(PART I: http://timmorehouse.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/the-way-forward-for-usa-fencing-part-i/)
Hi Friends,
Here is part 2 of my thoughts, questions and ideas about the future of our sport. This post is more of a quest for understanding and also bit of insight into how i think about things.
My question is, what are the distinct constituency groups in US fencing that require specific attention, resources, information etc. ?
In my mind, this is a very important question to understand. We have a ton of great pieces that make up fencing in the USA. A philosophy that I try to follow is to understand how all the pieces of a whole work both on their own as well as in concert with the other parts of a whole. I want to know what the right support looks like for each part, what each part contributes and how each can work best with the other portions of the whole to create something that together is greater than the sum of its individual parts.
So, for me is understanding what are the pieces that are “out there” in USA Fencing is critical to my thought process. Here is my list (not ordered for priority)
- Club Owners
- School Fencing Programs (elementary/middle and high school)
- NCAA Fencing Programs
-NCAA Club programs
- Youth Fencing (U-14)
- Youth Teams (Cadet and Jr.)
- Olympic and Senior National Team Programs
- Non-profit fencing programs (Peter Westbrook Foundation, En Garde in Detriot etc)
- Recreational fencers
- Veteran Fencers
- Olympic Alumni
- Parents of fencers
- Equipment vendors and manufacturers
- Paralympic fencing
- Coaches
- Referees
- Fencing for fitness People
-Fencing Fans
-Financial donors to fencing
Would you say this list is complete and and am I missing anything?
Bonus question, what are the external groups that fencing should keep in mind?
- US Olympic Committee
-Corporate Sponsors
-Fencing Fans
-NBC and other Sports Channels
-IOC
-Media
-Charitable organizations looking for support
-Schools (college and high schools etc) without fencing teams or clubs
-Financial donors not currently giving to fencing
-FIE (Thanks to Dave for pointing out that I missed the obvious!)
Am I missing anything?
Obviously, the next question is then: how do you support each of these things properly?
To Be Continued…
