Left and bottom left:
Two sabre fencers at this year’s
National Championships held
at the English Institute of Sport
in Sheffield
Right: Ed Jeffries (left) compet-
N
ing at the 2008 Eden Cup
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Below: A taster session at the
M M
A
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National Championships
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CASE STUDY: Samworth Church Academy, Mansfield
In one academic year (2008/09) and with help from the BFA and England Fenc-
ing, the newly-established Samworth Church Academy in Mansfield has found
fencing to be a popular addition to its activities. The school made a substantial
investment in equipment and employs a coach one day a week to offer fencing
programmes for pupils in years 10 and 11 (as a GCSE PE module).
School staff and sixth form pupils can also get involved and local primary
schools send classes to the academy to participate in five or six week mini-
courses each half of a term. A lunchtime club for year seven pupils has been
added, as well as an after school club which is open to all age groups.
Samworth has also found success when competing in school mini-fence
tournaments and intra school competitions. Simon Fletcher, who counts head
of sport among his school responsibilities, is upbeat and enthusiastic: “Given
our catchment area, our students would never have had exposure to fencing.
The sport’s presence in our school is now part of an important strategy to make
a difference both in the school and in the wider community.”
On the back of this, Fletcher hopes to provide something new in Mansfield;
he wants to start a fencing community club for pupils and parents.
fencing presents a television-friendly the overall development strategy to- that a regional school-based event can
spectacle with video-assisted refereeing, wards 2020 and beyond – recognising take place in just two hours.
precise timetables for bouts and superb the London Olympics as a springboard The enthusiasm generated at key stag-
event presentation. rather than an end in itself. es one and two in primary education can
After his election to BFA president in be built upon at secondary key stage
2000, Keith Smith has overhauled the Sustainable Pathway for Kids three with the introduction of standard
infrastructure of the national governing With the 2012 London Olympic Games metal equipment, at which point either
body (NGB) by creating a manage- in sight, the five-hour weekly activity local clubs or coaches provide the kit, or
ment group that is answerable to the target in English state education (two the schools or local authority fund the
BFA board. During this restructure, the curriculum hours matched by three purchase. One such example is Fence
responsibilities of the BFA and the four hours out of school), has meant that the Cornwall – a project started by a small
home countries were also clearly defined School Sports Partnerships (SSP) have group of enthusiasts who took taster
and delineated. needed the co-operation of a wide programmes to the county secondary
The retirement of the BFA general sec- range of sporting bodies and fencing is schools. This project resulted in thriv-
retary, Gillian Kenneally, 15 months ago well suited to this initiative. ing after-school clubs across the county,
provided an opportunity to change the The sport has developed a sustainable together with a significant increase in
management emphasis and Piers Mar- pathway strategy using the mini-fencing participation among all age groups.
tin was appointed to the newly-created foam or plastic swords and masks as a Historically, schools have been an
post of chief executive officer. The ap- simple low-cost introduction for primary important introductory vehicle for the
pointment of Ben Campion as national school participants aged seven and eight. sport and high performers have been
development manager in July this year In collaboration with the Youth Sports catered for by age-group champion-
has completed the NGB’s reorganisation. Trust, the BFA and England Fencing has ships with categories for the under-12s,
While the elite group of fencers on produced a national framework and 14s, 16s and 18s with entry to the finals
the 2012 Olympic Pathway programme plan for school competition. through regional competitions. These
are overseen by Graham Watts, the BFA Following work with competition and are the British Youth Championships and
performance director, Piers Martin has development managers, fencing compe- run parallel to the cadet (under 17s) and
addressed the essential task of designing tition formats have now been trialed so junior (under 20s) events.
Issue 4 2009 © cybertrek 2009 Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital 23
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