My go-to “fun fact” for ice breaker activities at conferences is sharing that most of my time outside of libraries is spent doing bout committee, or tournament management, for fencing tournaments around the US and around the world. In my senior year of college, friends convinced me to walk onto the college’s NCAA team.
I was terrible, but I loved it.
I continued fencing for a few years but eventually switched to a more behind-the-scenes role. I served as Secretary of the Oregon Division of USA Fencing from 2008 through 2011, coordinating local qualifying tournaments and supporting events and clubs throughout the region. When I moved to Baltimore in 2012, I continued to support fencing in Maryland and started to serve as Bout Committee Chair for regional events. Bout Committee is essentially managing the tournament on the day — making sure the event starts on time, that we have enough strips, that scores are entered correctly and the proper seeding and format are used, etc.
As a bout committee chair, you need to be able to balance the big picture view with the weeds, be consistent yet flexible, and always keep in mind the athlete experience. A successful tournament depends on effective and clear coordination and collaboration with staff across the totality of the tournament — bout committee, referees, video replay, armory, sports medicine, etc. This coming together to create an amazing event and experience for fencers is the part I love the most. It’s challenging and often tiring, but the results are worth it.
In 2013, I was invited to train as a member of USA Fencing’s National Bout Committee staff, first working the 2013 Junior Olympics. I continue to support NACs and National Championships as Bout Committee Chair or Bout Committee Staff, including the newly created Super Junior and Cadet Circuit (SJCC). In 2017, I joined USA Fencing’s Tournament Committee, where I work to ensure a consistent and excellent tournament experience across our sport. You can learn more about my Fencing experience and service in my CV.
You can learn more about my experience in fencing and the work I do for bout committee in this episode of USA Fencing’s podcast, First to 15.
I love working a wide variety of fencing events – local and regional, high school and college, national and international. If you are interested in my help at your event or want to learn more about tournament management, please contact me.
