SBP Winter 2021 magazine Final 1_29

Finding a Balance in Virtual Fencing
By Jose Alcantara
As I log on to our first fencing practice Zoom
meeting of the season, everything already feels
off. We’re in the middle of the COVID-19
pandemic and, for safety reasons, we are not
permitted to practice in our new fencing center
in person. We’ve decided to resort to virtual
practices.
with the team, I feel more connected with the
guys.
Once I’ve engaged with the team, it’s time to
exercise. I ask all the guys to stretch before
diving in to any strenuous workout. We move
into push ups, sit ups, planks, and squats.
Finding a Balance in Virtual Fencing
By Jose Alcantara
I was named the Captain early this fall. I want
to keep the team together during a pandemic
that is keeping us apart. Virtual fencing
practice, as wacky as it sounds, might be one
way to maintain our spirits, if not our muscles.
I begin to start up practice with some banter
with my close teammates. “Yooo how’s
everyone been? It’s been a minute,” I say.
I’m hit with a dozen turned off cameras and
muted mics. I can already tell, this will not be as
engaging as it would be in person.
After a few minutes of urging, guys switch on
their cameras. Suddenly, I don’t feel so alone.
Epeeist David Decker unmutes his mic and his
voice emits from my phone as I’m setting it
down in my backyard. He hits me with a classic
Decker line: “Can we get this over quick? I got
FIFA (his video game) to get to.”
I’m outside in my yard. Though it’s cloudy and
windy, I really don’t notice, I’m so caught up
in scanning the faces on my phone. One kid is
in his driveway. Most, stuck in their bedrooms,
have had to push back furniture to participate.
“How’s your guys’ grades?” I ask, trying to
maintain the patter. “Have you been keeping up
or is it hard to focus?”
Luke Amoakoh responds. “Yeah, I really hate
this online stuff,” he says. “I don’t understand
what’s going on half the time, it’s annoying.”
Everyone agrees: Online learning has been a
struggle, to say the least. After some catching up
We elevate matters. In our footwork session, we
make sure to keep our en garde form in check.
From the few guys who left their mics on by
accident while we engaged in working out, I
can hear heavy huffing and puffing. It’s as if
we’ve just run a marathon. In reality, we've only
done the equivalent of 20 push-ups.
I then ask everyone to stand up and take a
30-second rest.
“Next up, we’ll be doing 100 squats, split up
into 2 sets of 50. 3...2...1,” I say, adding, “Down!”
As guys begin to fall behind and not keep up,
I begin to slow my pace, doing my squats a bit
more slowly. I try to keep in mind that most of
the guys have not been doing any form of
exercise for the most of the quarantine period. I
decide I am going a bit too hard on the guys and
slow down the pace of things.
“Are we done yet?” gasps Joseph Jumbo as we
are finishing up our last squats. Fellow Captain
Ryan Teran shouts: “Nah let’s do some more!”
Alex Cruz, also a fellow captain, agrees
adamantly as he encourages everyone to stand
up.
It feels nice to be able to keep the guys
relatively in shape again and to get into the
habit of working out like we used to.
As the fencing season is right around the
corner, we are still unsure whether we will be
having a season to compete in this year.
Regardless, plans have been set in motion by
coaches and staff to set up practice days on the
property so the team can finally practice in
7 The Benedict News Vol. 3 Issue 1 Winter 2020-2021