How Oregon Fencing Alliance manages 90+ athletes with Daxko Zen Planner

For a sport as specialized as fencing, strong coaching is only part of the equation. Behind the scenes, clubs still need reliable systems for attendance, billing, payroll, reporting, and parent communication. That is exactly where the right gym membership software can make a difference.

At Oregon Fencing Alliance in Portland, Oregon, those day-to-day operational needs are tied to a much bigger mission. The club has been part of the fencing community since the early 1990s, serving roughly 95 to 100 youth members primarily athletes ages 7 to 18. In addition, the club also serves adult athletes, and has helped develop high-level competitors, including Olympians. Today, the club is using Daxko Zen Planner to modernize operations and create a stronger foundation for future growth.

Oregon Fencing Alliance is not a typical gym or studio. It is a long-standing fencing club with deep competitive roots and a clear purpose: help more athletes discover fencing, develop their skills, and grow in confidence both on and off the strip.

That mission is personal for Elliott Clinton, club manager and coach at Oregon Fencing Alliance. Elliott first joined the club in 1994 as an athlete after relocating to Portland to train under a coach he believed could help him reach his Olympic goals. Decades later, he returned to the same club, this time in a leadership role.

That full-circle journey gives Elliott a rare perspective. He has seen the sport evolve, the club grow, and the business side of operations become more complex over time.

Like many long-running youth sports organizations, Oregon Fencing Alliance had experienced the limits of old-school processes and less intuitive software.

Elliott knows that reality well. He has worked in multiple fencing environments over the years, and he has seen how easily operations can get bogged down when staff are forced to manage too much by hand. Tracking attendance manually, handling billing issues one by one, sorting out payroll variations, and trying to keep communication organized all create friction.

That is why the move to gym membership software mattered.

When Oregon Fencing Alliance transitioned to Daxko Zen Planner, the goal was not simply to adopt a new platform. It was to make the business side of the club easier to manage so the team could spend more time supporting athletes and families.

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For clubs that serve young athletes, operations are rarely simple.

At Oregon Fencing Alliance, classes run six days a week. The club offers five levels of instruction, from beginner classes for first-time students to advanced training for athletes competing nationally and internationally. The team also runs private lessons, after-school programs, and classes outside the club.

That means the staff is balancing a lot at once, including:

• attendance tracking across multiple programs
• parent communication
• membership setup
• billing and receivables
• coach scheduling
• payroll with different pay rates for different responsibilities
• visibility into class participation and growth opportunities

For Elliott, effective gym membership software helps bring structure to all of that.

Since adopting Daxko Zen Planner, Elliott has seen clear improvements in the day-to-day management of the club.

Easier attendance tracking

Checking students in and monitoring class participation is a major part of the daily workflow. Elliott uses Daxko Zen Planner’s front desk tools to manage attendance and stay on top of who is showing up for classes.

That visibility matters in a youth environment, where consistency and progression are closely connected. It also helps the team understand how classes are performing and where students may be ready for the next level.

More useful reporting

Reporting is one of the areas Elliott called out most clearly.

For Oregon Fencing Alliance, reports help track billing, receivables, outside programs, and coach payroll. Because the club works with multiple coaches and multiple pay structures, having better reporting helps ensure accuracy and reduces admin headaches.

Instead of piecing information together manually, the team has a clearer view into the operational details that shape better decisions.

Simpler payroll management

Coach payroll is not always straightforward. Different responsibilities can come with different rates, from private instruction to class teaching to admin work and meetings.

Daxko Zen Planner gives the team a simpler way to manage those differences. Elliott also noted that coaches appreciate being able to clock in and out from their phones for the roles they are performing.

That kind of convenience may seem small, but in a busy coaching environment, it saves time and reduces confusion.

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Straightforward membership setup

Oregon Fencing Alliance serves athletes across different ages, levels, and needs. Some students rent equipment. Some take private lessons. Some participate in outside programs.

That creates a range of membership variations, and Elliott described Daxko Zen Planner’s setup process as intuitive and easy to work through. For a club that is still building out its systems, that usability matters.

Strong support from the Daxko Zen Planner team

Another theme that stood out in Elliott’s story was support.

Even during the transition period when we were switching to Daxko Zen Planner, some information from the prior platform was difficult to move over. Elliott instantly said this software’s side of the process felt smooth. He also emphasized how helpful the team has been whenever questions come up.

That kind of partnership builds trust, especially for a club that is still growing into the platform and exploring what it can do next.

One of the strongest parts of this story is how real it feels.

Elliott is not presenting a polished, all-at-once transformation story. He is using what matters most right now, learning the platform step by step, and planning to expand into more automation and communication tools over time.

That mindset is relatable for many gym and studio operators.

You do not need to master every feature on day one to get value from gym membership software. You need to identify the parts of the business that matter most, get those working well, and build from there.

That is exactly how Oregon Fencing Alliance is approaching it.

What makes this customer story especially compelling is that it goes beyond software features.

Yes, Oregon Fencing Alliance uses Daxko Zen Planner to simplify attendance, billing, payroll, reporting, and membership management. But the real impact is bigger than that.

When operational work becomes easier to manage, coaches and managers have more capacity to do the work that matters most:

• support young athletes
• build stronger relationships with parents
• prepare students for competition
• grow participation in a niche sport
• create a better long-term experience for members

For a club with Olympic history and a mission-driven future, that matters.

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Oregon Fencing Alliance is still early in its Daxko Zen Planner journey. The club began using the platform only a few months after Elliott stepped into his current role.

Already, the operational improvements are clear. Next, Elliott wants to explore more of Daxko Zen Planner’s automation and communication capabilities to help the club grow and stay connected with families.

That next step makes sense. For a specialized youth sports organization, growth depends not only on strong coaching but also on clear communication, consistent follow-up, and systems that make life easier for staff and members alike.

With the right gym membership software and Daxko Zen Planner’s Mobile App for staff, those goals become much more achievable.

Oregon Fencing Alliance proves that gym membership software is not just for traditional fitness businesses.

It can also support:

• martial arts schools
• youth sports clubs
• specialty training facilities
• mission-driven athletic organizations
• competitive programs with complex scheduling and staffing needs

If your business is balancing members, parents, coaches, classes, payroll, and growth goals, the right platform can help bring all of those moving parts together.

That is what makes this story so valuable. It shows how modern systems can support a very human mission.

Whether you run a martial arts school, youth sports program, fencing club, or boutique fitness business, the right gym membership software of Daxko Zen Planner can help you spend less time on admin and more time building a stronger member experience.

Book a demo today and see how this platform transforms your business in no time.