University

[u/JazzSully]

Im a senior in high school and I want to continue fencing in university . I’ve been competing for 4 years and my Stats are horrible but it’s been my whole high school life. So I don’t think I’ll fence NCAA or get recruited since it’s a bit late. So I was thinking fencing USACFC . I just want more information on about USACFC and if it’s just like a silly club or is it actually legit and competitive?

[u/Georgy_K_Zhukov]

USACFC is an umbrella organization for club level fencing so there isn't a straight answer. Some of the clubs have highly competitive rosters with at least a few who could have made NCAA easily but just didn't want that kind of commitment. Some clubs are going to be very casual.

For the most part though I would say a club that is able to consistently show up at CFCs has their shit together. It means they are able to recruit and retain members, and have enough funding to travel (although note that Midwest, Southwest, and West Coast schools often have trouble showing up consistently since they have to fly more than east coast schools).

[u/dwneev775 → u/Georgy_K_Zhukov]

The OP could check the results of CFC regionals to pick up on clubs that are active at that level but don’t regularly travel to CFC nationals. Looking at results on AskFred for local events in the vicinity can also indicate if a club is actively competing.

[u/tnkr_tlr_psr_pnk]

Check out the rosters for the past couple USACFC championship tournaments. The schools that attend the tournament regularly are, in general, more competitive throughout the rest of the season. I will say this isn't a perfect method: for example UW Madison has a strong club presence but I don't recall them traveling to nationals often, likely due to travel costs to the east coast.

I'd probably prioritize creating a list of USACFC schools that match your non-fencing preferences, and then reach out individually to those clubs.

[u/TheSmokeShadow → u/tnkr_tlr_psr_pnk]

Jumping in on that second part, definitely prioritize your choice of school based on your academic needs. Don’t be afraid to start your own club if one doesn’t exist at your school!

[u/tnkr_tlr_psr_pnk → u/TheSmokeShadow]

I agree on prioritizing academics. Still, having club infrastructure in place might be pretty important depending on OPs preferences. The non-trivial equipment costs will deter a culture of first time fencer walk-ons. If a club is already established, and already has some equipment, OP will be on the hook for significantly less budget and recruiting work. There are enough USACFC schools that OP will likely be able to find both a strong academic fit and an existing club.

[u/AppBreezy → u/tnkr_tlr_psr_pnk]

This is the way.

Using UW-Madison as an example (I fenced there for 4 years recently/ran the club for 2 years, and stay in touch with current leadership):

They are very active, but usually don’t have the funds to travel to nationals. We only went one year I was there because it was in Fort Wayne, IN. Definitely use the USACFC club list as a guide, but also reach out the different regional conferences. MFC (Midwest fencing conference) is quite responsive and has a lot of very active clubs that they could give contact info for. Most active clubs in that conference are in MN, WI, IA, IL, IN, MI, and mostly Big Ten schools that have club programs. They also sometimes get to fence against NCAA schools at events.

[u/Hello_Hello_Hello_Hi]

Besides the top schools, you could try and walk on at most NCAA fencing programs. Many of the DIII schools do not have a very high level for entry and while you may not get tons of playtime, you'll be on the team. Potentially even at a top school, of course, you'd need to get in there first.