Thanks Seven Dad. The previous thread was so good that I actually took notes, but now to have it all condensed is fantastic! I found the “recruitment timing” discussions extremely helpful. See you soon!
Over a thousand views since posting and nobody has questions? 
Well, I have one:
- When filling out the NCAA Clearinghouse forms online, there is a section about clubs practiced with/played for. Should this simply reflect the data on record with USA Fencing? Or do we need to list any club that the fencer has attended an open bouting or even a practice/lesson at?
- Also, when it asks about fees in this section...are they talking about lesson fees? Membership fees? Strip coaching fees? All of the above? None of the above?
@SevenDad I agree that the Eligibility Center questions are ultra-confusing for smaller club-based sports like fencing or crew. I think they are really designed around looking for issues in money-sports like football and basketball. My DD just listed her home club, not casual club relationships. I don’t recall the actual question wording in the fees section but I expect she included average monthly membership and lessons, but not strip coaching at NACs etc.
I think in fencing you don’t need to sweat the answers to these questions too much. Unless, of course, you are a professional model like Race Imboden, then the NCAA gets uppity.
So a coach is supporting my application at a very selective school. Like I have a recruiting spot. But I’m trying to write my essay for the common application and I’m stuck. I wrote a decent essay about fencing, but I read and heard that you should write you common app about something other than sports. Does anyone know if it’s is a bad idea to write about fencing in my essay since I am being recruited for fencing? Or should I write about something else?
@nic123: I’ve read that sports essays are trite and should mostly be avoided…because they generally mine common themes: like “I worked hard to come back from a set back and triumphed” or “I worked hard but ultimately failed, but learned key life lessons”.
Additionally, I’d think that a lot of your app is already going to reflect how big sports are in your life…so why not use the essay to show another side? That’s my 2¢.
I’m curious to hear what sherpa, superdomestique, and BrooklynRye (and any other parents who have been through the process) will have to say on this matter…
This thread is terrific @SevenDad ! Thank you. @nic123 Yes, sports essays are trite and common and offer more of the same of what you have already presented in your ap. Operate under the assumption that you may not have support of a coach. You have presented your best academic self and your fencing accomplishments - now what else makes you tick? How do you think? what will you give back to your college community? what will you get out of it? What if you break your leg tomorrow and can’t fence? What if this specific school falls through for one reason or another. Think of your essay as an opportunity to convey something that isn’t obvious from your application. Sometimes the most mundane things can really spring to life in your essay, tell us more. Best to you in your application process.
@stencils - LOL at the Race reference
@nic123 - Yes, it’s a bad idea. Not a horrible idea, meaning probably not a deal killer, but definitely not the best thing to do.
We were told by the college coach recruiting him (don’t make your application essays about fencing) and the college counselor at our school (write about anything but fencing) that the application should be used to broaden the admissions committee appreciation of the acceptability of our son. We were also told the essays better be pretty good.
Ironically we (as parents) never got to read our son’s essays as he chose to exhibit a never before seen level of independence as en entered his senior year.
While this added to the stress of the period, our only requirement was that he submit the completed application at the earliest date, September 15th, which is the deadline to be eligible for the first wave of LLs (sent on October 1st)…
The NCAA eligibility guidelines are increasingly ‘fluid.’ My understanding is that in the Race Imboden case he was deemed to have forfeited his eligibility not because he modeled professionally but because he did so in his fencing gear with his face showing, as “Race Imboden.”
My son was offered participation in a commercial for a major sports retailer. He was to play “the fencer” in the commercial. In clearing this with the NCAA, the parameters were that he could not be identified by name and that his face could not be visible. Basically, even if he appeared in his fencing uniform, as long as he was not clearly identifiable, his participation would not run afoul of NCAA rules.
In the course of running various fencing clinics/camps, restrictions have included no use of my son’s picture, compensation commensurate with all other coaches participating in the camp, and the inclusion of other coaches and camp personnel in all advertising. Lots of hoops and lots of back and forth with NCAA Compliance.
However, in what IMHO is a blatant slap in the face to all amateur athletes attempting to toe the NCAA line, when female baseball pitcher Mo’ne Davis was paid for appearing in a Chevy commercial, directed by Spike Lee no less, the NCAA issued the following statement: “Mo’ne Davis may be paid for appearing in the Chevy commercial without impacting her NCAA eligibility.”
While there were all manner of rationales for this ‘exception’ including empowering women athletes and recognizing that there are niche sports where funding is hard to come by, none of these rationales achieve escape velocity from what is on its face a clear violation of NCAA rules when it comes to commercial endorsements and advertising.
There are other, more recent and more apples to apples examples of such exceptions in conjunction with the Rio Olympics. Personally, I think the NCAA should scrap such rules when applied to niche sports. The rules were just simply not intended to apply to sports such as fencing, squash or curling…
Absolutely agree. I saw that Muhammad Ali’s grandson was just signed with a model/commercial agency and the media were saying that because he was signed before college, it was okay with the NCAA. I tried to get a little more info on it but no luck. And realistically, for fencing, any monies earned would probably only contribute to “reasonable expenses” of the sport anyway. You would think they could come up with a “non-earning sport” solution at the NCAA.
I was just checking back to see if there was any new comments on the thread and I realized that I had probably gone a bit off topic. SevenDad, have you run across any NCAA threads that you found helpful?
@chelsea465 - Is there any particular information you are looking for or question you have regarding NCAA? Several of us have gone through the recruitment process and it’s accompanying NCAA-related tasks. Feel free to put it out here if you wish.
FYI, the 2016-17 rosters for the top college teams are starting to be published.
The potential recruits for the Class of 2021 may find this information helpful in determining the actual weapon/gender needs of the teams they hope to be recruited by.
I heard that likely letters are given out in different waves. Do most people get one on October 1 and if they don’t when else can they get one?
Hi @BigBox23 - Likely letters are released in intervals primarily related to full completion of the early decision/action application process. Generally, they come out in October-November. Some of my son’s peers received theirs in October. He received his in mid-November.
LLs are issued in waves with the first wave beginning October 1st (which is the earliest a LL can be issued as mandated by the Ivy League).
To receive an Oct 1st LL, the applicant must submit a complete application by September 15th. This means getting the essays, recommendations, scores, etc. done just as senior year begins.
After the initial Oct 1st date LLs are issued every two weeks for the rest of the year.
In fencing, I think LLs are generally issued in conjunction with an Early Action/Decision application, but I am told in other sports the LL are used with both Early and RD applications.
It is worth noting that while highly-recruited athletes may receive multiple LL offers, it is proper form only to accept one. While this may seem obvious, it takes only one exception to screw up the whole universe.
Short notice, but for those fencers/parents in the NYC-area, there is a symposium on College Fencing at Fencers Club on Friday night. Coaches from NYU, Columbia, Princeton, U Penn, and Harvard have been invited to speak.
Info and registration form here:
http://fencersclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/2016_College_Symposium_Registration_1.pdf
@SevenDad - Early, PM responses to your post have a common question regarding NCAA rules of attendance at a meeting such as this by current high school sophomores and juniors. Are they able to attend? Are there restrictions on their participation, e.g., can they talk to the coaches? Note that the fine print on the registration form says “According to NCAA rules, questions from high school seniors and their parents only.”
@BrooklynRye: It is my understanding that all high school students are welcome, but that only seniors/their families can ask questions directly during the panel discussion. However, when we attended the event last year, it looked like some parents (oh fencing parents!) of non-seniors did funnel a question or two though a senior.
After the panel discussion (which we found fairly helpful…in part to hear how different schools handle things differently), there seemed to be some interactions between students/parents/coaches…but it mostly looked like simple introductions/exchange of pleasantries.
I’d encourage attendance for students/parents who are just getting started in the process…but as more of an info session/introduction to the coaches. A junior or and as of yet un-recruited senior might even use the event as a springboard for future correspondence/communication…an “I attended the FC College Fencing Symposium last week, and really appreciated your insight on SchoolX’s program, and wanted to introduce myself and ask a question…” type email.
I attended this event a few years ago and found it very useful.