Sport is an immensely important part of early childhood development. Not only does it serve to teach kids coordination, balance and spatial concepts, but it establishes active living habits for the future. In short, sport is a foundation for active happy kids which gives them confidence in everyday life.

Fencing is fun, fencing is challenging, and most importantly - fencing is safe!

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Kids from the early days of our program.

Under 10's 

At Fioretto we have developed programs specifically for each development stage. Our under 10's group is a mix of motor skill games, perception development, basic skills and fencing. Each 1 hour session is geared as a socially inclusive program that encourages participation, the enjoyment of skill acquisition, and social interaction, while at the same time developing powers of concentration and the ability to follow instruction. 

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A typical Under 10 training session now

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Head coach, Brook Dunstan, leads the under 10's in a game of 'Yes/No' - a perception and decision making skills game that is a favourite with this age group. 

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Under supervision kids participate in a specially developed interactive game that combines their developing footwork with distance, timing, and coordination of movements - the foundations of fencing!   

We often describe our youngest training session using the following metaphor: It is like a kids' meal. We hide the veggies in the stuff they like! We start with a fun series of games to warm up that help calm kids for the skills section of training. Motor skills are covered in innovative and interactive games so that kids don't realise that what they are doing is very important. The hard work comes with drills in the middle where they develop their fundamental fencing skills. This is soon followed by actual fencing, punctuated by short exercises. And then we always finish with dessert! The best games are saved for the end so that kids leave training with a laugh and a smile.  

Kids are generally able to begin training in fencing from the age of 6 years, although this can depend on the individual's level of maturity. We currently have two 5 year olds learning the skills and games side of training, and fencing with foam rubber swords.

The Early Teens' (10-15 years) 

Older kids, between 10 and 15 years, also have dedicated training sessions. At this point in development most kids prefer to mix in peer groups of their own age range - not being bothered by the little ones, and not being intimidated by the big ones. These sessions are more intensive than the under 10's and have less game play. Effectively they are a transition between specialised adult training and the skill acquisition focus of the youngest group. There is more fencing and skills drills, along with a handful of relevant perception games.

Transitioning from this group to adult training is an individual choice. We find that adolescents reach a point where they 'grow out' of the under 15 sessions and want to take part in adult training and challenge older and more experienced opponents. This choice is indication enough that the young fencer has the emotional maturity to handle the change.