After nine months of sitting at home and hoping everyone close to me was safer because

I somehow “chose” to stay home rather than be outside, news of Newfield Fencing

starting reached me just in time. It was right when I was mentally preparing myself to

run Middle Country Winter Track as a distance runner (after the last time I ran was in the

Spring of Freshman year). Indoors, closed air circulation, no way to distance enough to

not wear a mask, COVID itself, my lack of mobility - everything came to haunt me that

first (or was it two?) week of practice, right before the first meet.

As I’m fully virtual, going to school after classes at home was a different sort of

adventure, with my own situation taken into consideration. Nevertheless, it was good to

see that most of last year’s team members were back, save a few who graduated and a

few others who I never heard of this year (hopefully they are well, but I’m not too

confident to attest to that). A few new faces were there, but again, I was strictly trying to

just work as much as I can in the program while it lasted. And it did last, all the way

through to the county championship.

As an average fencer, I didn’t go to most meets. So I didn’t get to experience it like last

year, with all the energetic shouting and battle cries. No audience was allowed, so some

of the parental video recordings were missing as well (luckily, Middle Country recorded

and posted all the home meets in mccsd.net). Unlike some of the other teams in our

school, the roster was not cut or anything. Only the starters remain in their place and the

subs (so to speak) were switched based on performance (or maybe some other variable

I’m not sure of). But, with the combined efforts of everyone (yes, everyone), we made

county champions! Yay!!! (on a side note: this Yay is by no means sarcastic. It is a

genuine response to this achievement, which I’m very glad to have seen happen in one

shape or form).

Actually, for real, the season was a great feat. While we heard about how Track is

winning their whole season for the first time (not ever, just in a long time), we were

wiping the floor too. I am careful enough to say that all of this wasn’t entirely because

other schools started their programs later than Newfield, or that we got the better end of

the stick with lesser cases in the teams. It was simply, in my opinion, and shared

experience, because we were bound to. Some of the starters have been fencing for quite

some time and time-aspect aside, some were really good in their own right, may it be

talent or efforts or a combination of both. And that won us the championship.

Although in the end, this article is nothing more or less than my own experience of the

team, it shouldn’t be a basis of understanding how the team operates, what drives it, or

what efforts the fencer put into this victory. Without fact-checking, I think a Newsday

article reports how Newfield Fencing won the County Championship 19 years later after

the last one, where our Coach Schirmer was actually in the team as a fencer. A lot of

other bits and bobs of facts are out there on the internet, and you can always reach out to

the team itself or the coaches to get some solid information. I, myself, am writing this as

a unique closure message for my experience.

If the last year has taught me anything, it’s that life is too short and too precious to be

wasted away. I’m glad Newfield Fencing ran to its fullest this year, or else I might’ve

still been a quarantined shut-in (not that anything is wrong with that. It’s just, sometimes

a waste of time and life). The hard conditioning (comparatively “easier” this year), the

practice bouts where we try to one-up each other in skills or stamina, the plethora of

diversely passionate people gathered for one singular activity... it was great. I had fun. It

was a bit bothersome to bike to school on some snowy and colder days, and even harder

to breathe wearing a mask when I’m usually don’t need one in my at-home schooling,

but it was fun. I’m glad I was there to see and participate in yet another glorious year of

Newfield Fencing. Can’t wait for the next.

Assuming some may still be reading, don’t get discouraged by the conditioning

hardships I talk of. It’s actually fun and easy once you pace yourself and get into the

right mindset. The team welcomes everyone, and I don’t have to fact-check this either. I

know so, and I also know that it has a place for everyone as long as you know how to

push yourself to reach your own goal of excellence. That’s all it is, a bunch of high

schoolers trying to excel at the sport at their own pace amidst all their other life-changing

drives and aspirations. So, in any case, see you there next year, when hopefully things

will be better (as it seems it shall be)!