Fencing Recruiting

Recruiting Horror Story™: An Elite Fencer’s Dilemma with Toxic Top-Rated Programs

By Peyton Wright|Updated on June 27, 2023 (originally published on March 8, 2022)

Come back every Tuesday for Recruiting Horror Stories™, athletes' first-hand stories on what can go wrong during the recruiting process.

Julia is a high-level fencer and student. This combination of talent led her on a path that many elite athletes aspire to take: getting recruited by the top schools in the nation. She quickly learned that many of these “dream” programs didn't prioritize their athletes, and weren't programs that she could see herself competing at.

She's now a junior at Northwestern University, and is sharing her tips for spotting unhealthy programs.

The Goal
Julia started her college search hoping to find a school that balanced her goals across multiple fields. She wanted to find a college that was academically impressive, to advance and improve as a fencer, and to be part of a positive team environment and culture.

The Issue
Unfortunately for Julia, and many high-level fencers, there is an underwhelming number of universities that offer fencing as an official sport. That means the pool of options, even for those that are academically gifted, is smaller than most college sports.

The Programs
Upon beginning the recruiting process, she found that many programs were primarily focused on the success of the team, so much so that it seemed like they neglected to support the success and wellness of their individual fencers. Julia recognized that some teams would only give certain athletes the opportunity to compete, and the rest would just have to watch, even if they would be able to do extremely well in competition. This singularized focus didn't mesh well with her goals to grow as a fencer without losing her love for the sport.

She also found some of these programs had such singular focuses on winning that they didn't create a positive atmosphere for their student-athletes to grow or enjoy being a part of. Instead, they bombarded the process with constant bragging about their program's success. She felt that she couldn't relate to members of the teams, their coaches, or to the programs as a whole. The top-tier teams that she had strived to be a part of were nothing like she had dreamed.

Her Decision
In her third year fencing for Northwestern University's club team, Julia is confident in the decision she made. She's found the community she was hoping for and is proud to say her team holds “a really really strong team culture.” While Northwestern's team works hard and loves to win, they also stress success in other areas of their athletes' lives. They have a good support network, which she says helps boost the team's success in competition, and allows them to enjoy being an individual as much as part of the team.

Her Advice
While she does not have any regrets about the decisions she made during the recruiting process, Julia's advice to future college fencers is simple: do a little more. Do a little more research on the places you are considering, and be cognizant of the atmospheres different schools and programs foster. While you should find a school that is going to push you to reach your full potential athletically if that is important to you, she stresses it's equally important to find one that you'll love being a part of. Look past the team's record, and ask if the athletes are happy and healthy.

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