First the Olympic Games, then the Paralympic Games. Today there’s a new opening ceremony in Beijing kicking off the first event of its kind. The First Annual World Mind Sports Games begin today. Featuring the world’s most popular strategy games, Bridge, Chess, Go, Checkers (Draughts), and Xiangqi (Chinese Chess), the idea first gained popularity in the 1990s when the Bridge and Chess associations petitioned the IOC to be included in the Olympics.
This weekend I attended the Harry Rulnick Open Epee tournament in Fayetteville, NC, put on by All-American Fencing Academy.
When the alarm rings at 5 a.m. on tournament day, do you ever roll over and think, “I do not want to go and fence today.” I think I do every single time. In fact, this feeling frequently stays with me in the car on the way to the tournament and all the way until my pool starts. I’m grumpy, I’m nervous. I don’t really want to talk to anybody. It’s only when the fencing begins that my day starts to change…
Fencing well is intoxicating. Notice I didn’t say winning. I mean fencing well. Like when your opponent launches this complex attack and just when it looks like you have no hope of escaping, you land this beautiful hand shot out of nowhere and the onlookers just go, “Ooooo!” I know by talking to other athletes that this feeling isn’t limited to fencing. But I honestly don’t know of a better group of people to hang out with. I finished the tournament a respectable 5th out of 17, one place shy of renewing my rating but there’s plenty of time for that.
The tournament itself was well-run, started pretty much on time and finished by 1:30. Directing was highly professional. Their location, shared with a dance studio, fit three strips comfortably (they use four for practice) with a large area to the side for gear and seating. The industrial-era building though rustic, lacked air conditioning but it was comfortable enough in October with numerous fans blowing from the ceiling and floor. As with many downtown locations, parking could be an issue during the week but it was no problem on a Saturday and I didn’t get towed or ticketed from my “2-hour limit” parking lot. But the coolest part was the giant bag of swag that was given to the top 8 places. Top eight!!
All-American is rather unusual among fencing clubs in that it regularly has sponsors for its tournaments. For first through third places, winners received embossed dog tags in place of medals (in tribute to its military heritage). First and second place also got framed plaques commemorating the event, with an MRE to first place. I must say, it’s a refreshing change from the standby medals and trophies.
Unfortunately, my next tournament will have to wait until after the holidays. I’m mostly relegated to one fencing-related weekend per month due to family and other obligations. Next up is a weekend epee clinic, then a fencing demonstration. After those are out of the way, I need to reschedule my director’s exam. Perhaps I’ll have more time to think about actually fencing in 2009. How do other people with families stay competitive? No worries. In a couple of years my kid will either be fencing or tagging along! That is, unless I have to give up fencing for the soccer sidelines…LOL!
Need a cheap, easy club website? Consider a free blogging service…creating a website has never been this simple!
Let’s face it, most fencing clubs are not gigantic institutions with barrels of cash. Members (and volunteers) come and go, students graduate, and many a website has been started and abandoned. There is hope!
First, why have a club website?
Why use a blog format?
Do I need a custom domain? No, but a memorable name will make your site easier to find. The cost is around $10 per year from sites like GoDaddy and Network Solutions. You do NOT need to buy additional services to get the domain name. The name can then be rerouted to your free site. You will be billed annually by the service, and the name can be transferred any time to other services or put in someone elses’ name. And make sure you check “automatic renewal” so you don’t forget and lose your name!
I direct you now to the site for my own club, Salle New Bern (currently on Blogger), for an example. (The fancy header and snazzy t-shirt design courtesy of yours truly!) Another, more flexible service is Wordpress, available as both a free hosted site and a downloadable software to host on your own domain. There are many more free blogging services out there as well, so you don’t need to limit yourselves to these two.
Other do’s and don’ts:
In today’s world, a website is really a must-have marketing and information tool for any business or organization. I’ll keep this article updated as I think of new things. Leave your own suggestions in the comments!
Slightly off topic today, but I’ll bet there are plenty of you out there who have friends or loved ones in the military. We’re talking about care packages. Gone are the days when the most needed items were personal hygiene and candy. Most deployed military, even in areas like Iraq or Afghanistan, have ready access to exchange facilities*, which stock items commonly found in convenience stores like Oreo cookies, Doritos, soda, and sweets. Shower facilities are commonplace as well, so once-common items like baby wipes aren’t necessary. Instead, you’ll have to do a little more thinking. Being deployed to these areas still isn’t like being at home, so a touch of home or something harder to get will go a long way to relieve boredom.
Some items I like to send:
Don’t send:
Next, let’s consider the packaging itself. The USPS flat-rate box may save money, but for bigger packages, use only corrugated cardboard boxes, not thin paper boxes. Labeled boxes can easily be re-used by turning it inside out: Break the glue holding the flaps and side of the box together, then tape with heavy packing or strapping tape. Use crumpled newspaper or plastic grocery bags for packing materials, completely filling the gaps so that you can shake the box and the items won’t move around. Waterproof vulnerable items by putting them in Ziploc or plastic grocery bags. Once the box is completely packed, seal all seams of the box with clear packing tape (a tape gun works great for this). Put two more strips of tape completely encircling the box perpendicular to the center seam. Put the last strip of tape across the center seam and also completely encircling the box. (If you think you used too much tape, you probably did it right.)
Print the to and from addresses with a Sharpie on index cards, then cover the cards with clear packing tape to seal them completely to the box and waterproof the labels. Get customs forms from the post office ahead of time. You will be required to list the contents of the box. Be wary of how you list the contents to avoid tempting potential package pilferers: put “music” instead of “CDs” for example. When listing the value of the contents, I would also put a lower than actual number for the same reason. When you go to the post office, you will give them the customs form and they will help you do the rest. You will be required to pay for “Priority Mail” service (ask for discounts for family members). Skip the insurance, delivery confirmation, etc. A common delivery time is around three weeks to the Middle East, so plan ahead for birthdays and holidays.
Have fun with it and be creative! It’s always fun to be surprised or have things to share. Help stave off boredom and let them know somebody cares!
Find other tips at the USPS site.
* This is most true for those who stay close to base. If your friend or loved one is in certain fields like the infantry and stationed far from the bases, they may still need these items so be sure to ask!
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