Club Incubator Success Story: Badger Fencing Club Rockets From Zero to 100 Members

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — When Badger Fencing Club welcomed its first students in September 2024, the club met in borrowed corners of a community center and a YMCA. Twelve months later, those early days feel almost hard to believe.

Badger Fencing Club — the first-ever club to launch through USA Fencing’s new Club Incubator Program — has grown from zero to more than 100 members in just over a year. And if you ask Head Coach and owner Brian Duckwitz, the momentum isn’t slowing anytime soon.

This remarkable rise didn’t happen by accident. It’s a story of smart partnerships, strong coaching, and a program designed to help new clubs take root and flourish.

USA Fencing launched the Club Incubator in June 2024 to help aspiring club owners overcome the toughest part of opening a new fencing facility: the beginning.

Duckwitz teamed up with Fencing Ventures a month later. By September, Badger Fencing Club opened its doors. One month later, the club had already reached profitability — a milestone many new businesses never hit in their first year.

Growth came quickly:

• 40+ members by November 2024
• A new 6,000+ square-foot facility leased in December 2024
• 56 members by spring 2025
• 86 by July 2025
• 105 by September 2025
• Today? Still climbing.

“Brian is a phenomenal coach, and his success at Badger Fencing Club shows what’s possible when great coaching is paired with the right support system,” says Jacob Wischnia of Fencing Ventures. “With strong sales and marketing behind him, rapid growth wasn’t a surprise — it was the expectation.”

Duckwitz says that partnership made the dream sustainable.

“Working with Fencing Ventures has made it possible for me to achieve my dream of owning a club and working as a fencing coach full time,” he says. “Their marketing and advertising efforts have really paid off … I could not have done this without Fencing Ventures.”

As Badger’s membership grew, Duckwitz discovered what keeps people coming back.

“A big part of what has driven our success is a focus on fun,” he says. “Using games, being a little silly, and making everyone feel welcome have all helped build an atmosphere where people are willing to take the risk of trying something new.”

His second piece of advice: embrace change.

“It’s so easy to fall into the ‘this is how we’ve always done it’ trap,” he says. “Actively seek out new approaches … Never stop learning and growing.”

The Club Incubator isn’t the only path USA Fencing offers. For existing clubs looking to accelerate their growth, the Club Accelerator Program provides a similar level of expert coaching and business support — tailored to established programs ready for the next step.

Clubs (or future club owners) interested in either program can email Tom Eisenhauer to learn more.

Badger Fencing Club’s story proves what’s possible when passion meets a plan.