]Fencing is a sport truly like no other, with risky strategies, historical backgrounds, and whacking people with a sword. Fencing has been around ever since it was first used in military training, but recently, this unique sport has been struggling to find its ways into the halls of our school.

Anna Pan, an eighth grader in the Red Pod, started her journey as a fencer six months ago after seeing her sister fence. She was “intrigued by the idea of hitting somebody with a sword.” So far she has competed in three tournaments, and is hoping to move onto level E. Fencing is categorized in alphabetical levels, similar to how martial arts are ranked by belt color.

“I think of it as a unique sport,” says Anna. “Although muscles are helpful, having a strategic mind is more important.”

Anna also has to fit this four-day-a week activity into her schedule, along with archery and string chamber. Before, she also did Kung Fu, dance, tennis, and swimming.

Fencing has been at every Olympic games since the 1896 Summer Olympics, and has varied to three modern forms of fencing, épéé, sabre and foil.

“I practice every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday for an hour and a half each,” says PJ Loranger, sixth grader in the Red Pod, who decided the year before last to become a fencer.

PJ and Anna both go to clubs to practice all year round. PJ goes to the Fairfield Fencing Academy, as there are no fencing programs in Westport. While some fencers still dot the area of Westport, fencers are rare, and fencing is not regularly advertised as an option in Westport athletics.

This seems like a strange surprise, as Staples athletics covers sports like squash, water polo, and skiing.
Fencing equipment, which you can buy from professional stores or on Amazon, costs about the average of other sporting equipment, or even less.

This lack of education for the sport is one of the reasons it is not so popular around town.
“Fencing is definitely not receiving public attention that is deserves” says Jim Roberts, manager of Fairfield Fencing Academy, “Most athletes gravitate towards the big sports mostly because of the access to it and the revenue that is generates.”

One of the only places in Westport to have a fencing team is Greens Farms Academy, with their varsity co-ed team lead by coaches Jesse Robinson and Matt Steinschneider. Yet, the town, and Fairfield County as a whole, is missing out on the opportunity to expand its athletic horizons.

“Most people do not understand the culture of fencing and how special it is,” Mr. Roberts says. “Fencing is a great sport for discipline and can offer so much more in growth of both young minds and seasoned minds as well.”