Team Policies

Windy City Fencing Team Policies

The Bronze team is for fencers who have advanced beyond the beginner’s classes, are ready to fence more than once a week and who are interested in competing. Bronze team members practice twice a week.

The Silver team is for fencers who have mastered the basic fencing skills taught in the beginner classes and/or on the Bronze team. Most Silver team members compete in regional and national competitions. Silver team members practice four times a week.

The Gold team is for fencers who have mastered the fencing skills taught on the Silver team. Gold team members fence at an advanced level and compete at national competitions. Gold team members practice four times a week. Fencers in this team must exhibit the ability to be focused and self-directed during practice.

Placement on a team is determined by the age, ability and maturity of each individual fencer. A fencer will be moved to the next level when he or she has mastered specific skills and has consistently shown the maturity to handle the more difficult practices of the next level. Promotion to the next level will be gradual. The transition will begin with the fencer attending one or two practices/week at the next level. The fencer will then receive a formal invitation to join the more advanced team. Coach Hantov makes team placement decisions.

Coach Hantov would like to have a brief conference with each fencer and his/her parents. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss each fencer’s current skill level and set goals for the year. Coach Hantov will also be able to advise each fencer on which competitions and events they are ready for. Please e-mail Coach Tsanko ( [email protected] ) to set-up a conference time. In addition, Coach Hantov is always available throughout the year to discuss a fencer’s progress, competitions or other matters.

It is strongly recommended that competitive fencers supplement their practices with private lessons each week.

Silver and Gold members : around 25 min lesson time

Bronze Team Members : lesson time 20 min

○ There is a 24 hour cancellation policy for all private lessons, NO SHOW will be charged in full
○ No make up for private lessons, you can reschedule only if you cancel 24 hours before

The Menomonee Club requires an auto-charge system for team payment. Please e-mail the Menomonee Club for any questions about billing. Payment for private lessons should be given directly to Coach Hantov. There is no refund for classes cancelled due to National Holidays, and there is no refund when a fencer misses practice.

Gold and Silver team membership requires full year of membership. Membership payments will be charged ones per month by The Menomonee club, and can be postponed only in case of a physical injure.

During the competition season (October-July), coaches will be traveling to competitions with the competitive fencers. When coaches are gone, classes will be covered by an assistant coach whenever possible. There may be times when no assistant coach is available and missed classes will be rescheduled. Classes will only be rescheduled when absolutely necessary and should be looked at as a part of belonging to a competitive club.

As of today (competitive season 2023/2024), coaching at out-of-town competitions is optional. The club will send coaches to out-of-town tournaments if minimum 6 fencers are confirmed for coaching. Windy City Fencing is not obligated to send coaches to any out-of-town events but will always try to do so for International events, NACs, Junior Olympics, and Summer Nationals. Windy City Fencing is using this format of coaching in order to make it as affordable and as fair as possible for everyone. Priority for coaching at competitions will be based on the following order:

1. International Competitions, as a highly achieved goal for Windy City Fencing fencers and coaches

2. North American Cups (NACs), Junior Olympics, and Summer Nationals

3. SYC (Super Youth Circuit)

4. RYC (Regional Youth Circuit) events

5. Windy City Fencing home competitions

6. Other local competitions.

Head Coach Tsanko will designate the out-of-town events with offered coaching at the beginning of every fencing season. They can be found in each of the monthly newsletters.

During out of town coaching the parents and fencers must understand and agree with the following details below:

– Everyone must act as a team at the tournaments, including fencers, parents, and coaches, and be supportive to every club representative at competitions

– Coaches do try their best to cover pool bouts and direct eliminations for every teammate

– Any club coach going to out-of-town tournaments is qualified to coach any club fencer, even if they may not be your fencer’s private lessons coach

– Coaches may miss some or even most of the pool bouts for a given fencer if in the large format events (NACs, Junior Olympics, Summer Nationals), or if the fencing strips are too far apart

– Coaches may miss a direct elimination bout for a team fencer as a result of coaching a teammate at same time. Coaches always try to do their best to cover everyone. Parents and fencers must understand this can happen to anyone at any time

– Coaches may leave the strip during the fencing bout to go help a teammate who may

Need or can benefit more from coaching as a result of bout situation at that moment. For example, a fencer has a solid lead or no chance of winning the bout with the current opponent. Coaches are experienced enough to make that decision and should be trusted

– A coach is present on the strip during a bout to provide direction and teach fencers to think on their feet, both tactically and strategically. A coach is not there to dictate every action or to finish the bout on a fencer’s behalf.

Every WCF fencer must fence under Windy City Fencing at any in or out of town competitions ,representing the club. No Windy City Fencer should compete in individual or team event under different club ,or organization.Coaching can be done only by WCF coaches ,or may cost club membership suspension. Exceptions can be made only at High School tournaments, where WCF fencers can represent their schools.

In order to keep travel expenses as low as possible, fencers must confirm their attendance at an out-of-state competition 3 weeks ys before the event.

At all competitions except Summer Nationals, the coach’s travel expenses will be divided per fencer. At Summer Nationals all coache’s travel expenses will be divided per event.  Payment is due for expenses 2 weeks before the event.  Ones fencer is confirmed and calculated on a coaching list payment must be submitted and will not be reimbursed.

Coach Tsanko will reimburse everyone if his actual expenses are less than his projected expenses.

During competitions is $50 per each event. If fencing team the coaching fee is $ 50 per each fencer of the team!  Please pay Coach Tsanko  or WCF directly, two weeks before the competition.
Please note: there is NO coaching when 2 fencers from our club are fencing each other.

a. Fencers are expected to have their own equipment after 3 months on the Bronze team or 2 months on the Silver team. Gold team members are expected to have their own equipment. Fencers with their own equipment must bring two working blades to practice.

b. Coach Tsanko has equipment brochures and, if you would like, he can order equipment for you.

c. There is a price repair list at the club. Current armor is coach Sergiy Kravchenko.