I’ve been fencing for just over two years now and I really want to continue in college. Problem is: I’m trained in classical fencing and the club I’m a part of doesn’t compete, meaning I have no national rank. Can I still be recruited? (fyi: I’m trained in foil, and am looking at teams like NYU- definitely nothing Ivy League).
Think about your question this way…what if the sport was basketball or football? Would two years of basketball…and admittedly not at the most competitive level, make you a recruitable prospect? Probably not, unless you had incredible physical gifts/potential.
I’m not trying to crush your dreams, but with no sport (meaning electronically scored Olympic style) fencing experience, you probably won’t be that attractive to college coaches who are trying to build competitive rosters. At least not at schools with traditionally strong fencing programs.
I don’t know what year of HS you are, but if you are still a Freshman or Sophomore, there is still time to try your hand at USA Fencing-sanctioned events. If you have talent and work hard, you could get get a national ranking/rating in the time you have left. If you are a Junior, it’s a lot less likely due to the time you have left/the window when coaches make their recruiting decisions.
FWIW, NYU currently has a pretty strong foil squad, especially on the men’s side.
If you haven’t read through this thread yet, you probably should:
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/athletic-recruits/1902048-the-only-college-fencing-recruiting-thread-you-need-to-read.html#latest
Good luck with your search/application process.
Thanks for replying! I think I’m more interested in joining a fencing club, especially since I looked at all the great info you provided.
There are lots of colleges with clubs. They even have a championship.
Here’s a link to the national org site:
http://www.usacfc.org/about-usacfc