Fencing
Camp Description |
The Notre Dame Fencing Camp is designed to provide campers with competitive fencing instruction and bouting experiences, while being committed to the personal development of each camper. The typical daily schedule includes three practice sessions. Individual lessons, drills, informative lectures, and bouting will be featured during the camp week. A great camper to coach ratio provides detailed instruction to each fencer while helping foster a fun atmosphere to improve your fencing skills.
Camp Items |
- Group and individual lessons and drills to enhance fencing skills.
- Introduction and enforment of tactical concepts, strategies, and scoring equipment.
- Multiple opportunities to work on footwork, bouting, and conditioning, while improving confidence and interpersonal skills.
- Fencers will need to provide all their own equipment, including electronic equipment.
- All fencing practice & instruction sessions are open to parents to watch.
Camp Coaches
Janusz Bednarski, Head Coach/Director/Sabre Coach
Janusz Bednarski, the former Polish Olympic-level coach, with eleven medals of his team fencers in Olympic Games and World Championships, enters his seventh year as Notre Dame fencing Head Coach. He has guided the Irish to two NCAA Championship titles (2003 and 2005) and a second-place finish in 2008. He also has served as the coach for the best all-around collection of sabre talent in all of college fencing. Currently an elected member of the NCAA National Committee and chair of the NCAA Midwest Regional Committee, Bednarski has been also a member of many advisory panels for the U.S. Fencing Association, the U. S. Olympic Committee and the U.S. Fencing Coaches Association. He has a master degree in economics from SGPiS Warsaw, Poland and coach diploma from postgraduate studies from the Academy of Physical Education in Warsaw, Poland. He will work with sabre group to give them high quality technical training and directions for the future growth.
Gia Kvartskhelia, Foil Coach
Gia Kvartskhelia enters his third year of coaching at Notre Dame. In this short time, he already has made a tremendous impact at Irish, qualifying the maximum four foilists for the 2007 and 2008 NCAA Championships, producing seven All-Americans and building up top country foil group at the Notre Dame. Prior to his appointment at the Notre Dame, Kvartskhelia spent 10 years as a coach of the Kanza Fencing Club in Salinas, Kansas, which he transformed from a small recreational club to one of the nation’s top foil centers. He was also named the 2002 USFA national development coach of the year. He is a former member of the Georgian National Foil Team (1990-94) and medalist of the Soviet Junior Championships in 1990.He received his bachelor degree in physical education 1993 from the Georgian State Physical Training Institute and also a sport journalism certificate.He also pursued graduate studies at Tbilisi State University in 1993 prior coming to the United States. One of the best foil coaches in USA who will help you to improve quality of your fencing and will give you directions of progress in foil fencing.
Marek Stepien, Epee Coach
Marek Stepien, epee specialist, spent 10 years as highly-regarded coach in London area coaching top British clubs and British fencers including team from prestigious Cambridge University before he joined Notre Dame in 2007. He also is a former Olympic fencer with Poland’s national team, twice Polish National Champion (1989, 90) and winner or finalist of the few World Cup tournaments. He was also accomplished competitor in modern pentathlon (swimming, running, shooting, fencing, horseback riding), member of the Polish National Modern Pentathlon Team for the World Championships in 1984. In years 1991-1997, Stepien graduated with master’s degree and coach diploma from Academy of Physical Education and Rehabilitation in Warsaw, Poland in 1992 and received many postgraduate certificates from Warsaw University and from the Academy of Physical Education and Rehabilitation in Warsaw. One of the best and most experienced epee and cross-training coaches available in USA can help you to build stamina and high class effective epee fencing actions.
Sample Daily Schedule |
Day 1
Mid Afternoon Check-in at Fencing Office, Gate 4 Joyce Center
5:00pm Orientation Activities
5:30pm Dinner
7:00pm Fencing Instruction/Evening Program
10:30pm Lights Out
Days 2-6
7:30am Wake Up
8:15am Breakfast
9:30am Fencing Practice/Instruction
12:30pm Lunch
2:00pm Fencing Practice/Instruction
5:30pm Dinner
7:00pm Evening Activity/Program
10:30pm Bed Check/Lights-Out
Day 7
7:30am Wake Up
8:15am Breakfast
9:30am Final Fencing Practice/Instruction/Camp Wrap-Up
11:00am (Tentative) Camp Concludes