# March travel plans with a 17y.o. fencing phenom



## Melensdad

So the lovely Mrs Bob and I have things 98% confirmed for travel plans for this month with Dasha our near Olympic level fencing student.

*100% confirmed:*  Melen, the lovely Mrs_Bob, Dasha & myself are flying to San Francisco with Dasha on March 12, staying in that area until March 16.  While we are there we will visit Stanford University to tour the campus and meet the saber coach for their division 1 team.  We plan to be there for 3 full days, 2 of which are just 'tourist' days to see the San Fran area as its an area that my family has never visited so Dasha gets to travel with us ... whether she wants to or not!  

March 16 we will fly to Los Angeles and then car to Anaheim.  Dasha will be competing in the USFA "SJCC" Super Junior tournament on Sunday March 17.  It's technically a regional event but has national/international competitors.  It is the 2nd largest and 2nd most competitive event she has seen since she has been in the United States.  I'm hoping she makes the Top 16.  I think it's possible that she could make the Top 16 if she is fencing well that day.  Sadly she is out of practice, she used to practice 5 days a week, now only about 2 to 3 days per week.  

March 18 we fly home to Chicago.



*96% confirmed*:  March 22 we fly to Boston.  Campus visits, and fencing coach meetings, with Tufts, Harvard and MIT.  
'
March 27 we are at YALE for a campus & fencing team visit.

March 28-30 we are in New York City visiting Columbia and NYU for campus & fencing team visits.



*98% Confirmed:*  It looks like the lovely Mrs_Bob and myself may be meeting Dasha's mom.  Dasha's mother has moved from Moscow to Kiev.  I have never met Dasha's mom but do trade emails with her and have been on conference calls with her.   As I understand it she will probably be flying to Boston to meet us in Boston and go with us to New York.



*85% chance of happening?*   By mid month we should know if Dasha is moving to Boston for high school next year.  Honestly I'll take her to the airport to see her off to her new home but I'll also very likely cry like a baby when she leaves.  And I do believe she is going to transfer high schools and I don't blame her and I fully support it.  This has been a wild ride for me "coaching" a near olympic level athlete _but at some point the ride needs to end and for the good of this athlete it should end with a transfer to a new school where she has access to a high level fencing club with a real coach where she can practice 5 days each week._  But I do believe that she will remember me and my family 



*100% True Fun Fact:*  Found out by accident that Dasha and I both have the same birthday!  Almost 40 years apart, but the same month & day.



Pictures just for fun ...


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## Doc

Sounds like a busy and fun time.   Best wishes for you all.

No doubt in my mind Dasha will remember you and your family and all that you've done for her.   You have made a huge impact on this young lady's life.  What a good feeling that must be for you.


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## Melensdad

Doc said:


> ...
> No doubt in my mind Dasha will remember you and your family ...



Well I think she probably will too.

I'm not good enough to coach her in fencing, I clearly have nothing to teach her.  She still trusts me as a 'strip coach' at tournaments, which I suppose means I've learned a lot this year because I can see some of her mistakes and some mistakes her opponents make and point those out to her during bouts.  _Seriously, this girl is nearly Olympic level and my qualifications are that I don't suck as bad as some of the other high school coaches!  _I think my biggest qualification is that, unlike some other coaches, I'm not lying to her to boost up my team's winning record and I actively try to get her the best coaching I can arrange for her practices.  So perhaps that is why she trusts me?

But what I lack in fencing skills has been made up in other ways.  Today the lovely Mrs_Bob and I will be meeting her to help her with letters to colleges, to help her transfer to a high school in Boston, and to work on travel plans for the East Coast trip we are finalizing.  We will also take her a medium size suitcase for our travel to the West Coast.  Pretty rare, I suppose to spend the better part of a month traveling with the child of a stranger, but that is what we are doing.  And clearly we've spent a good bit of time with her over the past several months.  She's coming to our house for Easter dinner, may stay with us for a week this summer between the end of school and a fencing camp she hopes to attend, etc etc etc.    

Dasha has definitely become another "daughter" in the family.


More photos ... just for the fun of it


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## Doc

I do believe the really talented folks need quality people like you to help guide them through all the 'other' stuff.  You might not be able to 'coach' her talent , but you are guiding her and helping her make wise decisions that will impact her the rest of her life.  Kudos to you, the lovely Mrs Bob and Melen for welcoming her in your home and taking the time and travel to help this young lady make the most of her talent.


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## Melensdad

So it looks like there may be some travel plan changes.

The WEST COAST trip is still 100% confirmed.

The EAST COAST trip is now in some level of limbo.

The foreign exchange student program is balking about paying for the lovely Mrs_Bob & I to travel, despite the fact that they said they were not only willing to pay, but they were also willing to book the flights & hotels.  I understand they have some concerns.  I'm not here to argue.

So until that all gets figured out we have told Dasha & her mom that we will make all the arrangements but as Dasha's mom is planning to fly in for the same trip, we will sit out and Dasha & her mom can make the visits.  If the program changes its mind and pays for us, then we go, but honestly its silly to have a parent + a chaperone on the same trip.

So we now have campus visits lined up.  We have letters to fencing coaches dispatched and we are working on follow up phone calls to the same coaches.  

No hard feelings either way as to whether or not we go to Boston/New York.


Photos for fun, again ...


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## Melensdad

Melensdad said:


> ...
> 
> *96% confirmed*:  March 22 we fly to Boston.  Campus visits, and fencing coach meetings, with Tufts, Harvard and MIT.
> '
> March 27 we are at YALE for a campus & fencing team visit.
> 
> March 28-30 we are in New York City visiting Columbia and NYU for campus & fencing team visits.
> 
> ...



So this leg of our travel plans have now been cancelled.  

We already have campus meetings set up so I need to cancel those meeting.  

Unfortunately we could not get everything lined up with the foreign student exchange program.


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## Melensdad

And tonight at the awards banquet Dasha got an award


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## Melensdad

From San Francisco/Stanford University

Got here Tuesday evening.  Departing this morning.

Despite a run in with a Berkley resident and a couple trips through Haight-Ashbury the whole family is unscathed, free thinking and un-buggered. 

Melen flies back to Chicago in time for a southside snowstorm, she returns to law school Sunday as classes resume Monday morning..  The lovely Mrs_Bob & I will accompany Dasha south to Anaheim so she can compete in the SJCC event tomorrow.  We fly back to Chicago Monday evening.

Most of the pictures are right side up!


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## Melensdad

Sad day yesterday at the competition.  It’s clear that her skills have declined since joining the high school team because she does not get enough top level competition.  She needs to move to a new area where she can have local access to a high level fencing club with multiple top rated fencers.  That is simply not possible on the far south side of Chicago.  

On the bright side she fenced well enough to earn her first Junior National Points.  That is a good thing for improving her chances with college recruiters.  Sadly she fenced badly and only placed 21st.  I was hoping for something in the top 16 spots.  She was hoping for top 8. 

The rest of the day was fun. 

We fly home to Chicago this evening.


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## Doc

Thanks for taking us along by sharing your pics Bob.   Awesome!!!!!


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## Melensdad

Back home again in Indiana 

Melen is back at law school in Bloomington

Dasha is back at high school

California's landscape is beautiful, but California is a cesspool of filth and poverty.  Honestly many parts seemed like a 3rd world country.  Homeless people everywhere, and I mean all over the place.  Camps of homeless in tents by the highways.  People sleeping on the ground in front of Disneyland.  Supermarket parking lots with homeless in San Francisco.  Could not go a mile without seeing people is desperate shape.  Regulations are apparently keeping prices so damn high on everything that it keeps them all in poverty ... the highest rate of poverty of any state in the nation.  Chiraq has nothing on the state of California for being a total S#!th0le.


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## Melensdad

FWIW I never claimed to be a good influence on minors.

Here is a photo of me in front of a strip joint in Hollywood and one of Dasha in front of one of California's pot shops.  We finished that night with a FATBURGER  

Travel with me and you get to see all the best places


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## Jim_S RIP

Doc said:


> Thanks for taking us along by sharing your pics Bob.   Awesome!!!!!



Same here. THANKS!


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## EastTexFrank

jim slagle said:


> Same here. THANKS!



What they said before me.


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## Doc

Next time try to get some pics from inside the strip club.


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## NorthernRedneck

Doc said:


> Next time try to get some pics from inside the strip club.


What he said. 

Canadian eh!!!


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## Melensdad

Doc said:


> Next time try to get some pics from inside the strip club.



I didn't think those photos were allowed


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## Melensdad

So our travel plans for next week to take Dasha to Boston/New York are not happening.

Honestly I'm not unhappy about that.

Dasha will still go, but she will meet her mother in Boston.  Mom is flying in from Kiev, Ukraine.  We gave Dasha & her mom the itinerary and travel information.  Dasha really wanted to go home for a week.  Dasha really needs to visit the schools.  Having her mom fly into meet her is the best compromise.


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## Melensdad

Dasha & her mom are in Boston now.  They have been trading texts and emails with me all day.


Dasha visited BOSTON COLLEGE and was not impressed.

She also visited WELLESLEY COLLEGE and was not impressed.

The good thing about Wellesley is they share classes with MIT so if Dasha is not accepted at MIT but is accepted at Wellesley she could still get an MIT education.  The fencing coach at Wellesley is very interested in meeting with Dasha and is aware that Dasha needs a big scholarship to pay for school.

I'm not surprised Dasha didn't like either school.  Its cold in Boston, its Sunday so the campus is pretty much closed.  If she would have gone on a day when she could have gotten a real tour, gotten into the buildings, and talked to students she might have a different impression.

She couldn't get into dining halls, couldn't meet with coaches, couldn't get to see anyone from Admissions or Financial Aid.  But neither of those two schools are high on her list of choices.  She went to see them because they are there.  Tomorrow & Tuesday she will visit MIT and Harvard.  If she has time she will also go to Tufts.

Lake photo is at Wellesley.  Photo in front of the old building is at Boston College.


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## Melensdad

Dasha is at MIT and likes this campus


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## Melensdad

Just a couple updates.

Dasha visited Harvard and very much liked it.  But she was unable to tour the fencing facilities.  The coach and the team were, if I understood correctly, not on campus and the facility was closed.  Photo below is at Harvard.

She played telephone tag with the fencing coach from M.I.T. but never got to actually meet with the coach.  She did get to tour the M.I.T. fencing facility.

Tuesday evening they traveled from Boston southwest to New Haven, Conn and then toured Yale on Wednesday.  Dasha was not impressed with their engineering or their computer science offerings.  Looks like Yale has been crossed off the list of schools she will consider.  She and her mom check in/update me daily and send me a picture with Dasha in front of some building or sign from the campus.  Didn't even bother to send a photo from Yale so that says something about Dasha's feelings about Yale.

Wednesday evening she arrived in New York City.  Today & Friday she will visit Columbia & NYU.  Emails have previously been dispatched to the fencing coaches at both schools, hopefully she can see the NYU fencing facilities.  If I understand it correctly, there are no large centralized fencing facility at Columbia, rather they utilize a couple local fencing clubs for their training facilities so not sure how to advise Dasha, but she will at, very least, try to meet up with the Columbia coaches.


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## Melensdad

Melensdad said:


> So the lovely Mrs Bob and I have things 98% confirmed for travel plans for this month with Dasha our near Olympic level fencing student.
> 
> *100% confirmed:* * Melen*, the lovely Mrs_Bob, Dasha & myself are flying to San Francisco with Dasha on March 12, staying in that area until March 16.  While we are there we will visit Stanford University to tour the campus and meet the saber coach for their division 1 team.  We plan to be there for 3 full days, 2 of which are just 'tourist' days to see the San Fran area as its an area that my family has never visited so Dasha gets to travel with us ... whether she wants to or not!
> 
> ...



Another update ... this time about Melen 

One of the reasons that Melen went on the SanFrancisco trip with us is because she received a job offer from CISCO Systems, which is headquartered just a few miles south of San Francisco and adjacent to Stanford's campus.

*This morning Melen accepted the job offer with CISCO* 

To be honest, CISCO was her 2nd choice job.  She was hoping for Cummins Diesel.  They have not gotten back to her and time is running out on her ability to reply to CISCO so she gave up on Cummins and accepted CISCO.

In my humble opinion, given the very specific type of law that Melen wants to practice, the CISCO job is probably the better job for her to take.  So professionally I believe this is the right choice.  Emotionally I'm not happy with her being so far away from us again and neither is the lovely Mrs_Bob.  So its a mixed bag with this job.  Good for her, not so great for us?


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## Melensdad

Going to visit *NOTRE DAME* with Dasha but date is not set.  Possibly April 16???

We are trying to find a date that will work but the available dates are filling up pretty quickly and our time is running out before finals and standardized testing is scheduled for some weekends.  The school also, being Catholic, limits tours due to Palm Sunday, Easter weekend, etc.  

Notre Dame has one of the best teams in the nation.  ACC Championships.  Several individual NCAA champions.  Several Olympians.  So it would be good to get her there.  Might have to pull her out of school mid-week some week to make the trip?



We also are hoping to get the *DUKE* and University of *N.C. Chapel Hill*.  Both have pretty strong fencing teams, both have good computer science programs and pretty good engineering.  So she should visit both of those schools too.  Unfortunately the lovely Mrs_Bob and I have travel plans with Melen to move her to California so that will eat up a couple weeks in May.  Dasha will be moving to Boston in early June?   June might be the only practical time to try to get in a North Carolina trip ... not sure if she would be able to fly in from Boston to meet us in Raleigh and pull off a N.C. 2 college visit.  

Running out of time with our 'adopted' daughter!


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## Melensdad

Just a follow up.

*Notre Dame University tomorrow.*  Probably pictures tomorrow too?  

We have a meeting set up with the #1 fencing coach of the #1 women's fencing team, and ACC and NCAA #1 overall fencing team in the USA tomorrow at NOON.  After the meeting we take a campus tour at 2pm.  After the campus tour we visit Admissions and Financial Aid.  After that we go back to meet the fencing team, watch their practice, etc.


Still trying to figure out a visit to UNC-Chapel Hill and DUKE universities.  Not sure that is going to happen.


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## Doc

Congrats to Mel  Sounds like you will getting more frequent flyer miles.


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## Melensdad

Doc said:


> Congrats to Mel * Sounds like you will getting more frequent flyer miles.*



Actually we have been USING them to fly for free/cheap


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## Melensdad

Notre Dame University visit today.  Nearly 3 hours with the coach, follow up meeting at Summer Nationals, and she got invited back for a 2 day visit as soon as the school year starts so she can attend classes and visit with the team.  Coach told her he will basically get her into the school, wants her on the team, but didn't promise any scholarship.  We also went to the orientation, campus tour, ate at one of the dining halls, etc etc...  Great day for her.  

Notre Dame was her first choice school when she arrived in the US, then it completely fell off her list of choices.  Now after visiting a bunch of schools, and spending the day on campus today, it seems to have elevated into the top 5 choices.


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## Melensdad

Looks like Notre Dame likes Dasha... at least the head coach does.  

He is looking for some scholarship $$$

This arrived last evening!


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## Bamby

Shes is really lucky you've chosen to take her under your wing. I full well know that my parents could't have helped me financially as far as your help has allowed her to go.

But I've a question on sports such as this sport. Where is the money and the financial rewards for their dedication to the sport. In ordinary sports a person could turn pro but fencing, swimming and some others where do the rewards kick in to feed and cloth yourself and keep a roof over your head. 

Or is all the effort and training come to nothing in the end?


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## Doc

Just my opinion but I think all sports help us develop and grow in ways we would not have otherwise.  No financial benefit.  Like many others, I played baseball and basketball when I was young.  I rowed on my HS crew team for four years.  Got to travel and see things that I otherwise wouldn't have.  I learned teamwork and comradery.   Baseball skills transferred into adult softball and helped me make friendships at work and in community.    I've also coached baseball, girls softball and youth basketball to help share my skills with young teams when my kids were growing up.   

I feel there are and were many rewards for me because of sports, but none of them fed me or clothed me or put a roof over my head.

If Dasha's skills help pay for her college education that in itself is a huge financial benefit, besides the other benefits she will get from excelling in her sport.


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## Melensdad

Scholarships, which are rare and limited by NCAA rules, are likely the biggest financial reward. A few are under contract to NIKE yo endorse their shoes but I doubt it pays much. Mostly it costs money.


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## Melensdad

Today is the day we send Dasha away to Boston.

We've been spending a lot of time with her these last 3 weeks of school.  She's been spending as many nights at our home as possible.  Taking her to family events, attempting to teach her how to play Putt Putt Golf, visiting some of Chicago's less seen sights and various local neighborhoods and haunts.

Dasha gets on an airplane today at 2pm to fly off to Boston.  

Her next coach is someone I'm in pretty close contact with and he is aware of her current fencing issues that need some extra attention.  His club can provide what my club cannot.  He has several high level fencers who can challenge Dasha and his club is open 7 days per week for this month as his fencers train to attend the National Championships.  He even arranged for her to live with a family that is within walking distance to the school she will attend and the fencing club.

The lovely Mrs_Bob and I will see her again in 1 month when we pick her up at the airport and take her to the National Championships.  I expect that her fencing will be better 30 days from today than it is today because I've seen her skills drop due to lack of local competition.  

After the competition she will return to Boston, then to Moscow and Kiev to renew her visas.  She will return to Boston in August to start her senior year of high school.  We will see her at some tournaments, and she may "come home" for some of the holidays?   It feels like we are sending our "daughter" off to a distant college.  

Pictures from the past couple of weeks.  The guy in the photos with close cut black hair & beard is my friend Charlie Rohrlack, he has helped immensely with her coaching.  He is a top US saber fencer, has been ranked as high as 13th in the US, has fenced internationally with the US National Team, earned a medal at every North American Cup event he entered and is a solid tactics coach.  I owe him a great deal of gratitude for his assistance.


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## pirate_girl

Best of luck to Dasha!
At this point she could write a book about her travels and experience in America.
I hope she keeps a journal.


Bob, the upside down pics arghhh! Lol
Now sideways isn't so bad.
My phone goes flip flop.


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## Melensdad

Didn't want to start a new thread just for an update.  Figured this post 'qualifies' as travel with a fencing phenom...

I picked up Dasha at Chicago's Midway Airport yesterday, she flew in from Boston.  Yesterday evening I took her to Notre Dame University for her "official" NCAA recruitment visit.  Technically I took her to a hotel room across the street from campus and checked her into a hotel under my name (_as she is still 17_).  No NCAA rules were broken.  

After checking her in and taking her to dinner I drove back home*.  This morning she starts her official visit.  She will meet with the coach and team.  She will be 'shadowing' a team member during some classes, attending a practice (_not allowed to actually practice_) and then spending friday night on campus with one of female fencers.  Saturday the lovely Mrs_Bob and I return to campus to pick her up. We are also attending the football game.  I arranged to take her to a 'tailgate party' in the parking lot outside the game with some guys I know who raise funds for scholarships.  My brother is an alum of N.D. and he is going to walk her around a bit and talk to her about campus life, etc.  

Saturday evening we return home.  Sunday she goes back to the airport for an afternoon return flight to Boston.  

_* home is a bit less than a 90 minute drive from campus, but there is a 1 hour time change.  I live in Central Time Zone and N.D. is on Eastern Time.  She needed to be on campus fairly early this morning.  Given the 90 min drive + 1 hour 'lost' for time change I didn't want to wake up pre-dawn to drive her 90 minutes into a glaring sunrise    It was just easier to drop her at a hotel last night.  _​
I'm hoping this official visit moves Notre Dame to the top of her list.  Currently she still favors Stanford as her 'dream' school.  She likes a couple east coast schools.  Notre Dame is in her top 5.  Not sure which schools may accept her; N.D. seems to like her because they are recruiting her.  It would have her close enough to 'home' that she could visit for holidays.


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## Melensdad

Had a great meeting with the ND coach on Saturday.  He pretty much guaranteed me that he could get Dasha into ND with her academics and he pretty much guaranteed me that he can get her a decent scholarship.   And I'm not her parent so I'm just a conduit for all of this and coach really needs to have a real conversation with her mom.  I've already written to Dasha's mom, she has already replied and everything is now in process for her to call coach with the background information I provided.  I believe that Dasha still prefers to attend Stanford or Columbia if either is possible, but Notre Dame is very close to the top of her list.

Dasha was escorted down to the sidelines of the ND -v- Virginia football game.  She got to see the opening kickoff from the sidelines.  She then went into the student section of the stands to sit with some of the fencers she met on the team for the first quarter.  She joined us during the second quarter of the game.

Put her on an airplane this afternoon to return to Boston.  We will see her again in early November in Milwaukee and she is invited for Thanksgiving, but we don't know if she will be able to make it back here for the holiday.

She is wearing a yellow jacket on the sidelines, the coach is wearing a white shirt.  When it was time for the kick they moved farther up the field so they had a better view.


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## Jim_S RIP

Bob, she wouldn’t be there if it wasn't for all your good work!


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## Melensdad

jim slagle said:


> Bob, she wouldn’t be there if it wasn't for all your good work!


Thanks.  What I did was the easy stuff, mostly a glorified chauffeur.  She did the hard work being an amazing fencer and brilliant student.  

I'm hoping she goes to Notre Dame because she will be close to 'home' but the reality is I hope she gets a chance to go to Stanford simply because that is her dream school.  Notre Dame will push her hard for fencing, perhaps harder than she wants to work at fencing in college.  Stanford's team is less competitive and will allow her to spend more time on studies.  The way I see it she now has her one of her top choices so she can spend some time working on getting into her dream choice.

And her former high school coach pretty much hates me for helping to make things happen.  Apparently I don't know what I'm talking about most of the time and I should not be allowed to influence teenagers.


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## Jim_S RIP

If her former high school coach would look in the mirror she would see who is really the problem.


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## Melensdad

Or the mirror would break.


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## Melensdad

Got an email today from the ND coach and am hopeful that the money can be found for Dasha.  Coach asked me to get in touch with her mom and explain a few things, I sent off an email to her yesterday.  Her mom and the coach had a conversation today.  I think there is a pretty good chance for coming up with the funding that she needs now that the coach understands what her family can contribute.

Now to see if other universities can compete.


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## Melensdad

Leaving for Milwaukee this afternoon.  I've got 5 of 'my kids' fencing in the North American Challenge this weekend.

Kevin & Mateo compete in Mens Junior Saber today.

Dasha & Lexi compete Women's Junior Saber on Saturday.

Dominic competes in Men's Junior Epee on Monday.

The "junior" category is among the most competitive in the US as many of our top NCAA collegiate fencers, some of our US National Team members, Olympic Team members, etc.  So odds of any of these kids finishing in the medals is slim.  Dasha has potential to finish in the "Top 32" but it will be tough to get that high.  Dominic, fencing Epee, has the potential to get higher up than the other boys but I don't expect him to be in the Top 32.


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## pirate_girl

Good luck to all of them.
Gooooo Dasha!


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## Melensdad

Dominic is fencing his epee pool bouts now.

Kevin and Mateo did about as well as expected, which was not great.  This is an amazingly tough event.

Lexi made it into the DE rounds but lost her first DE bout, which was also expected, she is determined and I give her huge credit for that.  Dasha advanced to the 2nd round but was taken down by a girl who simply was better.  Dasha fenced well, no major mistakes, very few minor mistakes.  Her competitor was ranked higher and was just better.  

On the bright side I did spend some time with the ND coach and he asked for more info from her and has money for her.  She has already sent what he requested.  UNC-Chapel Hill watched her fence, spoke with her after the event and is interested.  

We got to see our 'adopted' daughter again, so that was good.  We all got a lovely dinner at THE ODD DUCK restaurant in Milwaukee and I can highly recommend it.  But it is loud and trendy.  Still the food was excellent and prices very reasonable.  She is confused about universities and the whole American process of acceptance and aid.  I understand that, especially given that she is getting comments/advice from many sources.


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## Melensdad

Don just got knocked out of the competition.  But he and I go to Peoria next weekend for another event.  

Pictures so far...

Kevin fencing men’s saber

Dasha at the airport

Lexi in women’s saber

Dasha With us and in woman’s saber


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## Melensdad

Just an update on this.

I still communicate with Dasha most every day.  Over the past week+ its been a constant stream as she has needed help with some of her high school finals and also she has been finishing up her college admissions.

Yesterday I was contacted by a top college coach (_NCAA multi year champion_) and was told that he didn't need my letter of recommendation.  He had already gotten her cleared with the admissions and financial aid offices.  She's just a formality now, her paperwork will clear and she will be in with a generous package.  

2 days ago the coach at another top college with nearly as impressive a record indicated that she will be sending admissions a letter on Dasha's behalf for admissions (_no mention to me of scholarship $_).  

I don't know most of the top NCAA coaches well enough to get messages like this, but these 2 schools are in Dasha's top 5 choices.  I doubt any other school coach will preemptively contact me with information about her.  This is all 'unofficial' as a coach cannot definitively say that a student is in, nor can a coach promise $, but typically if a coach is talking to another coach, and says it plainly and clearly, then its a done deal and the admissions and financial departments have already approved it. 

Both of these schools are elite universities, she will get the best education possible if she chooses either of them.  Both have elite level fencing programs, she will get the best possible fencing if she chooses either of them.

Again, no guarantee, all unofficial, but these are very good signs indeed


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## Melensdad

Dasha begins the Junior Women’s Saber event in Charlotte, NC in a few minutes.  She is currently ranked 55th in the nation in this division and 49th going into this morning’s event.  

I’m not with her today.  Didn’t plan to be there.  We are all sad about that.  But Melen needs to be moved home from San Jose and Marcia & Mel are in CA.  I’m home to attend my aunt’s funeral today. I’ll meet up with Marcia & Mel in Bloomington at her IU apartment.  

This is the last major event in the US for Dasha that the college coaches will see.  Last chance to impress.  I’m holding out hope for a Top 32 finish but Top 64 is realistic.  Tough field.  Biggest event nationally and most of the US National Team (minus our US Olympic squad) will be fencing today.  

Monday she competes again, but it is an Open event in Division 1 so she will also face our US Olympians, former Olympians, etc.  she is currently seeded 67th for that tougher event.  

None of my other fencers are at this event.  Dominic, my A rated Epeeist will compete next month in the Junior Olympics.  

Photo added for fun, it’s from New Years Eve (she got her nose pierced)


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## Melensdad

Melensdad said:


> ...
> 
> This is the last major event in the US for Dasha that the college coaches will see.  Last chance to impress.  I’m holding out hope for a Top 32 finish but Top 64 is realistic.  Tough field.  Biggest event nationally and most of the US National Team (minus our US Olympic squad) will be fencing today.
> 
> ...



TOP 32 FINISH TODAY 

Came in 29th.  She will move up the national rankings, she went in 55th.  This is good for a nice little bump.  More college coaches approached her today too.  A coach friend of mine was watching her for me, he said she was relaxed, in control and fenced with grace.  Dasha told me she felt good about her fencing today.  

Photo below taken just before she destroyed a girl 15-3 in a direct elimination bout.  

I have to say I'm thrilled with a Top 32 finish.  It's a major achievement.  Monday will be tougher competition.  Basically the same people as today, but add in our Olympic team and more members of our US National team and more top NCAA fencers too.  A top 32 in Monday's event would be even more astounding but I'm not going to get my hopes up.


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## Jim_S RIP

We’re all thrilled that she finished in the top 32!


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## Melensdad

So for those who have been following along, Dasha is now living in a suburb of Boston.  She stays in contact with me and has traveled with my family this season to events.  We were planning to travel together to the big April fencing event in St Louis ... but all the events are cancelled/postponed until further notice.

Dasha has another problem.  *Her student visa expires in a couple months. * While her mom is from the Ukraine and lives there, Dasha's citizenship is Russian.  Her parents divorced the year before Dasha moved to the USA and then her mom moved from Russia back to her family in the Ukraine.  

Trying to untangle this mess from afar but it appears that the US State Department is anticipating problems like this and is prepared to extend student visa.  At this time we simply don't know the process to request the extension.  

Our concern is that if she flies back to Moscow, which she has had to do in the past to renew her visa, she will then not be allowed back into the USA because of the Covid-19 travel restrictions.  At this point I am advising her mother to keep her in the USA.  *She has already been accepted to the University of NOTRE DAME* and I think it's harder to find a kid and kick them out than it is to deny entry to a foreigner who is not on our soil.  With any luck we can get this all figured out well in advance and it won't become a problem.  Just don't want to wait until the last minute.


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## Melensdad

So it’s now a couple years later.  Dasha is a college freshman, varsity on the Notre Dame team.

ND won the nation championship, set a record for the most wins during an NCAA championship, won 4 individual trophies too.  Not a bad weekend for a freshman.

I’ll be on campus in a couple days.  She will be back here for the duration of Easter break.


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## Melensdad

They left me unattended so I took a photo with the NCAA trophy and I’m taking credit for the win!


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## pirate_girl

Melensdad said:


> They left me unattended so I took a photo with the NCAA trophy and I’m taking credit for the win! View attachment 136417


I stood on my head to see the photo.
Good job, Dasha!


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## Melensdad

pirate_girl said:


> I stood on my head to see the photo.
> Good job, Dasha!


No.  I'm taking credit for the win


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## Melensdad

Dasha won MOST IMPROVED FENCER on the Notre Dame team.  I spent most of the day on campus with her today but had to leave before tonight’s award ceremony.  

And honestly this photo was not taken upside down!


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## Melensdad

bigshell said:


> How are the guys doing now? What news? The academic year is upon them!


Practice started last week.  They had team equipment day when they got all their new equipment, about 10 days ago.  Dasha was chosen by the school to attend a leadership camp, which was last weekend.  Classes have been going on for 2 weeks.


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