来自青少年奥运会现场：女子击剑的重要性——为何年轻女性应继续在大学练习击剑

大家好，欢迎收听《率先达到15分》，这是美国击剑协会的官方播客。

Hello, and welcome to First to 15, the official podcast of USA Fencing.

我是您的主持人布莱恩·温德尔。

I'm your host, Brian Windell.

在本节目中，您将听到我们所热爱的这项运动中一些最具启发性、最有趣、最才华横溢的人的声音。

And in this show, you're going to hear from some of the most inspiring, interesting, and insanely talented people in this sport we all love.

《率先达到15分》面向整个击剑社群，也适合那些刚刚接触击剑、想了解这项运动的人。

First of 15 is for anyone in the fencing community and even for those just checking out fencing to see what it's all about.

无论您是奥运选手或残奥选手，是新手、资深老将、击剑家长、粉丝，还是这个美好社群中的任何人，这个播客都为您而设。

So whether you're an Olympian or Paralympian, a newcomer, a seasoned veteran, a fencing parent, a fan, or anyone else in this wonderful community, this podcast is for you.

好了，让我们进入今天的节目。

With that, let's get to today's episode.

祝您收听愉快。

Enjoy.

感谢大家的参与。

Thanks everybody for joining us.

我还应该说，我们正在录制我们播客的现场节目。

And I should also say we're recording a live episode of our podcast as well.

所以，如果你今天错过了什么，或者有人没来，他们可以收听《First to Fifteen》来听到这场对话。

So if you miss anything today or if someone's not here, they can tune in to First to Fifteen and hear this conversation.

那么，我们直接进入正题吧。

So let's move right into it.

今天的主题是女子击剑的重要性，为什么你应该在大学继续练习击剑，本节目由美国击剑协会和W击剑联合呈现。

Today's topic is the importance of women's fencing, why you should keep fencing in college and it's brought to you by USA Fencing and W Fencing.

今天，我们邀请到了三位来自大学击剑界的杰出人士。

So today we're joined by three exceptional individuals from the world of collegiate fencing.

她们分别是坦普尔大学击剑队主教练珍妮·萨尔蒙、空军学院女子重剑助理教练克里斯汀·格里菲斯，以及西北大学大二女子重剑选手小石惠美。

There's Jenny Salmon who's head fencing coach at Temple University, Christine Griffith who's the assistant SABR coach at the Air Force Academy, and then Megumi Oishi, who's a sophomore SABER fencer at Northwestern University.

我会尽量少说话，因为这三位女士在击剑和大学击剑方面都有着丰富的经验。

So I'm gonna try to talk as little as possible because each of these women has a wealth of experience about fencing and collegiate fencing.

欢迎三位的到来。

So welcome to the three of you.

非常感谢。

Thank you so much.

珍妮，我们先从你开始。

Jenny, we'll start with you.

我很想听听你在招募高中女击剑运动员方面观察到的一些趋势，特别是根据你的经验，随着时间推移有什么变化，以及与以往赛季的对比。

I'd love to hear some trends that you've noticed and observed in recruiting women high school fencers, especially maybe if something has changed over time through your experience and and compare it to some previous seasons.

首先，我想向大家问好，感谢你们的到来。

Well, first, I wanna say hello to everyone and thank you for being here.

显然，我们所有人在这里，都是因为我们都大力支持继续参与击剑运动和大学击剑。

Clearly, we're all up here because we are big proponents of continuing to fence and collegiate fencing.

我认为，就趋势而言，技术——虽然这并不是什么新鲜事——但确实极大地提升了我们与运动员联系和开展外联的能力。

I think I would say as far as trends, technology, which isn't a hardly new thing, but it has really influenced our ability to connect with athletes, to have outreach.

在新冠疫情之前，Zoom还不存在，但疫情实际上为我们开辟了一种全新的方式，让我们能够与全国各地乃至全球的运动员建立联系，而无需面对面交流就能了解他们。

No Zoom existed before, you know, COVID, but what that that actually opened up such a way for us to connect with athletes, throughout the nation and around the world because we're able to not have to be face to face with them and get to know them.

这一直是一个很好的趋势。

So that's been a great trend.

这项运动正在发展，不仅运动员数量增加，大学里也涌现出新的击剑项目。

The sport is growing and to see the growth not just in athletes but also we have new programs popping up collegiate.

因此，机会更多了，希望这一趋势能持续下去。

So there's more access and hopefully that trend continues.

看到美国击剑协会和美国大学击剑协会如何利用社交媒体大力推广击剑运动，真的令人兴奋，让所有在高中阶段的运动员们，参加这些比赛时，能亲眼看到这么多设有击剑项目的学校，以及为你提供的各种机会。

And you know it's really exciting to see how USA Fencing and USFCA are using social media, really highlighting fencing, letting all of you athletes who are out there in your high school years, you're coming to these tournaments and you're seeing right in your face all these schools that have fencing, all these opportunities that are there for you.

虽然我们一直都知道这一点，但总觉得我们一直都知道。

And although we've always known it, we feel like we've always known it.

我是在座所有人中了解这一点时间最长的。

I've known it the longest of the group up here.

但现在你们真的能看到了。

Now you can really see.

我们在社交媒体上看到这些，也看到这些精彩瞬间。

We see it on social media, and we see those highlights.

所以我认为，这是推动这项运动发展的绝佳趋势。

So I think that that's been a great trend to promote the sport.

是的。

Yeah.

这一直是我们的重点，美国击剑协会显然正在更多地关注大学击剑。

That's been something that we've emphasized that USA fencing, obviously, is is shining the spotlight on collegiate fencing a lot more.

克里斯汀，类似的问题是，你如何看待女子击剑在大学体育中的演变？

And, Christine, kind of a similar question is how have you seen the landscape of women's fencing evolve in in college sports?

这种变化的格局对你的招生有何影响？

And what impact does this changing landscape have on recruitment for you?

当然。

Absolutely.

自从我进入大学击剑领域以来的过去二十年里，我看到的最大变化之一是，女子击剑的整体机会和大学层面的投资都大大增加了。

So one of the biggest changes I've seen since in the past two decades since I was entering the collegiate world was is that there's so much more access to women's fencing overall and more investment at the collegiate level in women's fencing.

这使得招生环境变得更加竞争激烈。

So this has led to the recruiting environment being more competitive.

特别是，我知道现在有更多对击剑和大学感兴趣的击剑运动员，一些特定项目正面临激烈的招生竞争。

Particularly, I know we have more fencers who are interested in fencing and college, and there's particular programs that are seeing a lot of competition in wanting to be recruited.

我认为，随着女子击剑的知名度提高，虽然这是一件好事，但也产生了一种误解，认为必须达到某个水平才能在大学击剑，这并不一定正确。

One of the downsides of this, I think, with the visibility of women's fencing, which is has increased, which I think is great, there's also this perception of I need to be at a certain level in order to fence in college, which isn't necessarily true.

有很多项目实际上很难招到足够多的女运动员来充实队伍。

There's tons of programs out there that actually struggle to fill their rosters with enough women athletes.

所以，如果你对在大学击剑感兴趣，我认为关键是要全面了解所有可用的项目，因为一定有某个项目会希望你加入他们的队伍。

So, you know, if you're interested in fencing in college, I think one of the critical things is to make sure you look at all the programs that are available because there's there's a program that will want you to be on the team.

那么，Mugumi，作为一位显然决定继续在大学击剑的人，你在西北大学的经历如何？自从你决定在顶尖项目中大学击剑以来，为你打开了哪些机会？

And so, Mugumi, as someone who obviously made the decision to continue fencing in college, what's been your experience like at Northwestern, and maybe what doors have been opened to you since you made that decision to say, I'm gonna fence collegiately at a great program?

嗯。

Yeah.

当然。

Absolutely.

首先，我想说，能和如此出色的教练们一起站在这里，我感到无比荣幸。

So first of all, I wanna say I'm so honored to be up here with such amazing coaches.

正是像你们这样的人帮助我能够在大学击剑，我对此非常感激。

It's people like you that have helped me fence in college, so I'm really grateful for that.

坦白说，根据我的经验，我非常幸运，也很感激能获得在击剑学院的这个机会。

And honestly, what I can say from my experience is that, well, first of all, I was so very lucky and I'm so grateful to have this opportunity at Fencing College.

但我要说，这份礼物带来的好处源源不断。

But I will say that it is a gift that just keeps on giving.

就我个人而言，我觉得这有两个方面：一方面是人际交往，另一方面是像一级联赛或学生运动员身份所带来的各种机会。

And from my personal experience, I think there's been two sides of that, the interpersonal and also kind of these opportunities that kind of come with the Division I like, label or just like student athlete label.

在人际方面，来到西北大学，我相信任何正在考虑上大学或已经上过大学的人都知道，大学是一个令人害怕的地方。

So interpersonally, think coming to Northwestern, I'm sure that anybody who is thinking about college or has attended college knows that college is a very scary place.

它非常令人焦虑。

Like, it's very anxiety inducing.

就我个人而言，我当时在想：我能交到朋友吗？

For me personally, I was thinking, Am I gonna be able to make friends?

我能融入其中吗？

Am I gonna be able to fit in?

但加入这支队伍后，有30个女孩主动愿意和我做朋友。

But being on this team, there was like 30 girls who were automatically willing to be my friends.

所以我根本不需要担心自己能不能交到朋友，能不能融入其中。

So I didn't really have to worry about, you know, if I was gonna be able to find friends, if I was gonna fit in.

我早已拥有一个为我准备好的空间，这真的在很大程度上缓解了我生活中其他方面的焦虑。

I already had a space that was made for me and that really honestly alleviated a lot of anxiety in other places in my life.

我总觉得自己有个可以回去的地方，有个可以依靠的人——比如当我有一门课不喜欢时，我会想：‘队里有没有人能帮帮我？’，而实际上，早就有人随时准备着帮助我。

I always felt like I had somebody to come back to, somebody, you know, if had a class that I didn't like and I was like, Oh, if there's somebody on this team who can help me out, there was already like somebody there readily available to help me.

另一方面，拥有‘学生运动员’这个身份也带来了很多机会，因为我参加过一些实习，在进入职场时，我会说：‘我是西北大学的学生运动员。’

And I think on the other side of that, in terms of having that student athlete label, that opens up a lot of opportunities because I've been in internships and I've been in, you know, places where I've, you know, started to enter the corporate world and I've said, oh, I'm a student athlete at Northwestern.

人们一听到这个，就会立刻联想到我具备良好的人际交往能力、沟通能力、团队合作精神和领导力。

And already, people associate that with having good interpersonal skills, having good communication skills, teamwork, leadership.

所以，我认为这些就是我迄今为止在西北大学所获得的诸多好处中的一些。

So I think those are just some of the many benefits that I've had from being at Northwestern so far.

我很喜欢听这些。

I love hearing that.

那么，珍妮，我们回到你身上，作为教练，你见证了这么多优秀的女性在你的项目中成长。

So, Jenny, we'll go back to you and and in your experience as a coach, you know, watching some amazing women go through your program.

您认为大学击剑运动对年轻女性有哪些独特的益处，特别是在个人成长和毕业后未来机会方面？

What unique benefits have you seen that college fencing offers to young women specifically both in terms of personal development and then the future opportunities once they graduate?

嗯，我肯定会接着美谷分享的内容来说，因为她目前正在亲身经历这些。

Well, would definitely just build on what Megumi shared because coming from her, she's currently doing it.

你可以听到她所拥有的各种机会。

You hear, you know, all the opportunities she has.

团队合作这一点非常重要。

Certainly, the team aspect is huge.

你知道，当你加入时，

You know, you're you're coming in.

如果你在俱乐部环境中，虽然有一支很棒的团队，但没有什么能比得上一场真正关乎团队胜负的个人对决。

If you're in a club environment, you have a great team, but there's nothing like truly fencing an individual bout that really matters for your team.

一起训练、共同经历一切，这有助于个人成长，并渗透到你生活的方方面面。

A training together, doing everything together, that helps personal development and trickles into every aspect of your life.

能够做你热爱的事情，但你知道，这超越了你个人的成就。

Being able to do something that you love but, you know, it's greater than your own accomplishment.

作为学生运动员所需的自律和时间管理能力，我向在座的每一位致以敬意。

The discipline, the time management, all the things that are required to be a student athlete and I commend everyone here.

如果你在这里参加这场锦标赛，那你已经是学生运动员了。

If you're in here and you're fencing at this tournament, you're a student athlete already.

对吧？

Right?

我知道你们在高中时非常努力，成绩优异，同时还在练剑和训练，这些在大学里也会继续。

And I know that you're in high school working super hard and and getting great grades and fencing and training and that continues in college.

仅仅进入大学并作为学生取得优异成绩就已经很难了。

And it's hard to just go to the university level and do great as a student.

而当你不仅能作为学生表现优异，还能向未来的雇主、研究生申请机构和实习单位展示：你在学术上成就突出，同时还完成了另一项需要高度自律和奉献的特殊事业时，这意义非凡。

And when you're able to go and also do great as a student athlete and be able to show future employers, graduate school applications, internships that you are accomplished academically and you also did this other very special thing that requires a lot of discipline commitment.

这真的非常重要，而Magumi现在正在亲身体验这一切。

It really means a lot and Magumi's experiencing it now.

这会让你脱颖而出，因为它证明了你具备这些能力，并且依然能够取得成功。

It puts you right at the top of the pile because it shows that you have those capabilities and you're still able to succeed.

所以我看到了这种好处。

So I've seen that benefit.

我看到人们成长了。

I've seen people grow.

他们可能在大一入学时还没有自信或技能。

They might come in their freshman year and not have the confidence or the skills.

到他们四年级毕业时，就已经准备好了。

By the time they leave after their fourth year they're ready to go.

因此，你可以培养这些技能。

And so you can develop those skills.

领导力非常重要。

Leadership is so important.

你知道，我们团队的核心价值观之一是赋权，确保女性有机会成为学生运动员并担任领导角色，这是大学体育经历中非常特别的一点。

You know, one of our core values on my team is empowerment and making sure as women having the opportunity to be student athletes and lead is a really special thing you get from being as an athlete at the collegiate level.

教练们会刻意确保我们为你提供这些机会，无论是通过体育部门还是大学的其他方面。

And it's something that coaches very intentionally make sure we provide to you, whether it's through the athletic department or other aspects of the university.

因此，这是我们对自己的期望，也是团队需要在自身中培养的期望。

So it's it's an expectation we have of ourselves to give to you and it's an expectation that the team has to develop in themselves.

所以未来的机会会到来，你所建立的自信和展现出的承诺，将帮助你在各个方面取得成功。

And so those future opportunities will come and, you know, the confidence you build and the commitment you show are gonna help you in every aspect.

所以我认为，作为一名学生和运动员完成大学经历，确实能为你的未来发展打开更多机会。

So I think that, you know, being able to walk out of a university experience as a student and an athlete, you know, it really does open up your opportunities moving forward.

这太棒了。

That's awesome.

克里斯汀，现在我们接着谈一谈击剑运动为大学生活打开的那些门，你有注意到吗？

And Christine, kind of building on that now, talking about the doors that college fencing opens, have you noticed?

你看到了什么？

What have you witnessed?

也许是技能的提升、人脉的建立，当然还有作为这些项目一员所获得的难忘回忆。

Maybe skills development, networking, and and obviously the memories that that you have that you get to experience as part of one of those programs.

当然。

Absolutely.

这其实延续了Agumi和Jen一直强调的观点：首先，上大学时你已经有一个团队，能够与17到30个志同道合的人建立深厚的联系。

And it's really building on what Agumi and Jen were always saying is it's, one, it builds you lasting connections when you go to college and you already have a team and you're able to bond with, you know, 17 to 30 individuals who share an interest with you.

这些友谊和联系会持续一生，超越大学时光。

And you those friendships, those connections do last a lifetime beyond college.

我有一些大学时的队友，我们至今仍保持联系，就像我们从未有过任何时间上的间隔一样。

You know, I have teammates who I went to school with and, you know, we see each other like, yes, we got to, you know, we still it's like we haven't had any gap of time between when we were there.

但除了建立友谊之外，你还能接触到该校的校友网络，他们也经历过同样的项目，可能已经从事了你感兴趣的职业领域。

But beyond just the friendships you make, you also have an access to the community of alumni at that school who've also gone through the program and they may be already working in a field that you're interested in.

因此，能够与潜在的导师或任何能帮助你在毕业后职业发展的人建立人脉，意义重大。

So just having the ability to network with possible mentors or anyone who can help you advance in your career after college is huge.

此外，我曾与招聘经理或招聘会上的人交流过，他们非常看重申请者简历中的学生运动员经历。

And then also, I've spoken with recruit managers or recruiting fairs and, you know, one thing that's huge is they love seeing student athletes on the resumes of their applicants.

他们会浏览简历，看到任何有团队经历的人，就知道这个人具备自律、时间管理能力和设定目标并追求卓越成果的品质，这些正是运动员所具备的。

You know, they'll go through the resumes and they'll see that anyone who has had the experience on a team, they know that person has the self discipline, the time management, the goal setting to want to achieve, you know, excellent results for themselves as, as athletes.

因此，他们会自动将这类申请者排在优先联系名单的最上方。

And we'll automatically put them at the top of their list for who they wanna contact for possible positions.

所以我认为，作为一名大学生运动员，这具有巨大的价值。

So that's something that I think is just a huge value in being a student athlete in college.

是的。

Yeah.

而且不仅仅是大学生运动员，如果你是一名击剑运动员，这可能会更引人注目，因为这项运动很独特，也是一个很好的破冰话题。

And and when it says not just a student athlete, but that you're a fencer, that probably stands out because it's unique and it's a great icebreaker too for

确实如此。

It is.

是的。

Yeah.

是的。

Yeah.

当然。

Absolutely.

面试。

An interview.

Mogumi，如果你正在和一位目前还在上高中的击剑运动员、一位年轻女性交谈，她说：‘我不确定大学击剑是否适合我。’

Mogumi, so if you were talking with someone who's who's in high school right now and is a fencer, a young woman who's saying, you know, I'm not sure whether college fencing is right for me.

当我高中生涯结束时，我该继续击剑吗？

Should I continue fencing when my high school career is done?

你会给她什么建议？你对这个问题的回答到目前为止如何影响了你的生活？

What advice would you give them and how has your answer to that question really impacted your life so far?

是的。

Yeah.

我会说，我很感激自己能够被西北大学录取，但我要说的是，这并不是参与大学击剑的唯一途径。

So I will say that, you know, obviously I'm really grateful that I was able to be recruited to Northwestern, But I will say that that's not the only way that you can go with college fencing.

我认为，就俱乐部经历或我个人的经验而言，别人曾告诉我，这几乎是你在大学击剑中取得成功的唯一方式。

I think, like, at club or just in my personal experience, I was told that that's basically the only way that you can succeed in college fencing.

你必须向大学教练证明自己，展示你是一名优秀的击剑运动员——无论‘优秀’意味着什么。

You have to kind of prove yourself to, like, coaches in college to show that you are a good fencer, whatever that means, a good fencer.

但你也可以选择其他方向。

But there's other directions that you can take it.

我有个朋友在布朗大学，她成绩优异，热爱击剑，曾向教练请求一封推荐信，希望能为她的申请增添一些助力。

So I have a friend at Brown University who, she had stellar grades, she loved fencing, and she asked a coach for a letter of recommendation, kind of something to, you know, help propel her application a little bit further.

她就是这样进入了布朗大学，并且至今仍在那儿击剑。

And that's how she got into Brown and she's still fencing there.

或者，如果你不想承担那样的承诺，仍然可以参加俱乐部级别的击剑活动。

Or if you don't want to kind of have like that commitment, you can still fence in like the club level or things that.

所以，这并不是像表面看起来那样非黑即白的决定。

So it's not as black and white of a decision as it may seem.

如果你是一名考虑上大学并继续击剑的学生运动员，那真是太棒了。

So if you are a student athlete that's thinking about going to college and fencing, that's amazing.

我想强调的是，招募这种大型标签听起来非常吓人，似乎难以企及。

And I just want to emphasize that, like, I think recruitment, that big, like, label is very scary and it seems like a difficult thing to attain.

但不要因此放弃你的梦想，如果你真的想继续，还有其他途径可以进入大学并参与击剑。

But don't let that deter you from your dreams and there are other paths to college and fencing in college if that's truly what you want.

前面已经提到过，我认为大学生活中最重要的一点是，它是结识他人绝佳的方式。

And it's been said earlier, I think one big thing about college, if there's one thing that I could really emphasize, is that it's a great way of meeting people.

就像我说的，当我走进健身房的那一刻，我们击剑队的30个女孩都愿意和我做朋友。

And like I said, there were 30 girls on my fencing team who were willing to be my friends the second I stepped into that gym.

但更棒的是，我结识了这么多不同背景的人，并与他们成为了朋友。

But also it's very cool how many people I got to meet and how many people of different backgrounds I got to be friends with.

在我们队里，你知道，有来自全国各地的人，甚至还有来自美国以外的人。

So on our team, you know, there's people from all over the country but also outside of The US.

我们队里有几个国际击剑选手，听他们讲述在自己国家击剑的经历，以及与他们建立联系，真的非常棒。

We've got a few international fencers and it's been great hearing about their experiences fencing in their home countries and, you know, connecting with them.

正如格里菲斯教练和萨尔蒙教练所说，这些都是终生的友谊。

And, you know, like Coach Griffith and Coach Salmon said, these are lifelong friendships.

我在想，哦，要是二十年、三十年后我们都能再聚在一起，那该多好啊，比如我能参加谁的婚礼呢？

I'm thinking about, oh, like, you know, it'd be really cool if, like, you know, we could all meet up in, like, twenty, thirty years and, oh, like, whose weddings could I like go to?

或者，谁知道谁会来参加我的婚礼呢？

Or you know, who's gonna come to my wedding?

诸如此类的事情。

Things like that.

这些事情让我觉得，这是一种极其美妙的方式来拓展你的社交网络。

It's just these things that I think are like, it's such an amazing way to grow your social nexus.

这不仅仅是竞争、获胜和对抗。

It's not just competing and winning and fighting.

它还关乎团队合作，拥有那种会伴随你一生的姐妹情谊。

It's also about being on a team and having that, really that sisterhood that's gonna stick around with you forever.

这太酷了。

That's so cool.

所以，珍，考虑到你与家庭和年轻击剑运动员的对话，如果你遇到一个还在犹豫的人，你会对他们说什么？

So, Jen, thinking about your conversations that you have with families and young fencers, if you encountered someone who was on the fence, so to speak, what would you tell them?

不仅仅是你的‘为什么’演讲，而是为什么选择大学击剑这项运动是一个重要的决定。

So not just your why temple pitch, but why college fencing in general is an important choice to make.

我会问他们，你知道，你为什么在考虑呢？

Well, would say to them, you know, why are you considering?

成为大学运动员、击剑项目的学生运动员，这个机会哪些方面吸引了你？

What is it about the opportunity to be a collegiate athlete, be a student athlete in fencing that intrigues you?

你希望得到什么？

What are you hoping for?

然后我想听听他们怎么说。

And then I want to listen to what they have to say.

你知道，正如Mogumi所说，NCAA击剑和NCAA之外的击剑机会多种多样，每个队伍都不同。

You know, put there are as Mogumi has said, there's lots of different opportunities within NCAA fencing and then outside of NCAA fencing every team is different.

每个项目都有不同的要求和期望。

Every program has different requirements, expectations.

你知道，人们通常对一级和三级有什么预设看法。

You know, there is a presupposed what division one versus division three is.

我甚至不会做这样的假设。

I wouldn't even suppose that.

你真的需要仔细思考你目前击剑的希望和梦想是什么。

You really need to kind of look at what your hopes and dreams are with your fencing where you are now.

你还有热情吗？

Do you still have a passion?

你愿意再继续四年吗？

Do you wanna continue for another four years?

这件事让你感到兴奋吗？

Is it is it something you're excited about?

你还没结束吗？

Are you not done?

对吧？

Right?

然后开始做你的尽职调查和研究。

And then start to do your due diligence and do your research.

显然，如果你还在犹豫或不确定，我强烈建议你继续了解和探索。

Obviously, I highly encourage if you're on the fence or undecided then you should continue to look at it and you should continue to find out.

很好的做法是与现役大学生击剑运动员交流。

Great things to do are talk to current college fencers.

你不仅仅要找教练。

You don't and it's not just the coaches.

和他们聊聊。

Talk to you.

在房间里看看他们。

See them around the room.

他们很喜欢谈论自己的项目。

They love to talk about their programs.

他们很喜欢谈论自己的经历。

They love to talk about their experiences.

我认识一些在那里击剑的人，他们都很兴奋。

I have a few fencers out there and they're excited.

他们来找我，说有人问起坦普尔大学，他们非常喜欢那里。

They've come to me and said, well, people were asking me about Temple and they love it.

所以一定要和他们聊聊。

So absolutely talk to them.

和你俱乐部里那些曾就读我们大学击剑队的运动员聊聊，教练也可能曾经或现在仍在击剑。

Talk to athletes in your clubs who have our former collegiate fencers or coaches might be or also are currently fencing.

这是真正了解它的好方法。

This is a really good way to get a sense of it.

然后，你知道，有这么多资源。

And then, you know, there's so much access.

我们每个人都有网站。

All of us have websites.

去我们的网站看看。

Get on our websites.

了解一下。

Check it out.

看看我们的日程安排。

Look at our schedules.

看看具体情况。

See what it is.

现在几乎每一场大学击剑比赛都有直播，你可以花点时间观看，从而了解大学击剑是什么样的，然后开始与教练交流，真正去观察，你就会提出一些好问题，比如：训练每周几次？如何在运动员做出额外承诺的同时支持他们的学业？时间和旅行的期望是什么？正如我所说，情况会非常不同，你会找到最适合你的那一个。

There's live streams of almost every single collegiate meet now so you can go and get a sense of what college fencing is by just taking some time and looking at it and then start to talk to coaches and really start to see and and you'll have good questions how long is how many times a week do practice how do you support your athletes academically while they make this extra step in the commitment what is the expectation of time and travel and as I said it will be very different and you find the one that works for you.

但不要因为对它的假设或害怕自己不够好而放弃。

But don't walk away from it out of an assumption of what it is or a fear that you're not good enough.

克里斯汀说得很好。

Christine said it great.

无论是在社团层面还是校队层面，大学击剑都有你的位置。

There is a place for you in college fencing whether it's at the club level or at the varsity level.

如果你对这项运动充满热情，你就能找到继续下去的地方。

If you have a passion for the sport, you can find a place to continue.

克里斯汀，我有个类似的问题想问你。

Christine, kind of a similar question for you.

在决定是否要大学击剑时，你认为年轻女性应该考虑哪些因素？

What are those factors that in your mind a young woman should include when deciding whether to pursue fencing collegiately?

是的。

Yeah.

我认为一个非常重要的因素是你需要认真思考自己想要怎样的大学体验。

I think a huge factor is you just wanna deeply consider what type of college experience you want to have.

在拉思利上学与成为普通的大学生非常不同。

Being a student at Lathley is very different from being a typical college student.

你的时间要求要高得多。

There's a lot more demand on your time.

有自习室的要求。

There are study hall requirements.

如果你有奖学金，必须保持一定的成绩和GPA。

There's grade, GPA requirements to maintain if you're on on a scholarship.

我们通常在冬季有竞争性的外出比赛。

There is the competitive travel that we have going on usually during the winter.

它通常与期中考试重叠，因此你需要考虑在大学期间承受多大的压力。

It usually overlaps with your midterms, so just with the amount of stress that you want to be under while you're in college.

大学本身就已经相当有压力了，再加上市竞技体育，那就又多了一层负担。

And, you know, college itself is typically pretty stressful on its own and you add athletics to it, it's a whole another layer.

所以，就像珍妮说的，跟你感兴趣的学校教练谈谈。

So, you know, again, like Jenny was saying, talk to the coaches at the schools that you're interested in.

了解他们的团队文化是怎样的，这个项目的要求是什么，学校的负担又如何？

Get an idea of what is their team culture, what is the demand of that program, you know, what's the demand of the school?

所以你能想象自己在那里作为学生运动员生活并茁壮成长吗？或者更深入地了解一名普通大学生的日常生活？

So can you see yourself there and and thriving as a student athlete or, you know, looking more into the typical life of a of a college student?

然后，想想击剑对你来说有多重要。

And then, you know, looking at how important is fencing to you.

你是否想把击剑当作进入大学的途径？

Is it something that are you trying to use fencing as a way to get into college?

你练击剑是因为你喜欢这个社群，单纯享受击剑的乐趣吗？

Are you fencing because it's you love the community and just love to fence?

我的意思是，最重要的两个因素其实是：你希望大学生活是什么样的，以及击剑对你个人来说有多重要？

I mean, it's really those are the I would say the two biggest factors is what kind of lifestyle do you want to have in college and how important is fencing to you as a person?

我想补充一点给家长们：作为教练，我们的首要任务就是确保我们的运动员能够毕业。

I just wanna add for the parents, like, understand our job as coaches is that our athletes graduate with That's the number one thing.

对吧？

Right?

当然，我们希望为他们提供最好的运动体验。

Of course, we wanna provide them the best athletic experience.

但当他们做出这些承诺时，我们也非常认真地对待这份责任。

But while they're making all these commitments as well, they, you know, we take that job very seriously.

所以这也是你需要了解的另一点，因为我们尊重并钦佩他们在运动上的投入，因此我们在其他方面给予他们大量支持。

So that's another thing you wanna, you know, check out because we respect and admire the the commitment they make athletically so we give them a lot of support on the other side.

所以，Mugumi，回顾你迄今为止的大学击剑生涯，有没有一些具体的技术或人脉是你发展起来的？

So, Mugumi, when you think of your college fencing career so far, are there some, like, specific skills or connections that you've developed?

你已经谈了很多关于友谊以及击剑项目氛围的事情，但你能再详细说说，有哪些经历是你觉得如果只是普通大学生，可能无法获得的吗？

You've talked a lot about the friendships and just the atmosphere of the fencing program there, but can you expand on that a little bit about some of the things that you've experienced that you feel like if you were just a regular college student, not a student athlete, you might not have gotten able to do?

对。

Right.

是的，我只是个大二学生。

So, yeah, I think, I mean, I'm just a sophomore.

我还剩下两年，所以在西北大学还有很多成长空间。

I've got two more years left, so obviously I've got a lot more growing to do at Northwestern.

但我要说，我确实学到了一些显而易见的技能。

But I will say that there is the obvious skills that I've learned.

比如时间管理，你知道，即使在旅行时，我也得完成作业和学习。

So like, I'd say time management, you know, I gotta do my homework, gotta do my studying even when I'm traveling.

我需要能够团队合作，所以是团队协作。

I need to, you know, be able to work on a team, so teamwork.

但我认为在大学里学到的、而高中俱乐部里没有的一个最重要能力，就是相信自己的领导力。

But I think one of the biggest things that I have learned in college that I didn't have in a club setting in high school was this ability to believe in my leadership.

我是个有点内向的人，我觉得自己常常不敢主动寻找发挥领导作用的机会。

So I'm kind of an introverted person and I am pretty, I think, like I think I hold back from like finding spaces for leadership.

我总是退缩，心想：‘哦，还是让别人来处理吧。’

I kind of hold back and I'm like, Oh, I'll just let somebody else take care of it.

我就跟着别人说的做就行了。

I'll just follow what they say.

在高中时，我想知道你们中有多少人是俱乐部击剑运动员，但我觉得俱乐部里普遍存在一种文化：‘我就仰望俱乐部里的学长学姐们。’

In high school, so I think there's this big I don't know how many of you are club fencers right now, but I feel like there is that culture of, Oh, I'll just look up to the juniors and seniors in my club.

我知道，我只是个大一新生。

Know, I'm just a freshman.

我只是个八年级学生。

I'm just an eighth grader.

你知道的，我会退到一边，让他们去做事。

You know, I'll just kinda hang back and let them do the work.

但在西北大学，有人告诉我，你不必是高年级学生才能担任领导职位。

But in college at Northwestern, I have been told that you don't have to be a junior or senior to have those leadership positions.

你完全可以是个大一新生，认为这正是我可以改进或帮助团队提升的地方。

You could be a freshman and think, this could be something that I can improve or help my team improve on.

因此，你可以在这些场合积极发言，人们会非常鼓励你这样做。

And so you can speak up in these spaces and people will actually encourage it very much.

而且，你知道，我觉得特别酷的是，在西北大学，至少有三种武器：花剑、重剑和佩剑。

And, you know, I think what's really cool is that in, or at least at Northwestern, there's three weapons, sabre, epi and foil.

在这些队伍中，大约有八到十名女生。

And within those squads, there's like, I wanna say like eight to 10 girls.

在这些小团体里，当领导特别容易，因为你不需要在一个三十人的大团队里举手喊‘我有个主意’。

And in those spaces, it's super easy to be a leader, you know, because it's not like this huge 30 person team that you have to like raise your hand and be like, I have an idea.

你可以在一个更小的环境中当领导，对吧？

Like you can be, you know, a leader in like a smaller space, right?

这样能帮助你增强自信，培养领导能力。

And then that will help you like fuel your confidence and you know build your leadership skills.

我认为大学击剑最了不起的一点是，对于正在成长的头脑来说，理解并观察自己的领导力所产生的影响至关重要，因为在大学这种学术环境中，人太多，你的声音很容易被淹没，对吧？

And I think that's what's really huge about college fencing is that it's really imperative for growing minds that you kind of understand and observe the impact that your leadership has because I think it's so easy I think in this big college space academically to kind of have your voice be lost because there's so many people in a college, right?

这确实是现实。

That's just the reality of it.

但当你身处一个更小、更私密的环境，周围的人都愿意支持和鼓励你的成长时，我认为这是培养勇气和领导力的绝佳方式，无论你将来想把这种能力用在实习、职业发展还是未来倡导事业上。

But when you're in a space that is smaller, a little bit more secluded, and people are there to empower and encourage your growth, I think that's just a great way to build your courage and to build your own leadership skills for whatever you may want to apply that to internships, your career, future advocacy, things like that.

我想说的是，选择在大学里练击剑对我来说是个绝佳的决定，因为去西北大学，我遇到了我的教练丹尼斯。

And I just want to say that it was an amazing choice for me to fence in college because going to Northwestern, I was able to meet my coach Dennis.

他现在就在那边。

He's over there right now.

他太棒了。

He's amazing.

正是因为他的影响，我才逐渐获得了在这样的小组讨论中发言的自信。

It's because of him that I've kind of gained this confidence to speak on panels like this.

正如我所说，我是个非常内向的人。

As I said, I'm a very introverted person.

但当我向丹尼斯谈起我想从事的事业，比如倡导和为女性及LGBTQ+群体争取权益时，他说：‘在这样的社群中，像这样发声是至关重要的，也是被需要的。’

But once I spoke to Dennis about all the things that I like to work on like advocacy and, you know, fighting for women's and LGBTQ plus rights, he said, Well, you know, being on panels and, you know, using your voice like this is, you know, it's crucial and it's needed in a community like this.

所以我非常感激并庆幸自己选择了大学击剑，因为我拥有了这些联系，以及会支持我一生的人。

So I'm just really grateful and happy that I chose Defensing College because I have those connections and people that will support me for the rest of my life.

说得真好。

That's well said.

我还有更多问题，但我也想问问观众，有没有人想提问？

And I have a ton more questions, but I also wanted to open up to the audience if anybody has any questions.

迈克尔会拿着麦克风过来。

Michael's gonna be coming around with a microphone.

提醒一下，本次对话的主题是女子击剑专项。

And just a reminder that the topic of this conversation is, you know, women's fencing specifically.

所以这类问题最适合这个小组讨论，而招募类问题将在今晚稍后的其他小组讨论中进行。

So that type of question would be best suited for this panel and then recruiting type questions will be at other panels later on this evening.

如果有人有问题，请举手，否则我可以……好吧，看来大家在思考，我有一个问题要问小组，这涉及到克里斯汀你之前提到的关于文化和询问文化相关的问题。

So if anybody has one, raise your hand or else I can Okay, well people are thinking I've got one for the group and it comes on something that Christine you said earlier, which is about culture and asking questions about culture.

如何评估一个项目的文化氛围？

How does one assess the culture at a program?

这个问题可以问你们三位中的任何一位或全部。

This could be for all three of you or any of you.

你们是如何真正评估这一点的？

How do you really assess that?

因为你无法仅通过浏览网站或社交媒体，甚至交谈来判断——显然，辩护人或教练很可能会描绘一幅相当美好的画面，我想。

Because you can't really tell by looking at a website or social media and even conversations, you know, obviously the defencer or the coach is going to give you a paint a pretty rosy picture, I would imagine.

那么你们是如何真正感受到那种文化氛围的呢？

So how do you get that genuine feel for what the culture might be like?

是的。

Yeah.

我的意思是，你可以做的最重要的一件事就是联系该项目的教练。

I mean, one of the biggest things you can do is contact the coaches of the program.

教练们很乐意和你交谈。

Coaches are happy to talk to you.

他们想和你交流。

They want to talk to you.

他们想听到潜在运动员的声音。

They want to hear from prospective student athletes.

所以，先从提问开始。

So just start by asking questions.

另外，如果你对这所学校非常感兴趣，并且已经和教练进行了第一次交谈，想进一步了解，可以问一下是否可以来学校进行实地访问。

And, you know, another way, if the school really interests you and you have that first conversation with the coach and you wanna pursue further, you know, ask if you can come do a campus visit.

你可以安排非官方或官方的校园访问。

You can do unofficial and unofficial visits.

在这些访问中，你经常可以去看一部分训练。

And a lot of times on those visits, you can go and see part of practice.

你可以和队员聊天，和他们交流，因为教练会给你除此之外的另一种视角，但你还能从正在参与该项目的学生运动员那里获得另一个视角，了解他们如何互动，这个项目的要求是什么，他们的训练是什么样的？

You can chat with the team members and talk with them because you're gonna get, a you certain picture from the coach, but then you can get another picture from the student athletes who are there on the program and getting a sense for, you know, how do they interact with each other, you know, what is the demand of that particular program and what's their practice practice like?

他们彼此都是朋友吗？

You know, are they all friends with each other?

他们之间是相互竞争的关系吗？

Are they competitive with each other?

简单地主动联系学生运动员和教练，是了解球队文化最好的方式之一。

And, you know, just simply reaching out and talking to both student athletes and to the coaches is one of the best ways to find out about that team culture.

很好。

Great.

我同意，当你在寻找过程中，发现你非常感兴趣的学校时，实地访问至关重要。

I would agree that, you know, as you go through your search and you find schools you're very interested in visiting is key.

一方面，你感受到的氛围和感觉很重要，这既关乎球队，也关乎整个大学。

One, the vibe, the feel you get means something and it's for the team and it's also the university itself.

对吧？

Right?

这是一个你要学习四年的地方。

This is a place you're gonna be learning for four years.

有些运动员会问我你的执教理念是什么，我认为这能很好地让你了解这位教练如何围绕其理念构建团队文化，如何培养运动员，以及他们如何看待团队体验，毕竟他们要为自己的项目创造这样的环境。

One question that some athletes will ask me is what's your coaching philosophy and I think that that's a way to get a good glimpse into how that coach would build a culture around the philosophy of how they develop athletes and how they see you know the team experience as they you know as they take responsibility for creating it for their program.

所以另一个问题，除非观众中有问题，请举手。

So another question, unless there's one from the audience, please raise your hand.

请说。

Oh, please.

抱歉。

Sorry.

首先，我想衷心感谢你们。

First, I wanna say thank you so much.

你们三位都非常出色。

All three of you are amazing.

我们非常感激您今天能来到这里。

And we are so grateful you were here today.

这个问题是问美邦的，但也问珍妮和克里斯汀，因为我知道你们都曾是大学击剑运动员，现在也在指导大学击剑选手。

This question is for Megumi, but also for Jenny and for Christine because I know you were college fencers and you're working with college fencers.

作为一名大学击剑运动员，这段经历是如何激发您在大学毕业后继续坚持击剑的？

How has being a college fencer fed your fire to keep fencing beyond college?

没错。

Right.

大学击剑最重要的一点是，它虽然是高中击剑的延续，但却是在一个完全不同的环境中进行的，对吧？

One of the biggest things about fencing in college is that, yes, it is an extension of high school fencing but in a totally different space, right?

在高中时，你通常是被队友带动着开始的。

So in high school, you know, you're kind of started by your teammates.

你看似在团队中，但实际上又不是真正的团队。

You're kind of like in a team but not really.

你更多是单独进行击剑训练。

You're kind of fencing individually.

但在大学里，它真的再次成为一个团队，对吧？

But in college, it's really again, as I emphasize, it's a team, right?

这是一个巨大的转变。

And that's a big transition.

我认为这种转变需要自信，并走出你的舒适区。

And I think that's a transition that requires confidence and stepping out of your comfort zone.

我认为，如果我没有上大学并继续击剑，我很难将高中击剑的经历延续到高中之后、乃至竞技生涯的后续阶段，对吧？

And I think had I not gone to college and fenced, I would have had trouble extending my high school fencing experience into a kind of post high school, post, you know, competitive space of fencing, right?

所以我认为，正因为我在大学里坚持击剑，我才更愿意考虑大学之后继续击剑，哪怕是在二三十年后，我依然参加元老级比赛。

So I think because I've been fencing in college, I'm more open to the idea of fencing after college whether that be, you know, twenty, thirty years down the line I fence veterans.

你们中有些人可能知道，我妈妈小石洋子是一位50岁女子重剑运动员，观看她击剑、尝试这项运动，真的让我深受鼓舞，也让我看到击剑真正适合所有人，无论年龄大小。

One thing that some of you may know is that my mom, Yoko Oishi, is a veteran 50 women's saberrist and it's really inspiring to watch her fence and try out the sport and really see that fencing really is for everybody for all ages.

我认为，正是因为我妈妈，我才拥有这样一种独特视角，让我能够大学之后继续击剑。

And I think that is something, I think, a really unique perspective that I'm able to have because of my mom that I can continue fencing after college.

击剑并不是在我22岁、2026年毕业的那一刻就结束了，我并不是退役了、结束了、不再从事这项运动了。

And it's not just something that ends right after I turn 22 and I graduate in the 2026, it's not like I'm retired, I'm done, I'm finished with this sport.

这确实是一个我永远无法放下的社区和文化。

It's honestly a community and a culture that I will never be able to let go of.

我认为大学击剑和在这里的击剑经历，很好地向我证明了我能够完成这种转变，能够在不同的环境中击剑，而不仅仅局限于高中时期。

And I think college fencing and fencing here has been a really good way to really, you know, kind of show to myself that I can go through that transition and I can fence in different spaces and not just in high school.

嗯。

Yeah.

所以你们听到了，莫古米打算三十年后参加元老世锦赛。

So you heard it here, Mogumi is going for that vet world championship in thirty years.

那会是什么时候？

What would that be?

嗯。

Yeah.

太棒了。

That's awesome.

所以对于你们中的任何人来说，我想到了一点，当我跟一些高中击剑运动员交谈时，他们也提到过，很难判断自己是否足够优秀去打大学击剑。

So for any of you, it occurs to me, and when I've talked to some high school fencers, they've shared this as well, it's very difficult to assess whether you're good enough to fence in college.

对于击剑运动员来说，衡量自己与其他选手水平的唯一方式就是通过排名。

Really the only way for a fencer to compare herself to another fencer is through rankings.

对吧？

Right?

积分、体系和比赛结果。

Points, systems, and results.

那么，你如何将这些成绩转化为自己能否获得大学击剑名额的判断呢？

So how do you translate those results into, you know, whether there's gonna be a spot for me at the collegiate level?

你有什么建议吗？

What's your advice there?

我的意思是，当你和教练交流时，直接问这个问题是可以的。

I mean, I think it's fine to directly ask that question of a coach when you speak to them.

你知道，你明年，也就是2024年就要入学了。

What, you know, you know you're you're coming in next will be 2024.

那一年这个剑种还有哪些名额空缺？

What are your availabilities openings in this weapon that year?

因为有些事情根本与你是不是一名优秀的击剑运动员无关。

Because some of it has nothing to do with whether you're a strong fencer or not.

这取决于那支队伍是否有队员毕业，你知道的，机会是起起落落的。

It's whether that team is graduating or has, you know, and it ebbs and flows.

所以有些机会只是会恰好落到你头上。

So some of it is opportunity that's just going to come your way.

所以这是一个很好的问题。

So it's a good question to ask.

教练们不仅看重你的击剑技术是否出色——当然这取决于项目，但同时也关注你在剑道上是一个怎样的运动员。

Coaches aren't just looking at, yes depending on the program your fencing skill is very important but also what kind of an sports person are you when you're on the strip?

你在胜利和失败时的表现如何？

How do you behave not just in victory and in loss?

他们想听你谈谈为什么想在大学里练击剑，你如何看待队友，以及你预期的大学击剑体验与俱乐部训练或个人参赛（无论是全国还是国际比赛）有何不同。

They wanna hear from you why you wanna fence in college, how much teammates to you and how you're anticipating that experience different from a club time or you know competing for yourself whether it's nationally or internationally.

所以，我认为你应该坦诚地表达你的期望，以及是否有适合你的位置；同时要明白，教练们并不仅仅关注你是否是A级选手或全国排名顶尖的运动员，他们也看重那些潜力巨大、展现出良好体育精神、顽强斗志和持续成长热情的运动员，而这些特质有时反而更吸引正在建设队伍的大学教练。

So I think being very forward with what you're hoping for and if there's a space for you and then knowing that coaches aren't just looking at always exactly whether you're an a rated fencer who's ranked the very top of the country versus someone with great potential who shows great sportsmanship, great heart, great fight and they still have a passion to continue to grow, that can sometimes be even more attractive to a collegiate coach who's building a program.

是的。

Yeah.

我想补充的是，当你在考虑是否要上大学后继续击剑，却不确定自己是否足够优秀时，其实并没有一个统一的标准来定义什么是“足够优秀”来上大学击剑。

I would just add on to that is it goes back to as you're considering whether you want to fence in college and you don't know if you're good enough, there isn't really a one set standard of what is good enough to fence in college.

每个项目都有所不同。

Every program is a little bit different.

每个负责项目的教练都在寻找各种不同的特质。

Every coach who runs their program, they're looking for a variety of different things.

而且在每个队伍中，教练们希望填补不同的角色。

And on each team, there's different roles that the coaches wanna fill.

我们确实需要有技术的运动员。

There we we do want athletes with skill.

我们也需要那些能成为团队纽带、激励和支持队友的人。

We do want athletes who are gonna be the glue to the team, are gonna really hype other their teammates up and support.

同时，我们也需要能在团队中担任领导角色的运动员。

And we also want athletes who are gonna be leaders on that team.