FIVE STORIES YOU NEED TO KNOW

The year 2022 was an exciting one for USA Fencing. Here are five key developments worth remembering.

BY BRYAN WENDELL

1Phil Andrews Becomes CEO

After a global search and multilayered interview process that yielded a host of talented candidates, the USA Fencing Board of Directors selected Phil Andrews to serve as the organization’s chief executive officer.

Andrews started on Aug. 16, 2022, taking the helm from Jack Gierhart, whose successful tenure as interim CEO began in December 2021.

Andrews joined USA Fencing after nearly a decade of service at USA Weightlifting, including more than six years as that organization’s CEO. He also served in an interim leadership role with the International Weightlifting Federation, skillfully steering that organization through an especially tumultuous period.

This experience at the national and international levels — coupled with his creativity and collaborative spirit — made Andrews stand out, says David Arias, chair of USA Fencing’s Board of Directors.

A dozen talented candidates were considered during the later stages of the search, which took place over the course of several months. “Even among this impressive group of leaders, Phil Andrews clearly stood out,” Arias says. “Phil impressed us with the experience he brings as a successful executive director of another national governing body. What set him apart was the insightful questions he asked, his approach to problem-solving, his desire to build relationships at all levels of our sport, the importance he places on inclusiveness and athlete safety and the specific ideas he shared related to the growth of USA Fencing.”

2USA Fencing Introduces 320-ENGARDE

In August, we joined forces with the award-winning team at RealResponse to offer 320-ENGARDE, a new texting hotline that allows members of the fencing community to safely report suspected abuse, issues or other potential violations of USA Fencing policies.

By texting 320-ENGARDE (320-364-2733), fencers, coaches, parents and others in the community can submit a report — either anonymously or on the record — about anything concerning that they experience, witness or learn about.

Put simply, this texting hotline will encourage fencers to remain “en garde” both on and off the strip as the fencing community rallies together to recognize and report abuse or other issues of concern.

When a text message is sent to 320-ENGARDE, the contents are confidentially and securely stored in the RealResponse platform. Anonymity is preserved because none of the reporter’s contact information, including their phone number, can be viewed by USA Fencing.

After a message is received, a designated USA Fencing representative can respond via text message to gather additional information — all the while allowing the submitter to remain anonymous (if they choose) throughout the process.

The underlying goal behind 320-ENGARDE, says USA Fencing CEO Phil Andrews, is to streamline the reporting process by offering an additional tool to members.

“At USA Fencing, we believe that reporting a concern should be as simple as picking up your smartphone,” Andrews says. “Our partnership with RealResponse and the debut of 320-ENGARDE gives members a vital resource that’s easy to use, easy to remember and anonymous.”

3Women Coaches Mentoring Program Launched

As of this writing, fewer than a quarter of all coaches registered with USA Fencing are women. That’s a challenge we accept with the USA Fencing Women Coaches Mentoring Program, a new initiative launched in October that’s designed to advance the development of women as future leaders and coaches in the sport of fencing.

Women comprise about 35% of USA Fencing membership, which is significantly below the benchmark set by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

Looking at coaches, specifically, just 23% of USA Fencing coaches identify as women.

“As an organization we acknowledge the lack of representation of women in leadership positions, especially as coaches,” says Shannon Jolly, USA Fencing’s senior manager of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. “This mentorship program will help provide women coaches an interactive development experience that can create pathways to coaching opportunities. As we continue efforts to champion women and their contributions to the sport, as a collective, we have to show up for each other to truly shift the culture.”

Here’s how the program works: Over the course of five months, aspiring or new women coaches with three or fewer years of coaching experience will be matched with seasoned coaches who will serve as a mentor and advocate for their mentee(s). Think of it as professional development specifically designed for women fencing coaches.

Fifteen women will be selected to participate as mentees in this initial cohort.

Mentees will be given interactive challenges to help develop their skills as a coach and leader, engage in virtual developmental workshops facilitated by industry leaders and learn from and network with nationally recognized coaches who will share their experiences and best practices.

4U.S. Fencing Foundation Becomes Philanthropic Arm of USA Fencingv

A fencer’s support system extends well beyond their coach standing stripside and their family and friends cheering them on back home.

That support system includes the network of donors whose generosity helps grow and sustain fencing at all levels of the sport — from the youngest Y-10 fencers to cadets, juniors, seniors, parafencers and veterans.

In an effort to streamline those fundraising efforts and maximize efficiency, USA Fencing announced that the United States Fencing Foundation has become the philanthropic arm of USA Fencing beginning Oct. 1, 2022.

This change, which aligns with the approach taken by most other national governing bodies in the United States, means that all donations will be managed by the Foundation and distributed to USA Fencing programs or maintained in the Foundation endowment for the long-term sustainability of the sport.

“As we collectively embrace an extended vision of what is possible, a more streamlined structure has been established,” says Robert Zagunis, president of the Foundation’s board and father of twotime Olympic champion Mariel Zagunis. “The United States Fencing Foundation is now the main organization for fundraising, supporting the operating efforts of USA Fencing.”

Zagunis says the U.S. Fencing Foundation wants to meet its members where they are by matching potential donors with areas of real need in our sport.

“For our extended fencing community, there is something for everyone to get behind: coaching education, safety, youth development, veterans, parafencing, competition at all levels, including the development of world champions, Olympians and Paralympians,” he says. “This is an exciting time to continue to grow and refine our sport, and all are invited to join the effort.”

5Lee Kiefer Inducted Into FIE Hall of Fame

NCAA champion. National champion. World champion. Olympic champion. And now, Lee Kiefer will add another impressive title to her fencing resume: FIE Hall of Famer.

Kiefer, the 2009 Division I national champion, four-time NCAA champion, six-time medalist at the Fencing World Championships and 2021 Olympic champion, was elected to the Hall of Fame of the International Fencing Federation in July, confirming what fencing fans around the world have long known: Lee is a legend.

The honor ends an incredible 12-month span for Kiefer, who finished the 202122 season as the world’s top-ranked women’s foil fencer. The gold medal in Tokyo, while technically part of the 202021 season, kicked things off. Kiefer then won silvers at World Cup events in France and Mexico and a bronze in Serbia.

In April, Kiefer won gold at the World Cup in Tauberbischofsheim, Germany, followed by another gold in May at the Incheon Grand Prix in Korea. She concluded the season with a pair of medals at the 2022 Fencing World Championships in Egypt: a team silver and individual bronze.

Kiefer learned of the news at a team dinner at the World Championships in Cairo, with her teammates, parents and coaches in attendance. At the end of the meal, Women’s Foil National Coach Ralf Bissdorf got the group’s attention to make the special announcement.

“I couldn’t believe it and was very confused at first,” Kiefer says. “This honor is a testament to the amazing humans who have believed in my fencing career and helped it blossom.”