FANS Provincial Teams Program - 2004/2005 Season

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Introduction

The FANS Provincial Teams Programs is a competitive athlete program. It is designed to assist competitive fencers in developing their performance skills. The program is designed to accomplish the following:

• Identify the top competitive performers for selection to Provincial Teams.

• Recognize the top performers with Provincial Team positions.

• Provide assistance to Provincial Team members in the pursuit of their competitive goals. This assistance includes training, planning, and funding.

• Provide a competitive development program that provides competition, training, and goals that are appropriate for fencers of different ages and abilities.

• Flexibility to allow fencers to fence at their most appropriate competition level, and still have their performance fairly measured against fencers who are competing at different levels. Fencers can earn selection points at Atlantic, National, and International competitions. Fencers can also earn selection points at competitions at one age level for teams that are at a younger age level (e.g. an U15 fencer can earn selection points at U17 or Open competitions).

• Provide a program that will assist Nova Scotia fencers who wish to qualify for the Canadian Fencing Federation High Performance/National Team Program, and will complement the training of those Nova Scotia fencers who do graduate to the National program.

There are five Provincial Training Programs

1. Junior Training Squads (U15 and Cadet [U17])

2. Junior Provincial Teams (U15 and Cadet [U17])

3. Senior Training Squad (Junior [U20] and Senior)

4. Senior Provincial Teams (Junior [U20] and Senior)

5. CWG Program (U13-U17, depends on year)

Training Squads

The Junior and Senior Training Squads are training programs offered by FANS. The training programs are focused on developing and improving competitive fencing skills. The activities of the programs include training clinics involving technical, tactical, and competitive practice, competition preparation, fitness and mental training, and the design of training programs.

Eligibility to join Training Squads

To be eligible to join the Junior Training Squad, a fencer must have completed their Yellow Armband.

(Note* for the 2003/2004 season, a fencer without the Yellow Armband can join the Junior Training Squad if they have been fencing for a minimum of 30 hours of practice time.) The minimum age for the Junior Squad is 12, and the maximum age 17. Fencers younger than 12 will be considered if they have strong competitive results.

To be eligible to join the Senior Training Squad, a fencer must have completed their Red Armband.

(Note*for the 2003/2004 season, a fencer without the Red Armband can join the Senior Training Squad if they have been fencing for a minimum of 45 hours of practice time.) The normal minimum age for the Senior Squad is 15. Fencers younger than 15 are eligible to join the Senior Squad if they achieve the performance requirements for Cadet (U17) Provincial A or B Team selection (see below - Selection Criteria for Provincial Teams).

Please note: fencers do not need to be members of the training squads to participate in most of the designated training squad training activities. The primary reason for becoming a member is to be eligible for Provincial Team or CWG Team selection.

Criteria to Remain a Member of the Training Squads

• Fencers must attend a minimum of 50% of all designated training squad activities.

• Fencers must be active at 75% of their designated club practices.

• Fencers must compete in at least four tournaments each season in their weapon, three for the U15 Squad. These competitions include any Atlantic Circuit, National Circuit, or any International competitions recognized by the Canadian Fencing Federation. These can be individual or team competitions. The competitions must be in the age category or higher for each squad. Fencing in more than one event at the same tournament counts as one tournament (e.g. competing in both Cadet [U17] and Open at the Trisword counts as one competition).

• Fencers must adhere to the FANS Code of Conduct. (Please note that not all breaches of the Code of Conduct would automatically result in a loss of member status in the Provincial Training Squads. The FANS Discipline Committee and Board of Directors make that determination.)

Canada Winter Games Program

The CWG Program runs concurrently with the other programs. It is a separate program, for two reasons. One, age eligibility is determined by the age restriction of the CWG competition, and two, the program runs through a four-year cycle. The CWG program is different each year, as it builds towards the next Games. Eligibility criteria for being in the program will change each year, and the selection of the CWG Team will not be the same as the other provincial teams. However, there is a strong link between the Training Squad programs and the CWG program, as the CWG Program will largely utilize those others.

All aspects of the CWG Program are dealt with in a separate document, which is developed by the FANS CWG Committee.

Provincial Teams

There are four Provincial Teams in each weapon category, and each age category has an A and B Team:

• U15 Provincial Team A & B

• Cadet (U17) Provincial Team A & B

• Junior (U20) Provincial Team A & B

• Senior Provincial Team A & B

Fencers who are selected for Provincial Team positions are eligible for the following services/benefits, depending on their ranking and the resources available.

• Individual lessons

• Individual program planning, and ongoing assessment

• FANS will seek out and support funding opportunities

• Provincial Team members will represent NS at team Championships

• The fencers on the Provincial Teams at the end of the fencing season are officially recognized and presented at the FANS AGM.

Eligibility Criteria for Provincial Team Selection

• Fencers must be current members of the appropriate Training Squad at the time of selection. That is, either Junior or Senior Squad for the U15 and U17 Teams, and the Senior Squad for the U20 and Senior Teams.

• Fencers must have been active members of the Training Squad for at least three months prior to the selection date, and have competed at least four times in the past 12 months, or three times for the U15 Team.

Selection Dates

Provincial Team selections will be made at the end of each season (following either the Nationals or the last Atlantic Fencing League competition, whichever is later). Those selected remain Team members for the entire next season, unless they lose their eligibility status.

Fencers can also be selected for Provincial Team positions at any time during the fencing season. These mid-season selections will last for the remainder of the season, unless the fencer loses their eligibility status.

Criteria to Remain a Member of the Provincial Team

Once a fencer has been selected as part of the Provincial Team Program, they begin to receive the benefits outlined earlier. Fencers must adhere to the following requirements to remain on the Team. If they do so, they will remain on the Team, regardless of performance, until the conclusion of the current fencing season.

• Satisfy all requirements for continuing as Training Squad members.

• Compete in at least four tournaments each season (within the last 12 months at any given time).

• Adhere to an individual training and competition plan, developed in conjunction with the personal coach and provincial coaching staff, and endorsed by the Provincial Coach. The training plan will include at least four training sessions per week for U15/Cadet Teams, and a minimum of five training sessions per week for U20/Senior Teams. These training sessions include fencing practices, individual lessons, and fitness training.

• Any fencer who is part of the National High Performance program, and is satisfying the requirements of that program, automatically satisfies the requirements of the Provincial Team Program. The only exception is adherence to the FANS Code of Conduct.

Exceptions to Selection System

Any fencer who falls outside of the described system, but wishes to continue training and competing, can apply to the Provincial Coach for exemptions. An alternative training and competition program will be required. An example would be a fencer who goes to live in another country for a temporary period of time.

Selection Criteria for Provincial Teams

For eligible fencers, selection is based on performance. The following grid indicates which performance levels qualify a fencer for each team. A fencer need only achieve one of the possible performance levels.