acfa_banner_rounded.jpg

ACFA Coaches

Home
What is Fencing?
Fencing News
ACFA Membership Information & Dues
New Member Information
ACFA Sports Wear
Tournament Calendar
Amarillo Open
USFA Tournament Results
AC Fencing Salle
Coaches
Fencers
Teaching Assistants
Armorers
The Armory
Administration
ACFA Competitive Fencer History
Google Groups
Twitter
Nusz Guide to National Tournaments
AC Fencing Classes
AC Youth Fencing
AC Adult Class Tournament Results
AC Youth Class Tournament Results
Photo Albums
Internet Links
USFA Information
Fencing Terms Glossary
Fencing Essentials
Fencing History Index
AC Fencers Speak Out
Archives
Random Fun Stuff

picsabre33.gif

Richard Howard
RICHARD HOWARD
"Head Coach Emeritus"
 
     Coach Howard has been coaching fencing for over 30 years.  He is certified by the United States Fencing Coaches Association and the Academie d' Armes Internationale as a Moniteur D' Escrime in foil, epee and sabre.  He is also a professional member of the United States Fencing Association.
     Coach Howard was initially trained by his maternal grandfather, Mr. T. E. Anderson, who was a student of Ralph Faulkner at the Falcon Studios in the late 1920's and early 1930's.  In addition, as a young teenager, Coach Howard's grandfather placed him under the tutelage of Maestro Nick Toth in Colorado Springs in 1960.
     Coach Howard has helped develop the talent of numerous fencers, producing numerous fencers who have competed at the National Junior Olympic Championships and other national competitions, including Juleah Nusz, the 2009 Junior Women's Epee National Champion.  He is also a certified fencing referee in all three weapons.  He is also the first recipient of the "Fellow Award" from the United States Fencing Coaches Association.
     Coach Howard is retired from Amarillo College, where he taught biology for many years.   He also served as the curator of the AC Natural History Museum.  He is also a concert pianist and has composed a suite for piano called "Prairie Visions," which can be purchased at music stores in the Amarillo area.  Coach Howard was recently named "Head Coach Emeritus" of ACFA for his many years of service to fencing in Amarillo.

picepee33.gif

Chuck Slaughter
CHUCK SLAUGHTER
Head Coach
 
     Chuck Slaughter is the Head Coach and a competitive fencer with ACFA.  He has been fencing competitively since 1999.  Chuck is the coach for the Beginning and Intermediate Youth Fencing Classes in Amarillo College's "personal enrichment" department, teaching children ages 8 to 13.    He also serves as the coach for the Amarillo College adult beginning fencing class and the intermediate to advanced fencers at AC.  He is also the primary coach of Juleah Nusz, the 2009 USFA National Champion in Junior Women's Epee.
     Chuck was selected as the 2006 Volunteer Coach of the Year by the United States Fencing Association and was a National Finalist for the 2006 United States Olympic Committee Volunteer Coach of the Year Award.  He has completed his Level 1 Coaches certification in foil and epee at the United States Fencing Association's Coaches College, held at the U. S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  He has served as Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Secretary of the Plains Texas Division of the USFA.
     He is married to Gayle, and they have two children, Jared and Courtney.  He has been an Assistant District Attorney in Amarillo, Potter County, Texas, since 1989.  He is a senior prosecutor in the 108th District Court and works with local law enforcement agencies investigating child abuse in Potter County.  He is a member of the board of directors of The Bridge Children's Advocacy Center in Amarillo.

picepee33.gif

Bary Nusz

BARY NUSZ
Coach
 
     Bary is our newest coach.  Primarily an epee coach, Bary is the primary coach that assists the head coach in all of the fencing classes at Amarillo College.  Coach Nusz also serves as the Secretary of the Rocky Mountain Section of the United States Fencing Association.  He is active with a national group which promotes greater training opportunities for elite junior women epeeists.
     For the last few year, he has also served as the tournament director for all of the tournaments hosted by the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.  He also heads up ACFA's tournament committee and is the director of the Amarillo Open Fencing Tournament.
     He is employed as an engineer with Falafel Software, which is based out of Santa Cruz, California.   He is married to Aimee (a huge asset to ACFA herself) and is the father of Juleah and Derik.

picsabre33.gif

Ben Simpson

BEN SIMPSON
Coach
 
     Ben Simpson started as a Coach at ACFA after he graduated from the University of North Texas in Denton with a Degree in Music.  Ben started fencing many years ago at Amarillo College and eventually served as a Red Shirt in addition to competing.  Ben has been certified as a Moniteur D' Escrime in foil, epee and saber.  Coach Simpson assists with the AC fencing classes when he is available but his primary responsibilities are to help coach the competitive fencers.  He is the primary saber coach at ACFA.

picfoil33.gif

Jared Slaughter
JARED SLAUGHTER
Coach
 
     Coach Jared Slaughter has served as a coach at ACFA in some capacity since 2001, when he began working as a teaching assistant in the AC youth fencing classes.  He was a student at Amarillo College and Texas Tech, where he fenced competitively for ACFA first and subsequently for the Double T Fencing Club where he also served as an Assistant Coach.  He returned to Amarillo in 2009 and his coaching duties include substituting for the head coach in the AC fencing classes.  His primary weapon is foil (even though he is higher rated in epee) and he works with the foilists when available. 
     He is currently employed by McCoy Myers and Associates in Amarillo.  His dog, Bacchus, serves as one of the official therapy dogs at youth fencing tournaments hosted at Amarillo College.  He also serves as a fencing referee for tournaments in the Plains Texas Division.

picfoil33.gif

All Coaches wear black to the AC Fencing Classes so that they may be easily identified as coaches to beginning fencing students.

Amarillo College Fencing Bumper Sticker