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03/20/2013 12:00 AMJim Barnett holds a storied history in fencing, but now the Guilford Indians' alum has broke new ground at Morgan.
After competing and coaching at Guilford, Jim decided to start a club team for the Huskies following family interest around town. Despite being a first-year club of 10 that had novice and junior varsity fencers compete a level up, Morgan surpassed expectations in earning a boys' foil 7th-place seeding for the Team State Championship, an event that saw the squad finish third.
"It was a great season," says Jim. "Our goal was to qualify for the team states and we did. We had some novice kids earn high honors there, as well. These kids are dedicated, work hard, and they exceeded my expectations. They work as hard, if not harder, than any team in the school."
It all began with his children's curiosity in the sport, which led to their friends joining to form a group committed to becoming varsity.
"As a freshman, my son wanted to learn to fence, which made me jump for joy," recalls Jim, whose boys' foil squad lost to eventual state champion Greenwich, 5-4, before defeating Griswold 5-2 for third. "He found others who were interested, so we all worked out once a week privately. It was two years before we made a club proposal to Morgan. We hope to become varsity soon, but I treat it as one already."
ICONN fencing club member Jim Harris sees the Huskies' rise as no shock given their coach's background.
"He was instrumental in my development as an instructor," says Harris on his former club colleague. "I looked to him as someone who knew his stuff and has helped me become successful. I joked with the other fencing coaches that if you give him another year, it won't be pretty for the rest of you. I know his ultimate goal is to create the same success there that he had at Guilford."
Jim's past would return when Morgan defeated Guilford in a team states match-up on March 9.
"We faced Guilford in the boys' foil tournament," says Jim, who thanks his former coach and U.S. Fencing Hall of Famer Uriah Jones. "It was crazy going up against a former student of mine in [Guilford Coach] Kyle Mezzi. We beat them 5-3, but they were the defending state champions in that discipline, so it was amazing. The kids dug down deep, and I don't know if they did it for me, but they definitely did it for the program."
As a mentor, Jim shares more than just how to foil an opponent's attack on the mat.
"I always try to teach more than just fencing," says Jim. "I try to teach respect for each other and fellow teams. It's been great to see teammates and opponents interacting. My goal is to always teach them something new. They just have to work hard to get what they want, because nothing is given."
Jim feels the sky's the limit for both Morgan and fencing overall in the state. The Huskies used the matchups to signify their arrival, while showing this is no one-year fad.
"The fact we took on teams like Guilford, Hand, and North Haven was like a brass ring for these kids," says Jim. "It showed me they have made it into the big ranks and are here to stay. After this season, the future is bright. I would love to see fencing as a CIAC sport. This year at the Individual State Championships, we had 47 schools represented, the largest number to date."
Even with fencing's popularity, Jim feels there are hurdles to jump-though he cannot imagine a future that doesn't include competition at the CIAC level.
"The main problems are not enough coaches and funding," says Jim. "Fencing is an expensive sport with huge budgets, but eventually, I can't see it not becoming a CIAC sport. It's great with team and solo components. Like with tennis, you are trying to earn victories for your team, but it's on you when you are out there on the floor. Yet the kids have to use what we teach them. It's all about them; I am here to help."