The IA Fencing Team will open registration in early July and the deadline to register will be July 31st. That will be a hard deadline this season, as equipment has to be ordered and the first tournament is September 16th.
Quick FAQ’s:
1. Do you have to have experience to sign up?
- No, beginners are welcome, and in fact make up most of our team. We welcome all levels.
2. Can my student try it first to be sure they like it.
- Unfortunately, fencing isn’t a sport that can be tried without proper equipment. We do not have the ability to provide equipment to everyone that would like to try first. It also takes awhile to really get a feel for whether they are going to enjoy it as there is a build up in learning how to fence that isn’t going to be determined in 1 or 2 practices. We recommend trying either one of the local fencing clubs or there is the Pope Fencing Summer Camp, where they can provide equipment for a trial basis.
3. Does it cost to join the team?
- Yes, there are team dues as well as an initial equipment start up cost. The team dues are $400 annually, this covers coaching, admin, tournament fees, league fees, banquet and insurance. The initial equipment investment is about $400. Most equipment will last the duration of their high school years. Some will have to upgrade uniform pieces if the out grow them and some may damage weapons that need repairs. So the initial cost is about $800 for first season.
4. How often are practices and tournaments?
- The season begins the first week of school and goes until 1st week in February.
- Practices are Thursdays from 4:15-6:30. (required to attend 80%)
- There are extra Saturday practices scheduled throughout that are optional.
- Tournaments are on Saturdays, approximately once per month. There are 6 regular tournaments, 1 individual championship and 1 team championship. (required to attend 3)
5. Do you have a summer camp?
- We will be hosting a 3 day summer camp, July 26-28 for a fee. Everyone is welcome to sign up and attend, however you will be required to purchase equipment to participate. We will send out information to the mailing list on how to register and order equipment if interested.
- There will be an info session the last hour of the camp for anyone that wants to come for a demonstration, hold/try on equipment and ask questions. If at that time you would like to register, you can also complete the uniform fitting.
6. How do we get started?
- Complete the interest form here to be added to our registration mailings.
- We will have a new website up and running for registration and will email out to everyone once it is live.
- View the presentation below for additional information about fencing and the team.
- Season video from this past season’s banquet. https://youtu.be/UuI1qdObKUI
Questions? iafencingclub@gmail.com