In Support of MFA coach Hristo Etropolski

Hristo is a great person and a coach

Sign the petition

Fencing is a great opportunity that should be open to all, and this man has given a gift to many people, young and older alike, to express themselves in a creative and athletic way

Hope this is still an ongoing effort - fencing needs this kind of advocacy and energy!

Fully support. Hristo is one of the best fencing coaches and has done an enormous amount of work to promote the sport of fencing in Chicago.

Fully supporting the request.

I am 16 years old, and have been fencing saber at MFA for 8 years. I am honored to have represented the USA in international competitions in addition to competing domestically. It is an undeniable fact that without my fencing coach, Hristo Etropolski, I would not be the fencer I am. Hristo is very important to me progressing as a fencer, and my future international goals. There are many young boys and girls, like me, who look up to Hristo, and depend on him to train them in the wonderful sport of fencing.

700 signatures in a week isn't a bad showing, but we can get to 1000!

I'm 12 years old and have been working with Hristo. I have to say, I have improved drastically. I believe losing Hristo would be a huge mistake.

My son has told me the same thing as his friend says here, and we need to listen to the tone here. Hristo is not just an expert coach who knows how to teach the kids how to move. He is someone who has taught them how to think in competition, and someone who inspires them to do their best. All these kids have had other coaches, and they know and feel how rare it is to have a coach like Hristo. That some legal technicality could take that opportunity away from them makes them feel cheated. It teaches them that however hard someone works--how hard they work--a faceless government agency can take it all away. This is not the lesson we want them to learn.

About 200 signatures on the first day--good start! Friends, do invite your friends! Let them know what we might all be missing.

The loss of Coach Hristo Etropolski from U.S. saber fencing would be a devastating blow to the national saber fencing community as a whole; it would effectively halt the development of our Midwest youth in the sport, closing the doors to their ability to compete regionally, nationally, and internationally, as there simply is no other coach of Hristo’s caliber available to young saber fencers outside of the university setting in the entire Midwest region. Our fencers’ opportunities to develop and compete for college scholarships and in college, in a sport which many individuals continue well into adulthood, would certainly be ended. The loss of the talent, dedication, and passion that both Hristo and our young athletes bring to saber fencing would be a heartbreaking one for all concerned, as he and they represent the U.S. in this sport in the very best way possible. Paula Lemay [email protected]

Can someone get this on the USFA site?

Leaders in Illinois and our country need to act to keep immigrants like Hristo from leaving our country. Our strength and competitiveness depend on it. I have so much admiration for his and many other immigrants accomplishments. Like many successful immigrants, Hristo came to our country with valuable knowledge and skills and a fantastic attitude and work ethic. In short order, he established the most respected and largest saber club in the Midwest. He has used his considerable knowledge and coaching skills to develop many nationally ranked fencers along with several who are among the best in the world and, at least one, who will likely represent the US in the next Olympics. Many of his fencers can trace their critical scholarships or entry into competitive universities back to Hristo and the success that he has helped them achieve in fencing and in other areas of their life. Despite his success, he has continued to tirelessly introduce many young boys and girls throughout Chicagoland to the wonderful sport of saber fencing, an Olympic sport popular in many countries and on the East Coast. Serious fencers throughout Chicagoland drive long distances to learn and train with him and their college scholarship and national or world championship dreams will likely be derailed by his senseless deportation. The growth of fencing in Chicagoland and the Midwest is very important. Being on an athletic team has so many well documented benefits but not all kids are attracted to mainstream sports and many are not big enough or strong enough. Fencing is often described as physical chess. It attracts bright kids in all shapes and sizes who thrive in the supportive, positive culture of the fencing community. These bright kids and hard working, entrepreneurial immigrants are critical to our region and our country's future. Please intervene to stop Hristo' deportation. Anne Mastrapa - mom of two fencers (12 & 15 yr old)

I have a daughter who is on the US Senior Sabre team--the Olympics team....ranked #3 in the country and #7 in the world--thanks largely to Hristo Etropolski. He started working with her at the age of 10 in 2000, helped her through regionals and nationals, and helped her, thru her fencing, gain admittance to Princeton, where she was NCAA Champion, 4 time All American, and led Princeton to their first national championship. She is thriving while fencing around the world, representing the US. NONE of this would have happened without Hristo. I have a son who also fenced with Hristo, won multiple national awards and was highly ranked nationally, earned admission to Princeton, fenced on the national championship Princeton team, and went All American. Thanks to Hristo. And I have another daughter who is an international fencer, was ranked #3 in juniors in the country, has won many international medals, and just finished on the Junior World Championship team--and won the bronze medal at the World Championships, making her #3 in the world in juniors. She also fences for Princeton and is a two-time All American. Again, not possible without Hristo Etropolski. This is what Hristo accomplishes with kids. There are many others, many of whom gained entry into Princeton, Duke, Penn State, Ohio State, Penn--all with the help of fencing and Hristo. Beyond fencing, he develops a community--great kids, focused, hard-working, aiming to achieve. My kids not only received great fencing educations--learning how to win, lose, work hard, achieve, lead, follow--but they are getting great academic educations. Fencing helps open doors to the top universities in the nation, but only if one is a top-ranked fencer. Hristo has developed them over and over again. Chicago and the fencing community need Hristo. He cannot be replaced in the Chicago fencing community. There are only a handful of sabre coaches of his caliber in the world. The US can't afford to let thi

We urge our Representatives to keep Mr. Etropolski in the US. His contributions to US and Midwest society are considerable, training a generation of world class sabre fencers, opening the door for prestigious university scholarships, and developing young midwestern talent in fencing. There is no replacement for what he has built and what he offers our local young people. My 12 year old son is privileged to be training with Hristo - learning discipline, excellence and focus. He dreams of competing as he becomes a teenager and hopes for university fencing scholarships to study science and engineering. These dreams will die without Hristo's Midwest Fencing Academy. His contribution to the fencing landscape is notable - he is a world class leader in the field. As one young fencer noted, "For the majority of our club, it will be the end of our fencing careers, the end of our Olympic goals, and the end of our sense of pride in representing the U.S. at international tournaments." Hristo has built one of the leading sabre clubs in North America, known internationally, offering a rare and precious opportunity to young men and women of Illinois. Please keep him in the US, where his contributions to our society and to our young people are remarkable and irreplaceable. His kind of contributions are what citizenship are all about - please keep him here in our community and our country. Drs. Ann and David Gunkel, Stanislaw Gunkel, 12 years old Chicago, Illinois

I am 15 years old and have been fencing for seven years. Thanks to Hristo’s coaching I have won two silver medals at U.S. National Competitions. For me, fencing is the only sport that I have been developing for many years and now I will be left to struggle to find my way alone without a coach. For the majority of our club, it will be the end of our fencing careers, the end of our Olympic goals, and the end of our sense of pride in representing the U.S. at international tournaments. Please help us!

Hristo is an admirable coach who has had an extraordinary impact on our son Maks in this increasingly popular and competitive sport. The Midwest Fencing Academy is by far the best fencing club in the Midwest and we are extremely satisfied with and proud of the club’s atmosphere and the good habits that Hristo develops and encourages in its members. Our family trusts wholeheartedly in Hristo and we hope that this successful coach will be able to continue his fantastic work with our son and the fencers here in Chicago. We need your help!