Something unusual is happening in Middle School, High school, and college athletics.
While schools across the country are cutting programs in swimming, diving, softball, baseball, and other established sports due to enrollment declines, budget pressures, and the fallout from the NCAA's House settlement, one sport is moving in the opposite direction.
Fencing is growing.
USA Fencing has added three new varsity programs this season alone, at Arcadia University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, and Denison College, with a fourth announcement expected before the end of May. That brings the total number of schools offering varsity fencing to 47.
Fencing is now one of only three established sports that are adding schools rather than losing them.
That number matters more than it might seem.
What do middle, high school, and college programs actually mean
Every new fencing program creates a ripple effect that reaches all the way down to the youth level.
More programs mean more roster spots for high schoolers who want to fence in college. The path from a local club to an NCAA team gets wider, not narrower, at a time when nearly every other sport is seeing the opposite.
More programs mean more coaches entering the sport. Many of those coaches go on to build clubs, teach beginners, run camps, and grow the game in their communities. The pipeline feeds itself.
More programs mean more visibility on campuses. More students discover fencing for the first time in college, and many of them become lifelong participants, whether as competitive fencers, referees, volunteers, or fans.
Every new program strengthens the entire ecosystem.
The high school and middle school wave
College growth is the headline, but the real momentum is building at the high- and middle-school levels.
Across the country, fencing is emerging as one of the fastest-growing school sports. Schools are discovering what fencing families have known for years: this sport develops exactly the qualities that educators value most. Focus, discipline, composure under pressure, strategic thinking, and the ability to compete individually with integrity.
Fencing also solves a practical problem for schools. It does not require a football field, a swimming pool, or a gymnasium. A fencing program can run in a multipurpose room, a cafeteria, or a hallway. The equipment is portable. The sport is coed. And the injury rate is lower than almost any other competitive sport offered in schools.
For students, fencing offers something most school sports cannot. It is a place where the analytical kid, the quiet kid, and the kid who never connected with team sports can discover a competitive outlet that rewards their strengths rather than ignoring them.
What we are building in Palm Beach County
At Palm Beach Fencing Club, we are not waiting for the national trend to arrive in South Florida. We are actively building it.
We currently run club fencing programs in middle schools in Palm Beach County and are working to expand into additional middle and high schools in the coming semesters.
Our goal is to make fencing accessible to students who might otherwise never encounter the sport. Not every family knows that fencing exists as an option. Not every student has a parent who will drive them to a club for evening classes. By bringing fencing into schools, we meet students where they already are.
These school programs serve as an introduction. Students learn the fundamentals of foil and epee, experience the thrill of their first bout, and discover whether fencing is something they want to pursue further. Many of them do.
For students who want to continue, PBFC offers a natural next step with structured youth development programs, competitive training, private lessons, and summer camps.
Why this matters for your child
The landscape of youth sports is shifting. The sports that were once considered safe investments of time and money, football, basketball, and baseball, are seeing fewer college opportunities, not more. Meanwhile, fencing is quietly expanding at every level.
About 1 in 3 high school fencers goes on to fence in college. That number was already remarkable. With new programs being added, it will only improve.
But the college advantage is just one piece of the picture. What fencing builds in a young person, the focus, the discipline, the resilience, the strategic thinking, these are skills that serve them regardless of whether they ever compete at the NCAA level.
The earlier your child starts, the stronger that foundation becomes.
If your school is interested
We are actively seeking middle and high schools in Palm Beach County interested in starting a fencing program. PBFC provides the coaching, the equipment, and the curriculum. We work with school administrators to design programs that fit within existing schedules and facilities.
If you are a teacher, administrator, athletic director, or parent who would like to bring fencing to your school, we would love to hear from you.
Contact us at hello@palmbeachfencing.org or call 561-240-7500.
Start here
Whether your child discovers fencing through a school program or walks into our club for the first time, the journey begins the same way. One lesson. One bout. One moment where something clicks.
Your first class at Palm Beach Fencing Club is free. We teach foil and epee to fencers ages 6 and up in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Book a Free Trial Class at palmbeachfencing.org
Summer camp registration is open for June 2026.
Palm Beach Fencing Club was founded in 1927 and is one of the oldest fencing clubs in South Florida. We offer youth, adult, and senior programs for fencers of all levels in West Palm Beach, FL. USA Fencing member club. Safe Sport Certified.