Some sports fans have a simple opinion about swords -- they're cool. They are cooler than bats, balls, gloves, pads and whatever other sports equipment exists. The overall sports might differ in entertainment value, but when it comes to the equipment, fencing is tops.
It is for that reason the Virginia club fencing team garners a lot of attention from prospective athletes the first few weeks of every year, only to see the numbers dwindle with a dedicated few still remaining. Apparently there is a stated objective to all of the swinging, thrusting, and jumping around, and that seems to scare many away.
"A small minority come in who think that the club is not necessarily athletic or based on collegiate competition," men's fencing captain Barrett Turner said. "Rather [they] think that it's going to be a chance for them to play with swords... a lot of [other] people come in realizing that it's an athletic team."
Assuming that most people are not completely familiar with fencing as a competitive sport, a brief overview is probably warranted.
Fencers have the option of competing with three weapons -- the foil, the épée, or the sabre, each with their own intricacies. Points are generally scored by making contact with your opponent in a target area which could include the torso, groin or back depending on the event, and in club competition the first to five points wins. Three people compete in each event for their team and the team with the most head-to-head victories wins.
Fencing was formerly a varsity sport at Virginia until 1982 when it was demoted to club status. The team now operates without an official coach or university funding.
"It's hard, but there's a lot of knowledge we pass on through the team from year to year," Turner said. "Maybe 5 percent or less have experience before...we get pretty excited when we get somebody who has experience."
The team raises funds from bar nights, raffles, and cleaning Scott Stadium after football games. They also try to bring in instructors or other club coaches whenever possible.
The men now compete in the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Fencing Association, while the women compete in the National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association. There are about 15 members on the men's team and 12 women competitors.
The highlight of each year is the annual Virginia Cup, a competition between U.Va., William & Mary and Virginia Tech. This year, it will take place at Memorial Gymnasium on Oct. 16.
Other tournaments change from year to year and this season Michigan State is hosting the headlining event, the collegiate club championships. Twenty club teams including Army, Navy, Clemson and Cornell will be competing for the team title.
The outlook for the Virginia men this season is fairly strong, as the team returns a group of veterans.
"Our épée team is going to be great in MACFA," junior Ben Ridenour said. "Our sabre team has lost a couple of really strong veterans, but we've got a really good crop of sabrists and our foil team is getting stronger."
On the women's side, captain Katherine Timpano leads a strong sabre team.
With a rigorous practice schedule, dedicated fund raising and trips that have brought the team to Hoboken, N.J., members of the fencing team obviously love what they do -- they're not just playing around with swords after all.
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