Welcome... Coach Chris Cheney

New York, NY (July 2021) — Coach Chris Cheney is no stranger at Tim Morehouse Fencing Club.

A coaching presence at TMFC Manhattan since the spring of 2021, many have known Coach Chris as a successful competitor, most recently in senior events, and also as a world-class referee.

Now, he’s taken on the role of elite coach at TMFC, he will be managing the adult fencing program and also serving as the club’s tournament coordinator.

Get to know Coach Chris in his own words:

How/when did you start fencing? Is there something you learned from a coach or fellow fencer early on that has stuck with you?

I started fencing freshman year of high school to meet a PE requirement. I wasn't good at it and didn't make any real results for about three years. My earliest success was in talking my brother into fencing and watching him win everything in sight for the next four years. My first real result didn't come until my fifth year in the sport when I made a top-8 in Juniors and won a Senior Team National title.

Having started in a recreational club and only really being exposed to high-level fencing later on, there really wasn't anything that stuck with me from my early days; just pure enjoyment of the sport.

I started coaching at the suggestion and backing of a family member who thought I would be good at it. It turns out I am, however, I still believe that it is not my primary purpose in life and that it will become a side thing for me. At first, it was just an escape from retail life, but when I went from six students my first month as a coach to 80 in month eight, it became a financial no-brainer. Four years later and many regional, a few national, and a couple of international medals later, the decision seemed validated.

How/when did you start coaching? For you, how are they related/separate?

Coaching fencing and doing fencing are massively different skill sets. To coach well, you have to have a wide variety of interpersonal skills attached to both a technical and theoretical knowledge of fencing. To fence well, you just have to let the coach (if they are good) program your body and mind to the material and then improve yourself physically and mentally. You don't cognitively have to "know" much of anything to be a good fencer; you just have to have good focus, a desire to win, and the ability to improve yourself physically and mentally.

What is your philosophy when it comes to coaching adults?

My philosophy of coaching adults is fairly similar to coaching kids. Fencing is fun and I want everyone to enjoy it. The difference is that adults fence for many different reasons where kids really only fence for one to three reasons. My job as an adult coach is to facilitate the general development of the group while recognizing each individual's reason for being there and help them to best fulfill their desire while keeping the balance of the group positive and encouraging.

I'm different from most other fencing coaches in a lot of ways. The first one is that I really never had a successful career prior to coaching. I started coaching without any formal training both as a coach or an athlete. I basically pieced everything I saw together and made something of it, and in doing so, I learned enough to give something to everyone at every level. Another way I am different is that I am completely detached emotionally and egotistically from my student's results. I believe that in a competition, what comes out of the athlete performance-wise is a direct product of what they have learned, practiced, and conditioned at practice. The athlete must learn to stand on their own with the knowledge and training that has been given them. Their failure is their own as are their successes. I get no personal satisfaction from a student's win and feel no disappointment with poor performance.

How are you different from other fencing coaches? What do you think is your expertise within weapons?

My expertise as a saber coach is in being able to give a wide variety of lessons both systematic and skill-based and to be able to play "fencing doctor" to any athlete to help diagnose and improve some aspect of their game immediately.

Do you have any cool, offbeat, or fun hobbies?

I haven't had many hobbies in the last few years, however, I recently took up boxing. Other fun facts — I'm a former chamber quartet cellist, I used to sing in a barbershop quartet, I'm a scratch golfer, and I was a competitive chess player for 15 years. I like to watch the World Rally Championship in my downtime, and rally racing is my second most-watched sport after fencing.

Catch Coach Chris in action here and fencing with a dramatic finish here.

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