schools Partnership

MEN’S FOIL TEAM BRONZE MEDALISTS, 2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES

Miles Chamley-Watson Fencers Club

Race Imboden

Alexander Massialas

Gerek Meinhardt

WE HAVE BEEN PRODUCING GENERATIONS OF OLYMPIANS AND WORLD AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONS FOR OVER 140 YEARS

WOMEN’S SABRE TEAM BRONZE MEDALISTS, 2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES

Monika Aksamit

Ibtihaj Muhammad Dagmara Wozniak Mariel Zagunis PWF/Fencers Club

The Fencers Club is the oldest and largest fencing club in the United States. Comprised of a diverse group of people united by a common passion for fencing, the Fencers Club’s main goal is to foster and support the pursuit of excellence in fencing, academics and community service. With the generous support of, and volunteer efforts by, our dedicated members, we provide a variety of services to our members while sharing our resources with the community at large. The Fencers Club Mission and Goals: Provide the highest level of instruction and state of the art facilities for the sport of modern fencing. Promote the social and athletic interaction of our members through the sport of fencing. Preserve the history and tradition of fencing in the United States. Broaden the base of support for fencing in the United States, and especially New York City, by actively developing and offering fencing-related community outreach, scholarship, and educational programs.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN David Raso

CO-PRESIDENTS Philippe Bennett Annik Wolf

TREASURER Tony Lee

CO-SECRETARIES Sharon Kim

Julio Mazzoli

Inspire and assist our scholar-athletes to achieve at the highest levels in fencing and academics. Promote a culture of sharing and community outreach through fencing and academic activities. Produce fencers of Olympic caliber through the active sponsorship of world- class training programs, competitions, and teams.

Miles Chamley-Watson John Floyd

Merve Gursel

Alan Hirschfeld Dan Rosberger Erinn Smart

Denis Tolkachev

Adam Weintraub Peter Westbrook …

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Liz Cross

Fencers Club

Fencers Club Schools Partnership Program

The Fencers Club's Schools Partnership Program embodies all aspects of the Fencers Club’s mission and goals. It is a comprehensive program that teaches fencing to students in their own schools while imparting the character building values, discipline and strategic thinking that are integral to the sport. By working closely with students in a sport that is physically, intellectually and emotionally

challenging, our highly trained and motivated

Our vision is to offer fencing, with all its easily transferable skills for learning and discipline, to a wide range of students across racial, socio-economic and cultural divides. We are committed to building strong partnerships with schools that share our vision and to implementing sustainable fencing and mentoring programs in schools with limited resources.

scholar-athlete coaches will encourage the students to work through difficulties to achieve their goals and develop perseverance that can enhance the students’ ability to perform in non-fencing pursuits.

PHOTO BY PAUL ORATOFSKY

TEACH CONNECT INSPIRE MOTIVATE MENTOR

Every child deserves a high-quality, broad-based education, which should encompass a thorough grounding in academic subjects, an introduction to the arts, the fostering of personal growth and rigorous and interesting physical education. Through Fencers Club’s Schools Partnership Program, we seek to partner with schools to facilitate students’ physical, intellectual and emotional growth, especially during highly formative years.

Fencers Club

Fencers Club Schools Partnership Program

Fencers Club’s Schools Partnership Program is a comprehensive fencing curriculum that partners with schools to implement on-site coaching/mentoring sessions to facilitate students’ physical, intellectual and emotional growth, especially during highly formative years.

The Children’s Storefront School Lower Manhattan Community School

Grace Church School

The US Army Fort Hamilton Youth Services

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We have been coaching fencing as part of the gym curriculum and as an afterschool program for over 15 years.

SOME OF OUR FENCERS CLUB SCHOOLS PARTNERS

Academy of St. Joseph Bronx Collegiate Academy Bernards HS, NJ Bi-Cultural School, CT Blueprint Middle School Brooklyn Ascend Charter School Bronx Expeditionary Learning HS The Caedmon School The Chapin School

The Children’s Storefront School Civic Leadership Academy The Dwight School Fort Hamilton Child & Youth Services Friends Seminary The Gateway School George Jackson Academy Girls Prep Bronx Charter School Grace Church School

Horace Mann School Institute for Collaborative Education International Preschools The Jewish Community Center Little Red Elizabeth Erwin Korean American Family Service Center The Lowell School Lower Manhattan Community Middle School Madiba Prep Middle School Marymount School of NY Mott Hall II Poly Prep Country Day School

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PS 3 / PS 199 / PS 452 Quest 2 Learn The Ramaz School Ronald Edmonds Learning Center Safe In My Brothers Arms (SIMBA) Academy Speyer Legacy School St. Luke’s School St. Stephen of Hungary School Trinity School United Nations International School Village Community School Wingspan Arts – Brooklyn School of Inquiry

THE BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS Physical fitness is not only strongly linked to good health but, as many studies demonstrate, can also be a significant element in achieving academic success and emotional well-being. The Benefits of Physical Activity, CDC

“Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health.”

Is There a Relationship Between Physical Fitness and Academic Achievement? Journal of School Health

“Results show statistically significant relationships between fitness and academic achievement.”

a Photos by Serge Timacheff Photos by Serge Timacheff Photos by Serge TimacheffPhotos

Improving physical fitness and emotional well-being in adolescents of low socioeconomic status, Oxford Journals, Health Promotion International, Volume 20, Issue 2

“Among adolescents, physical activity is associated with benefits in the prevention and control of emotional distress, and improvement of self-esteem.”

Statement of Dorothy G. Richardson, M.D. President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

“Physical activity and sports involvement are important developmental opportunities for both boys and girls. Contributions include increased strength and power, better cardiovascular functioning, enhanced immune system responses, opportunities to develop moral reasoning, positive self-concepts and social interaction skills.”

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FENCERS CLUB’S SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM Q&A

A. Why Fencing? Almost uniquely, and in contrast to many other physical fitness activities, fencing marries its physical elements with the stimulation of emotional and intellectual development that can generate positive benefits in other areas of a student’s life.  Fencing promotes discipline: •

Successful fencers learn to control their emotions as they formulate and reformulate their strategies over the course of a bout.

•

Fencing is grounded in a long tradition of discipline and respect for oneself, one’s opponent and the rules of engagement. Elements of these traditions are highly visible in the conduct of the sport.



Fencing encourages resilience. Even the best fencers lose many bouts; learning from ones’ losses and retooling for the next round is essential.

 Fencing is a highly inclusive sport; students and athletes of all body types and personalities can succeed at fencing, and anyone can reach the proficiency level necessary to enjoy the game.

 Fencing is safe, inexpensive to implement in schools, and can be practiced in a limited amount of space. It does not require special or permanent structures.

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

Fencing fosters complex problem solving skills and requires students to use their powers of observation, deduction and reasoning to understand and accurately execute actions during the bout.



Fencing encourages mental agility and fast thinking as fencers must constantly analyze the complexities of the bout in the context of their own physical and psychological capabilities and the opponent’s strengths. This analysis must occur over the course of seconds.



As a physically demanding sport, fencing provides substantial cardiovascular benefits and the associated training emphasizes the development of flexibility, agility and coordination of footwork and eye-hand movements.



Fencing is an exciting sport that is often appealing to kids who don’t normally like physical

pursuits; it can also be immensely empowering to shyer or smaller kids who normally don’t stand out in physical activity but who can often find ways to succeed at fencing against bigger and stronger opponents.

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B. Who will serve as coaches for FC’s Schools Partnership Program? All of our School Coaches are highly accomplished scholar-athletes. They are selected for their passion for fencing and their commitment to teaching, being role models and mentoring students. Fencers Club’s

D. What is the cost of implementing FC’s Schools Partnership Program and who will pay for it? The Fencers Club is committed to working with its partner schools in FC’s School’s Partnership Program to meet the needs of the students and the school’s budget.

own world- renowned coaches will instruct the

For more information, please contact:

School Coaches. They will work with a carefully

Liz Cross, Executive Director

planned curriculum designed by Fencers Club. The School Coaches will meet regularly to discuss their students’ progress and any issues that may be useful in teaching and mentoring. The School Coaches will be evaluated for their commitment, performance and effectiveness.

Fencers Club will work with the schools, donors and sponsors to implement a sustainable program. E. Can P.E. instructors and other teachers participate in the program? P.E. instructors and teachers affiliated with partner schools and interested in learning more about fencing are invited to join group classes at the Fencers Club. For those instructors who would like to reach a significant proficiency level, Fencers Club will be designing a coaching clinic that would be flexible and suitable for teachers with limited time and funds.

C. Can we meet other students in the program and represent our schools? Fencers in the program’s partner schools will have the opportunity to fence for their schools at the Fencers Club. Two annual competitions, one in December and one in June, will provide students with a chance to measure their fencing progress and meet other students in the program. Families, school administrators and friends will be invited to each event.

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F. HOOKED ON FENCING? WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Fence in the summer: Fencers Club hosts an annual summer camp, combining academics and fencing and run according to the same principles embodied in its Schools Partnership Program. Substantial financial aid is available for those students with demonstrated need.

Become a member of the Fencers Club: Fencers Club helps new students choose a coach and program that is appropriate to the student’s stage of development, personality and fencing goals. The student will continue to work with his/her School Coach as a mentor at the club. In addition, through the Fencers Club Scholars Program, students can apply for need-based scholarship that will be reviewed and granted through the Fencers Club’s Scholarship Committee on an annual basis.

Join Fencers Club’s Opportunities Beyond Programs: Fencers Club offers opportunities for students who have demonstrated a passion and aptitude for fencing beyond the Schools Partnership Program. Opportunities Beyond includes the free bi-annual Schools Partnership Competition to introduce students to a friendly competitive environment where school teams, friends, and family can cheer on their students to go for Schools Partnership Champion’s Cup! We also offer a Saturday Enrichment Program for high school fencers to continue training at Fencers Club once a week at a reduced rate with other teams throughout the city, as well as a free annual High Schools Championship Event.

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The FC Schools Partnership Capital Group Cup was sponsored by FC Board Member and Capital Group Analyst Denis Tolkachev (left).

Olympic Silver Medalist Daryl Homer at George Jackson Academy.

On guard at Brooklyn School of Inquiry!

With School Coach Zaheer at Winston Prep. 1

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Computing pool round results.

Drills at Girls Prep in the Bronx.

Coach Ally working with students at PS199.

Coaching 100 students at Blueprint Middle School in the Bronx!

Opportunities Beyond As a not-for-profit organization, Fencers Club is committed to providing meaningful support and innovative opportunities for student-fencers to pursue excellence both on and off the fencing strip. Together as a community, we make Fencers Club a strong, vibrant and welcoming place to achieve our goals.

Saber fencers from our George Jackson Academy Schools Partnership Program.

Our Schools Partnership fencers celebrating Olympic Day.

Since the inception of the Fencers Club Schools Partnership Program in 2009, we have taught and mentored over 10,000+ students!

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Partner School Coaching Roster

Iman Blow - Foil

Zaheer Booth - Saber

Alexey Cheremsky - Epee

Mihaly Csikany - Saber

FENCERS CLUB SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP Aziza Hassan - Saber

Jean Goto - Epee/Foil

COMMUNITY OLYMPIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Adam Mathieu - Foil

Dmitry Ronzhin - Saber

Dominique Tannous - Epee 14

Fencers Club

Shomari Moore - Epee

Kelleigh Ryan - Foil

Pascual Di Tella - Saber

Cooper Schumacher - Epee

Khris White - Epee

Dwight Smith - Epee

Sean White - Epee

Fencers Club Coaches

Alexey Cheremsky - Epee

Mihaly Csikany - Sabre

Irene Gershon - Foil

Alex Martin - Foil

Dmitry Ronzhin- Sabre

Akhi Spencer-El - Sabre

Ed Elterman - Foil

Sean McClain - Foil

Simon Gershon - Foil

Mikhail Petin - Foil

Kornel Udvarhelyi - Epee Boris Vaksman - Epee Fencers Club

Fencers Club

11th Annual Symposium on College Fencing Friday, September 7, 2018

Each year, Fencers Club hosts this Symposium to benefit all high school fencers in the New York City area, and it is dedicated to all student-athletes who strive for excellence. In September of 2018, more than 100 college-minded fencers and their families attended to listen as head coaches from top schools discussed a variety of topics.

Discussion Topics Included:

• College Admissions: Does Fencing Matter?

• What is the “Coaches List” and How Does it Work? • Life of a Student-Athlete: Team Spirit and Riding the Bus

• Athletic Scholarships: Where and How?

• Balancing Academics and International Fencing • Divisions, NCAA Rules and Championships

Coaches in Attendance: Michael Aufrichtig, Columbia University Zoltan Dudas, Princeton University Andy Ma, University of Pennsylvania Steve Mormando, New York University

Some of the Colleges Our Fencers Attend: Barnard College

Haverford College

Temple University

Boston College

Hunter College

Tufts University

Brandeis University

Johns Hopkins University

U.S. Military Academy at West Point

Brown University

M.I.T.

U.S. Air Force Academy

Carnegie-Mellon University

New York University

University of California

Columbia University

Northwestern University

University of Chicago

Cornell University

Oxford University

University of Edinburgh

Dartmouth College

Penn State University

University of Michigan

Drew University

Princeton University

University of Notre Dame

Duke University

Sacred Heart University

University of Pennsylvania

Georgetown University

Stanford University

Washington University in St. Louis

Harvard University

St. John’s University

Yale University Fencers Club

3. Expect best response

Adversaries are predictable. They never cooperate unless it’s to their advantage or they have no choice. If they see we have an answer, they play differently. We gamble, but not really. Nor do we look for trouble. We’re opportunists, ready to exploit what comes our way. Yet we never expect the opponents to play along. We can’t suppose they’re going to blunder, or fail to see the threat. Even a novice can make a good decision by accident. So we play the odds, expecting the best response, armed for combat against master or lucky beginner.

Adversaries are predictable. They never cooperate unless it’s to their advantage or they have no choice.

A Few Thoughts on Learning and Competing By Bruce Pandolfini

1. Just Begin

Start where you are, with what you already know. Don’t look for the right place to begin. Don’t worry about learning the wrong way. Don’t think about finding the right book, teacher, or method. However you go, your opponents will light the path by beating you. We learn best by doing, which is a good way to learn anything. So in the beginning we’re urged to play before we know how. Not everyone can do it, but those who try are ahead of those who don’t. They know some of the obstacles, and that’s a step on the road to conquering them.

4. Beware of self-deception

The player is always striving to know the truth, which can be many things and therefore misleading. For example, truth can be big or small. It can be objective or subjective. Objective truth is true for everyone or no one. Subjective truth works only for a particular player, opponent, observer, or commentator. But it works, as does factual truth, relative truth, practical truth, and truth for truth’s sake. With all that truth, it’s easy to fall back on our own truth, the most deceptive of all. Fortunately, the game can’t be won by a lie.

We learn best by doing, which is a good way to learn anything.

2. Make a commitment

Our game is demanding. It requires effort and dedication. If we let our minds wander, or play with ambivalence, or lack energy, we lose. We can’t show up and expect to get by. We’re playing people. They play for real. They don’t care about our troubles. They’d exploit any weakness without quarter. So the course is clear. In order to succeed we must fight to the end. That attitude doesn’t always win. But it commands respect, and on a long journey, we need it to point the way. 18

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5. Take control

Players clash for the initiative. If we don’t fight for it, our opponent might seize the reins and become us. Whoever wrests control has greater freedom and new choices, which fuels the attack. Feeding off that surge, the aggressor hopes to impose restraints and extract concessions, leading to more rewards and fresh options for the mounting onslaught. From options to control, the process is unstoppable, and each play builds on the one before it.

6. Appreciate small differences

Some games are played the same way over and over. That helps us learn how to win, doing the same things every chance we get. But even the same moves can be played differently. We can play them at different speeds or on different days. We can try them at different times against different opponents. Nor do we ever have to wear the same clothes or feel the same way. And there are many other elements that play a role, if we factor them in. It’s in those illusory differences that surprising creativity can be found.

It’s in those illusory differences that surprising creativity can be found.

7. Make something out of nothing

We start even and what follows is small change. We create tiny differences and turn them to our advantage. We convert the immaterial to the material and the intangible to the tangible. We make the temporary permanent and the fleeting lasting. We gather nuances and favorable transitions into an overall advantage. If we do it right our superiority becomes overpowering. We can’t be stopped and win the game by force. But victory can come so suddenly it’s easy to miss how we got there: by gradually making something out of nothing.

We create tiny differences and turn them to our advantage. We convert the immaterial to the material and the intangible to the tangible.

9. Avoid bad habits can perform without having to think about them; the more, the better. Reactions are important in timed competition, when excessive thinking can hasten defeat. But we must always resist thinking too superficially. It could lead to bad habits, such as undue thinking, or not thinking at all. 10. Look for patterns

The game is fraught with everyday parallels. It’s not that its situations have direct bearing on daily living. They may or may not. But many of the methods and strategies used to solve problems of play, with creative input, may be applied to the real world. Beyond that, we can often use the solution of one quandary as a template for another, even in different universes. It’s surprising how far we can go on a good analogy.

Our game is demanding. It requires effort and dedication. If we let our minds wander, or play with ambivalence, or lack energy, we lose.

8. Think like they think

The bedrock of defense is mindset. Players are cautious, always wary of potential problems. So we look in the mirror, entering the defender from the mind of the attacker. We imagine being where the opponent is, conspiring against us. Suddenly, defense is attack, and attack defense. We become the other side, seeing the idea first to sap it of value. That neutralizes the opponent, who doesn’t know we have until it’s too late.

Reactions are important in timed competition, when excessive thinking can hasten defeat. But we must always resist thinking too superficially. It could lead to bad habits, such as undue thinking, or not thinking at all.

Bruce Pandolfini is one of the best-‐known chess teachers in the world. He is a co-‐ founder of Chess in the Schools, a program that has brought chess to thousands of NYC schoolchildren.

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Donors, Sponsors, Partners

Absolute Fencing Gear Balestra Capital Capital Group Dickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sporting Goods Dow Family Foundation Goldman Sachs Hoffen Family Foundation International Fencing Federation Independence Fund International Charity Fund The Joseph H. Flom Foundation Peter Westbrook Foundation Radical Fencing The U.S. Fencing Association The U.S. Olympic Committee U.S. Paralympics U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs & Fencers Club Board of Directors Fencers Club Community

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Fencers Club is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit of excellence through the sport of fencing. Fencers Club does not discriminate on the basis of race/ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, disability, veteran status, or age. ÂŠ Fencers Club 2018. All rights reserved.