Woody Cavenaugh

So Saturday we cruise down to Charlotte for a Regional Youth Circuit Event. The competitors run in ages from 8-14. Typically these events draw about a hundred kids with a parent or two each, possibly some siblings, occasionally some extended family and for the group usually a coach. An RYC involves a BUNCH of people so they require very large spaces you would want at least six strips for the fencing and that much space again for the hords of parents, video cameras and support staff. 12 hours before the start of this event an email goes out that says that the space for the RYC fell through and they are having to move the event to a local fencing club. So the email said three things:
1. The organizer of the event didn't do a good job.
2. The new space is going to be way to small.
3. Many families won't come, those that do come will:
a. Get to the wrong space and never find the right space
b. Get to the wrong space, but manage to find the right space angry.
c. Manage to get the email in time but arrive angry.

So we showed up to a double garage in an industrial park which is where the event was held. It was a terrific place to have a club, a single coach could teach a class of eight to ten with no problems at all. This is NOT a place you can have a tournament of any size. The RYC would count in this. But everyone there recognized that poor planning was to blame and those that stayed put their best foot forward in a really positive way. Even when to my complete bewilderment the organizer who dropped the ball announced that the event was a complete perfect success and he would try to host another one in a space the same size next year. The organizer is obviously out of his mind.

But enough complaning. (Though it had to be done.) On Saturday we had three coaches and fielded seven fencers in eleven events. At the end of the day we brought home eleven medals. Who could ask for anything more! :) Sunday we were slated to have three fencers and one coach. I fully expect to hear later this morning that we brought home three additional medals. Our kids rock. I would say more but it wouldn't be proper to talk about my students in too much detail here, plus I think the design of the Greensboro Fencing .com website website is getting stale. I am inspired to webdesign.