Inspiring Conversations with Gary Copeland of Northern Colorado Fencers

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gary Copeland. Them and their team share their story with us below:

First of all, Northern Colorado Fencers is a community of fencers, coaches and parents/ NCF is truly a hidden gem!

Fencing is not a typical Colorado sport. Because of the quality of the instruction, the passion for the sport and the incredible dedication to the art of fencing, Northern Colorado Fencing has been in business for 40+ years.

Northern Colorado Fencers is a small, premier fencing club located in Boulder, Colorado. Gary Copeland in the 1970’s had a dream of being a fencing coach. Through hard work, perseverance, and an understanding of how to help people achieve their goals, Gary has trained athletes from Girl Scouts to Olympians and World Champions.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Fencers support each other during drills, competitions and beyond. This really showed during Covid when the NCF community all worked together to keep the club alive. We all came together, in creative ways. When the world shut down, everyone was devasted because they had lost their outlet, their passion, and their opportunity to train. Coach Gary had a student come in and film training drills to send out to the fencers. The student’s mom typed up all the instructions and several fencers converted hallways into fencing strips. The instructions were taped onto walls and parents donned jackets stuffed with pillows and encouraged their fencers to stab them.

Once restrictions started to lift, Gary and Scott offered private lessons and eventually offered group lessons as well. Every possible safety precaution was taken and fencers were able to train.

When competitions started up again, NCF fencers were ready.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
In 1979, Head coach Gary Copeland opened the club with the mission to develop top-tier athletes. Coach Scott Permer joined the club in 2007. Scott Permer is a Prevot certified by the United States Fencing Coaches Association. Scott has been a fencer for more than 20 years. Over the last 15 years, Scott has taught fencing at Colorado State University, and in Fort Collins, Windsor, and Boulder.

Northern Colorado Fencers’ purpose is to leverage our 40+ years of experience so that new students and competitive fencers may push the limits of their athletic ability.

NCF aims to train and support competitive fencers of all ages by providing superior instruction and coaching; prioritizing the development of individual strengths; and developing athletes’ physical and mental stamina so they may be successful at local, national, and international competitions.

As NCF we encourage a culture of personal excellence, continual improvement and mutual support.

Head Coach Gary Copeland has coached more than 800 fencers to the medal podiums of U.S. national competitions. 46 individual fencers and 14 NCF teams have become national champions. Additionally, Gary has coached 64 Junior (under-20) and Cadet (under-17) world champions, earning many NCF fencers positions on the Pan- American team.

Gary Copeland was named 1999 Fencing Coach of the Year by the U.S. Olympic Committee and have served as U.S. National Team coach more than 20 times. I was the Assistant Director of the U.S. Fencing Coaches College at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, from 1994-2006.

Many NCF fencers have gone on to fence in college as well. Currently, we have NCF fencers at Brown, Temple, Notre Dame, Penn State, and UC-San Diego.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
The motto of the club is train, travel, compete and we have been extremely successful in helping fencers achieve their goals.

Pricing:

• Punch cards for all classes are $240 for six sessions.
• Individual instruction costs $40/session.

Contact Info:

• Email: ncfboulder@gmail.com
• Website: www.ncfencers.org
• Instagram: northerncoloradofencers
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthernColoradoFencers/

Image Credits
NAC Photo-Credit Nico Torres