If team sports have not stuck, it is easy to decide that your child is “not into sport”. Sometimes that is not the problem. Sometimes they just do not like the feeling that a miss lets a whole side down, or that their turn depends on being picked.
Cricket, football, soccer and similar sports are a great fit for many children. They teach running, sharing a plan, and turning up for teammates. If your child has gone quiet about them, it does not mean those sports failed. It may mean they want a contest that is theirs alone.
Fencing is one person against one other, with a clear score. Training still happens in a group, at The Fencing Club in Camp Hill, but when it is their turn on the piste, the bout is theirs. The first session is free. Email paul@thefencingclub.com.au to ask about a time. No obligation. Your call.
When team sport has not stuck
Parents often describe the same pattern. The child liked the idea of the club. Then the season got loud, or they spent a lot of time waiting, or they felt watched when they made a mistake. Some children also find the pack itself hard: the noise, the collisions, or the sense that the game keeps moving without them.
None of that makes them unsporty. It is useful information. A quieter, one against one sport can still be physical, competitive and social. It just measures success in a different way.
Individual does not mean isolated
An individual sport is not a solo activity in an empty room. At a fencing club, people warm up together, drill together and watch each other’s bouts. Friendships still form. The difference is the contest itself. A child is not left on the bench for the whole game, and they do not have to carry a whole team’s result on one touch.
That structure suits many children who like to think before they move, or who want to see their own progress from week to week.
Other good options in Brisbane
Fencing is only one option. Families in Brisbane already have strong individual or small group sports to consider, and it is fair to look at those first if they fit your child better:
- Tennis, for a ball sport with clear points and a lot of running.
- Swimming, for water confidence, fitness and a sport they can keep for life.
- Athletics, for running, jumping and throwing measured against themselves.
- Gymnastics or dance, for control, rhythm and strength.
- Martial arts, for a traditional class structure, discipline and, in many schools, personal defence.
If your child already enjoys tennis, swimming, dance, gymnastics or a martial art, those hours can give them a head start if they later try fencing. The skills that often travel, and the ones that usually need a small adjustment, are explained in your head start in fencing.
The Australian Sports Commission’s AusPlay survey is a useful reminder of how common those activities already are. For children aged 0 to 8, the most popular organised activities outside school hours include swimming, football and soccer, gymnastics, Australian football and basketball. Dance, tennis, athletics and cricket also sit on that list. For children aged 9 to 14, football and soccer, swimming, basketball, netball and Australian football lead, with tennis, gymnastics and cricket also among the most common. (Children and youth in sport, Australian Sports Commission, figures last updated 12 May 2026.)
Fencing is a smaller Olympic sport. That is part of the appeal for some families, and it is also why a parent may not have thought of it yet.
Why some families then try fencing
Three things tend to click, when they click at all.
First, the contest is one against one. Your child is not waiting to be picked, and the score belongs to them.
Second, timing and decision making matter as much as size. Reach can help, especially in epee, but a smaller or less forceful child is not automatically boxed out.
Third, it is an indoor sport with a free first session, so you can test it without signing up for a whole season first. The Fencing Club has taught foil, epee and sabre in Brisbane since 1997, and welcomes beginners of any age.
What fencing is, including the three weapons and a plain account of the kit, is explained on its own page. In short: foil and epee score with the point, sabre can score with the cutting edge and the point, and fencers wear a mask, a jacket and a glove. The kit and the rules lower the risk. They do not remove it.
How to try it at The Fencing Club
The club trains at the School Hall, Gate 4 Samuel St, Camp Hill. Email paul@thefencingclub.com.au to ask about a free first session. Say if the session is for a child or an adult, and any times that already clash with another sport. The club will reply and take it from there.
You do not have to drop Saturday sport to come and look. If fencing is not the right fit, you will have lost an email and an hour, not a whole season. No obligation. Your call.
FAQ
Is fencing a team sport?
The bout is one against one. Training happens in a club group, and fencers still cheer for each other, but your child is not relying on a pack to get a game.
What if my child is shy?
A first session is a look, not a performance. They can watch, learn the basic movements, and try a simple exercise without being thrown into a full contest. If they would rather start slowly, say so when you email.
Do they have to give up Saturday sport?
No. Many families use fencing as a second, indoor activity. If a season has already ended, it can also fill that gap.
What age can they start?
The club welcomes beginners of any age. For a child, the coach can advise whether a junior session is the right starting point when you get in touch.
How do we try a session?
Email paul@thefencingclub.com.au, or start on the beginners page. The first session is free.
If team sport has not been their thing, a one against one Olympic sport is worth an hour of your time. Email paul@thefencingclub.com.au to ask about a free first session at The Fencing Club in Camp Hill. No obligation. Your call.