Practice for the first week of 2007

Monday - All team practice. Bring your sweat pants if you want new ones.
Tuesday- All team meet against the Sword Club in the Dining Hall.
Wednesday - Squad Practices
Thursday - Squad Practices
Friday - No practice - Meet at 6 in the gym to set up equipment.
Saturday - SPA Invite. Come 30 minutes before your start time and stay until everything is cleaned-up!

MIA

I am missing email addresses from the following fencers.

Stephen
Alec
Robin
Ethan
Abe
Harrison
Floyd
Ted
Etonde
Laura
Ryann
Katie
Catherine
Zuhra


Yes, I know that if I don't have the email address, how are they going to get this email. That is your job! Forward it to them, big them, make them check the blog. Get them to send me their email address! For some I do have their parent's address, but not theirs. They are missing important information!

Thanks!

Jenni

Midwest Information

Below is the information about Midwest this year. I'll have permission slips for you on Monday when we get back. So far some of the teams are set, while others will be determined after the SPA Invitational. If you are on the list below and know that you are definitely NOT going please let me know as soon as possible (like now). We need to know sooner what our numbers are so we can cancel rooms if necessary. If you say you are going to attend and give me the permission slip, you will be charged for the trip even if you don't go.

Team's that are complete: (let me know if you can or can't go as soon as possible)

ME - Alex, Stephen, Zach and Jonathan
MF - Michael, Charlie, Alec and Robin
WS - Catherine, Arshia, Erin and Zurha

Team's to be determined after the 13th.They will be determined on your finish in the SPA Invitational, your practice attendance, effort and coaches discretion.
WE - Betsy, Kenzie, Jennifer, Linnea, Claire and Emma
WF - Etonde, Jee Hyun, Alanna, Grace, Laura, Michaela
MS - Daniel, Ethan, Parker, Abe, Harrison

Midwest High School Fencing Championships 2007

Here is everything you need to know about going to Midwest High School Championships.

The bus will leave SPA at 10:15 am on Friday, February 2nd. This means that you need to be at the parking lot, ready to go at 10 am. You must go to your classes before that time to check in!

We will be leaving to come home immediately after the competition on Saturday night, February 3rd . We could potentially be arriving at SPA as late as 2 or 3 am, Sunday morning. We will have everyone call home when we reach Hudson, WI. Please make sure someone is there to pick you up so we don’t need to stand around in the cold. The school will not be open.

Hotel

The hotel cost will be billed to you through SPA. We will know the exact cost when we know exactly how many people are going. We are staying at the Chicago Marriott Schaumberg, 50 North Martingale Road, Schaumberg, Il, 60173, 847.240.0100. http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/CHISB There will be 2 fencers per room so everyone can have their own bed. That is also why the rooms are more expensive. We are not assigning rooms this year. We have a sign up sheet, so you can pick your roommate. The cost of each room includes a $50 gift card to the Woodfield Mall http://www.shopwoodfield.com/ where we are going to for dinner (both nights we hope) and a free breakfast buffet. You will also get a free in-room movie (censored) – but don’t stay up too late! The idea is to share the gift card with your roommate and use it for dinner at the mall. So your room, dinner and breakfast will all be taken care of before you leave. The phones in the rooms will be turned off. You can use the payphone or cell phone. There is a pool at the hotel.

Food

Bring between $50.00 - $70.00 per fencer. You will need money for 2 lunches and 2 dinners, and snacks. Don’t forget you can use the gift card for dinner. We eat at moderately priced restaurants such as TGIF, Perkins, etc. But the Woodfield Mall has a wide variety of restaurants. You may also pack lunches and bring snacks. It is better to bring too much money for food, than not enough.

Tournament

Bring some high energy foods (powerbars, bagels, fruit, etc.) to eat during the day. There will be some food for sale at the meet. Bring a water bottle to stay hydrated during the day. The most common health problems during a fencing competition result from lack of food and water. Wear SPA sweats to keep warm between bouts. Extra t-shirts are also useful. We will be fencing at Stevenson High School, One Stevenson Drive, Lincolnshire, IL, 60069. http://district125.k12.il.us/ There should be showers – so you can clean up before we leave the school!

Equipment

Don’t forget to bring your mask, jacket, glove, shoes, knickers, long white SPA socks, sweats, lame, blades, underarm protector, etc. We will not have any extra equipment – don’t be the fencer who forgets something important this year! There will most likely also be an equipment vendor there if you wish (need) to purchase any equipment. He accepts most major credit cards and probably checks.

Who Else?

We will be traveling with TCFC. So be ready to make new friends! There will be 1 coach from TCFC, as well as the 3 SPA coaches.

Cell Phone numbers in case of an emergency – Jenni – 651.343.7171 and Bob 651.343.7172.

Expectations

You have shown great drive to practice hard and be responsible for yourself and the team. We expect you to behave with the utmost level of courtesy to everyone. Everyone includes your teammates, other fencers, your coaches, other coaches, restaurant staff, hotel staff and the tournament organizers. We are invited guests to this tournament. Violation of this conduct code may result in anything from restriction to your room, removal from the competition or removal from the team. If there is a problem, let us handle it. We have never had a problem in the past and do not expect to have any problems this year.

Toys

We encourage you to bring silent toys for the bus. Make sure you have your name on anything you bring. Don’t bring anything that you don’t want to lose or have broken. You are the only one responsible for your things.

What to Pack

Your fencing equipment – Mask, jacket, knickers, plastron, glove, long socks, etc. We will not bring any extras.
Socks – Long white socks – they must reach your knee. Wear your cool SPA ones!
Athletic shoes
Warm-Ups – SPA ones (any year)– so we look like a team
Water Bottle
Clothes for Friday and Saturday – Pajama’s , toothbrush, shampoo, teddy bear, blankey, etc.
Toys, books, homework, snacks for the bus ride.
Towel – you will need to shower at Stevenson High School before we go home. I will do a sniff test!
Please try to fit all of your gear in one fencing bag and the stuff for the bus in a (one) backpack.


What NOT to Bring

ANYTHING that you are afraid will get lost or stolen. You are responsible for your own belongings!

Tentative Schedule

2-2-07 10:00 am Meet at SPA, Load Bus and Leave
1:00 pm Stop for Lunch/Snack
5:30 pm Check in to the hotel
6:30 pm Dinner at the Woodfield Mall, Golf Road at Route 53. – See Jenni for a list of nummy restaurants at the mall. Same mall as last year.
11:00 pm Lights Out
2-3-07 6:00 am Rise and Shine!
6:30 am Buffet breakfast at the hotel – make sure you have checked out of your room!
7:00 am Leave hotel
7:30 am Arrive at Stevenson High School
7:30 am Mask Check
7:45 am MF, WE & MS – warm-up
8:30 am Introductions and Announcements
9:00 am MF, WF, ME, & WE pools begin
10:30 am MS & WS - warm up
11:00 am MS & WS pools – this may start earlier
5:30 pm Finish fencing and collect many trophies
6:30 pm Dinner
9:00 pm Leave for SPA
2-4-07 early am Call home from Hudson, WI
early am Return to SPA – Make sure you have a ride home!

If you have any questions or concerns, please call Jenni and Bob at 651.489.4528, our email is spartanfencing@comcast.net

We are looking forward to a fun and rewarding trip,

Jenni, Bob and Bob

FOOD!

Here is a summary of how the food has been set-up for the big meets of the year - SPA Invite and States.
What we have found in the past is that the kids like small amounts of food--a small apple, a banana, a granola bar, a small cookie or brownie, a piece of candy--that they can eat and have a few calories to work with, but nothing to weigh them down for their fencing bouts. They nibble these small amounts throughout the day, usually until mid- to late-afternoon when they have been eliminated from competition. Then they are ready to eat more substantial food and a larger amount.So in planning for food, it's good to have a box or basket of granola bars and Kudo bars, a bowl of apples, several bunches of banana, a crate of clementines, a bowl of candy, containers of cookies (homemade or store-bought), brownies. All of these food options are vegetarian. The kids drop by the food table and grab a little something off and on throughout the morning and afternoon. The fencing bouts run throughout the day, so there is no time when all of the fencers eat together. We have also had coolers of sandwiches. Last year we had 66 sandwiches for about forty fencers. We had 20 vegetarian sandwiches (cheese) and 46 sandwiches with both meat and cheese. We have always avoided ham in the sandwiches which makes it easier for the Jewish and Muslim fencers. Last year we had two cheese sandwiches left at the end of the day, but could have used more meat sandwiches. Cream cheese-on-bagel-sandwiches would also be a good option--but have the sandwiches ready-made. We discovered that fencers don't take the time to make sandwiches at a tournament. We have wrapped, ready-made sandwiches in transparent plastic wrap so fencers can see what kind of sandwiches they are getting. We also have put meat and vegetarian sandwiches in separate coolers, clearly labeled, so there would be no confusion.Parents have banded together to provide these foods: one family brings apples and clementines, another family bring bananas and granola bars, a parent would bring her famous chocolate chip cookie bars, another parent would bring brownies without nuts because her fencer was allergic to peanuts, someone else would bring candy, another family would organize the sandwiches in coolers so they can be available all day as fencers need them. You shouldn't feel like you should be responsible for all of the food for the whole team for the whole day. That is WAY too much to expect. This should be a group effort with many families participating.As far as beverages, the kids are expected to each bring a water bottle, but those quickly run out with the level of fencer activity. So parents have provided lots of bottled beverages: bottled water and individual bottles of Powerade/Gatororade have been popular in the past. Last year the Zheng family brought 3 cases of bottled water and 3 cases of Gatorade to the state tournament at Blake. Fencers don't drink carbonated beverages at these tournaments because they are so physically active it doesn't work well for them.There are 45 fencers on the team this year. All of them are expected to be at the all-day tournaments in order to letter. There will be a few exceptions, of course. As the tournament dates approach the coaches will know how many are actually registered to fence for SPA at any given tournament.In the past we have set up a pair of card tables or one 6- or 8-foot table to put all of the food on and around. We also have discovered we need to provide places to put our garbage. Old grocery bags have proven useful in this role. The SPA team food table has a sign and is located in the area where SPA fencers stow their gear. We bring folding chairs--because sometimes they are not available at the tournament facility--and watch our fencers, socialize, and provide a level of security for SPA fencers' gear. (Yes, it has been a problem in the past.) Parents rotate sitting at the SPA food table with watching their fencers, trading off as needed.

URGENT - Sweats recall

Dear Fencers,

I know many of you are probably unhappy about the fencing sweatpants. I know I am! Guys- if you check the label they are all women's (Just for Her) pants! I tried mine on and the crotch was around the knee. Jenni said hers did not fit so well either. I have been in touch with the person we bought them from. If you want them exchanged or refunded (if he won't fix it, we will return them and go somewhere else). We will collect them on Monday after break. Remember Monday after break is a whole team practice! Because Tuesday is our first meet! We will send a reminder toward the end of break to remind you. Please do not wash them, wear them, or spill anything on them. If you are at another SPA function on the Monday, make sure that you have given your sweats to another team member. We are dropping them off after practice.

Happy Holidays!

Those that get (and read) the email or check the blog please - pass the word to the others!

Bob

Change of Date for the TCFC Meet

Please change the TCFC Meet to February 21st. Everything else about the meet will stay the same.

No Practice this Week

Study hard - There is no practice this week as was stated on the schedule handed out and posted on the blog at the beginning of the season. Enjoy!

Attendance

Dear Team,

We have received a lot of requests from fencers to be absent from practices for various reasons. We have been forced by circumstances to review our enforcement of the attendance policy. We want to be understanding of the academic commitment our fencers are held to but at the same time they have made a commitment to the team. We do not want anyone to quit fencing over this, we just want to make the policy clear so no one is surprised when they don't letter. This really only applies to the 9-12th graders (unless they are starters for a squad). The letter of the law states you may not miss any practices without it being excused beforehand except in the case of illness (that means absent from school due to illness). If you ask we will still say "Yes, you are excused, but remember you may not letter."

Please remember to email us of you are going to be gone from a practice. We cannot keep up with people telling us at practice that someone else is gone so we will not accept excuses that you send via a teammate. You need to email or call us. If you are already missing a practice for another SPA activity, please don't ask us to excuse you from fencing for another day, we will have to say no. Everyone has 1 day off for other school activities and homework, we tried hard to fit the day off into your schedule, if it does not fit you can swap it with another day that your weapon is practicing if you let us know.

By joining fencing you have made a commitment to the team. Your attendance affects the others on the team, not just you. There have been several times that fencers have shown up to practice on their practice days and most of the other squad members have been absent. This unfairly affects their practice. Many of the absences were approved by coaches without us considering the overall affect.

Therefore in January 2007, we will not approve extra days off, if you choose not to come you have chosen not to letter. Obviously in the case of illness and absence from school or an emergency it will be excused. Homework is not an emergency when you ask every week! If you miss a meet, for any reason including Math or Science meets, (except for illness and absence from school) you will not letter. (We are working to move the TCFC meet so that it does not conflict with JO's).

You are also expected to be at the SPA Invitational Set Up night on January 12th at 6:00 pm, we should be done by 8:00 pm. For the SPA Invitational you should be at SPA 30-15 minutes before your close of registration time and then you will need to stay the entire day take down all of the equipment at the end of the day. I am hoping we are done by 6:00 pm. There is no practice on the 12th so take that time to get some of your homework done!

We don't want to be mean or harsh. If special events come up and your attendance at practices and meets is otherwise excellent you will most likely still letter. But those who are missing an extra practice a week will be affected.

Bob and Jenni

Snack Schedule

Here is the treat schedule for the season. Thanks to everyone who has generously signed up! There are some empty spaces at the end of the season if you forgot to sign up at Parent's Day. There are about 45 fencers on the team.

1-9 MN Sword Club @ SPA 4:00
Drinks: Ethan Chun
Drinks: Lutz's
Snack: Oliver Cass
Snack: Janet Cass

1-12 SPA Invitational Set-Up 6:00
Logan's and Zheng's

1-13 SPA Invitational All Day - You will need to stay all day to cheer for your team and help clean-up after the meet.
Logan's are coordinating the food table.

1-20 Blake Team Meet - Men at 8 am and Women at Noon
Drinks: Sandozi's
Drinks: Wald's
Snack: Sandozi's
Snack: Jeff Cook

1-23 Shattuck @ SPA 5:00
Drinks: Mona Dougherty
Drinks: Deb Weiss
Snack: Kim's
Snack: Nordin's

1-31 Blake @ SPA 6:00
Drinks: Sirc's
Drinks: Jennifer Fischer
Snack: Jeanne Herzog
Snack: McFall's

2-8 Roseville @ Roseville 4:00
Drinks:
Drinks:
Snack: Logan's
Snack:

Dinner at the Dougherty's after the meet

2-21 TCFC @ TCFC 4:00
Drinks: Lutz's
Drinks:
Snack:
Snack:

2-22 Sword Play @ Sword Play 4:00
Drinks:
Drinks:
Snack: Margaret Hartman
Snack:


Thanks again for your support!

Sign Up for the SPA Invitational

First 10 to sign up for the SPA Invitational will get a reward. You all have to register for the meet, so you should just get it done. Go to www.mnhsfencing.com, click on Home, click on pre-registration and fill in the blanks. Go to it!

As you can Murphy is all set to go! Though I didn't know he fenced foil until now...

--------------- Form Response ---------------
>
> 01 - Registering for = SPA Invitational, States
> 02 - First Name = Murphy
> 03 - Last Name = Blat
> 04 - School or Club Fencing For = SPA
> 05 - School you attend = PetSmart
> 06 - Grade = 7
> 07 - Hometown = Roseville
> 08 - Event = Men's Foil
> 09 - Rating Enter Letter and Year (if you don't know enter U) = A06
> 10 - Email address for confirmation = rjsblat@comcast.net

Pictures from last Friday

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Dining Hall

Practice today is in the Dining Hall. We will be fencing electrically today so make sure you have all of your gear!

Looking for a few brave parents!

We usually have a concession stand at the SPA Invite on January 13th. Margaret Hartman has run the stand in the past, but she will be out of town that weekend with Grace at a National fencing tournament. We (the team and coaches) are looking for a few/bunch of parents to organize the concessions and run the stand the day of the meet. The proceeds go towards equipment for the team, basically the profit goes to us and we spend the money on the team - it gets too confusing if it goes through the school. Let me know if you are interested. Margaret is available to lend her expertise prior to the meet.

We'll also need parents to "man" and stock our own SPA food table. More to come later this week.

Add this to your calendars!

The meet against Roseville is on February 8th at 4. We'll leave SPA at 3:15. After the meet we are all invited over to the Dougherty's house for dinner. Be there or be square!

Absences

If you are going to be absent, you must send us an email to let us know what is going on. DO NOT tell your friend to tell us. Be responsible for you and let us know. If you're sick, email us when you get better. We had a lot of people today giving us excuses for others, that is not how it works. You need to email us or else it will count as an unexcused absence or we'll come and blast you. (Sorry to be so harsh, but I'm getting frustrated) Have a great weekend! I'll post some pictures to the blog tomorrow.