Newark Academy’s Dan Bailey-Yavonditte Named National Fencing Coach of the Year

Newark Academy’s Dan Bailey-Yavonditte was already regarded as a top high school fencing coach in the state of New Jersey. Now he’s been recognized as the best in the country -- the USA Fencing 2020 National High School Coach of the Year. 

Dan's achievement comes after helping Newark Academy to clinch the Boys Fencing New Jersey Interscholastic Fencing Association (NJIFA) Team Tournament Title for the first time, after winning the District 3 and Prep B Championships. The second-year coach was nominated by four Minutemen fencers.

“It’s just an honor to be nominated. New Jersey has so many committed and talented high school coaches. To be selected out of the country’s coaches is pretty amazing,” Dan told USA Fencing. “I really enjoy working with high school students as a coach. That they thought well enough of their experience to nominate me is amazing. It’s their effort that makes the team what it is. It’s their hard work, their willingness to put the work into their individual fencing and supporting their teammates that make our team great … Being nominated by them is pretty cool because they’re a great bunch of kids.”
Dan was already named the NJIFA Coach of the Year for 2019-20, during which he coached sophomores Michael Pyo and Konrad Czyzewski to become USA Fencing All-Americans. Michael was named to the First Team in Foil, while Konrad was named to the Second Team for Saber.

“Coach B-Y drove us to not just be good fencers, but even better athletes,” Michael said. “He taught all of us that we have the ability to become great, and all it takes is hard work. I believe that our team really took that to heart and strived to make the coach and ourselves proud.”

Read the full press release from USA Fencing.
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