The Sword and the Mind: How Fencing Cultivates Selfregulation and Emotional Resilience in Adolescents

This study investigates the impact of fencing on the development of self-regulation and emotional resilience in adolescents. Adolescence is a neurobiological and psychological stage characterized by a high propensity to attain self-regulatory and emotional developmental potentials. Fencing, as a sport demanding physical activity and mental focus, introduces individual cognitive-motor adaptive issues that promote executive capacity and attention control as well as emotional regulation. In this study, empirical and theoretical evidence is used in investigating the role played by fencing in these developmental processes. Surveys conducted on a number of 98 adolescents revealed that fencing can significantly impact the management of emotional issues, decision-making, and stress resistance specific to competitive situations. The study focuses on the benefits that fencing has concerning the rapidity of executive functions (e.g., attention, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) and the development of emotional regulation skills, which can be generalized to daily life. The results suggest that fencing with all its strategies and order provides advantages to adolescent development and is a promising intervention to enhance self-regulation and emotional stability at this stage of life.