FENCING THE CAP GRANTS

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - USA Fencing is proud to announce the 2022-23 award winners for our Fencing the Gap initiative, which launched this season to help increase access and inclusion to grow the sport of fencing through a series of scholarships, mini-grants, and incentive programs. 

All our awardees for the 2022-23 season exemplify the values and commitment of USA Fencing to increase access, belonging, and inclusion in our sport. These awardees are barrier breakers in their respective communities. Thanks to the support of our partner, All Kids Play, we doubled our impact through the program. The awardees will provide final reports that can serve as encouragement and roadmaps for clubs to implement in their communities. 

Shannon Jolly, USA Fencing’s senior manager of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, celebrated the awardees and their impact.  

“These awardees are proof that USA Fencing is committed to doing this work,” he says. “All clubs play a vital role in creating access and inclusion to grow our sport. Together, we rise!” 
 

Coaches Clinic Mini-Grantee Recipient:  Long Island Fencers’ Club 

The Long Island Fencers Club is the Coaches Clinic Mini-Grantee for the 2022-23 season. This grant will support the club’s “student coach program.” The program intentionally recruits young fencers from diverse backgrounds to become the next generation of fencing coaches. The student fencing coaches comprise various individuals, such as BIPOC, first-generation college students, and those experiencing financial hardships. 

Community Impact Mini-Grant:  Long Island Fencers' Club

The Long Island Fencer’s Club is securing funding for their American Sign Language Fencing Classes, “Shine the Light.” This initiative allows children with hearing loss to explore the Olympic Sport of Fencing. The “Shine the Light” brand was selected to highlight the abilities of people with hearing loss rather than their challenges.

Interested Donors may forward gifts via Venmo (@LongIslandFencersClub).

The Long Island Fencers’ Club's "Student Coach" initiative recruits fencers from diverse backgrounds to become the next generation of fencing coaches. Our Student Fencing Coaches come from diverse backgrounds, heritages, religious beliefs, and socio-economic experiences.

The Long Island Fencers’ Club is proud to have founded our “Student Coaching” initiative, recruiting underrepresented groups to become USA Fencing Coaches. In less than one year, our program has engaged nine (9) persons identifying as females and eight (8) persons identifying as males from a diverse cross-section of society with ancestral origins consisting of Argentinian, Chilean, Colombian, German, Irish, Jamaican, Korean, Honduran, Italian, Portuguese, Puerto Rican, Romanian, Salvadorian, Ukrainian, and Welch. Our coaches identify as Catholic, Lutheran, Pentecostal Christian, Presbyterian, Jewish, or Jewish Ashkenazi, while others do not practice a religion. Nine (9) of our student coaches attend college full-time, and two (2) more will join them in the coming school year. 

Thirteen (13) of our nineteen (19) staff members are people from underrepresented demographics who otherwise may never have been able to join the USA Fencing Coaches Community. In part, thanks to your grant, the Long Island Fencers’ Club provided vital coaching equipment and financial compensation to our student coaches. The Long Island Fencers’ Club has provided more than one thousand hours of training to our Student, Assistant, and Fencing Coaches over the last year, promoting two assistant coaches to coach and another two from student coach to assistant coach. 

The Long Island Fencers’ Club is committed to recruiting and developing our Student Coach Initiative. The impact on our Student Coaches does not shine by presenting facts, figures, or percentages but rather in terms of their personal development and sense of self-worth. It has been our unending pleasure to guide them on their journey to fulfilling their dreams! 

Coaching Staff Demographics as of December 2024:

Male 47%

Female 53%

Student Coach Average Start Age 18.6 years.

Generation Z 76%

Millennials 6%

Generation X 6%

Boomers 12%

Asian Pacific 12%

Hispanic 24%

Jamaican 6%

White Male 29%

White Female 29%

Please email us if you wish to join our donors supporting our various initiatives (info@longislandfencersclub.com).