The HFC Summer Camp 2007

With an all-new contingent of foreign coaches from Russia and Romania plus dedicated coaches from the UK, the Haverstock Summer Camp 2007 will maintain its usual standard of high-level training. The camp is tailored specifically for passionate fencers keen to improve their skills in time for the 2007-2008 season.

The camp's focus will be on intense, high-effort/high-result training. Held in Llandovery, Wales, with state-of-the-art facilities and accomodation on site, means that there is less time spent travelling and more time spent fencing!

The details for the camp can be found under "downloads" tab on the website.

The following was written by Rachel, one of the fencers on the camp last year...

I’d never been on a fencing camp before so I didn’t really know what to expect from the Haverstock Summer Camp as I travelled to Wales on my own. After nearly four hours of driving I found Llandovery College, Llandovery is such a small place it couldn’t be missed.

The place was quiet and at first I wondered if I might have the wrong day.  My doubts were put to rest eventually when I found the right building and some friendly Haverstock people. My initial nerves of not knowing that many people disappeared as more people that I knew were arriving and we settled in to the adequate accommodation.

An outline of the schedule had been given out beforehand so we had a fair idea of how the week was going to pan out.  Early morning running before breakfast was organised, for those that wanted it, then fencing training would begin at 9 am. Coaches were allocated to each person and individual lessons were included each day.  Otherwise training was in the main sports hall, consisting of 45 minute sessions with a 15 minute break before the next one started.  It was a fast pace of fitness training, footwork, group fencing lessons and rotation workshops with games to cool down. Monday to Wednesday was tough but in the evenings most people had the energy and enthusiasm to play baseball, go to the pub or play board games (which wasn’t as dull as it sounds!)

Thursday was a welcome half day off and we were lucky that the weather held out - sunshine instead of rain.  Even though the Brecon’s have a lot to offer a few people headed off to the beach.  It was a good break from the training, mentally and physically.

On the Friday an individual competition was organised.  An invitation to the Welsh team and GB Pentathletes added to the mix.  We had our aches and pains from four and half days training and were not as fresh as the outsiders but we put what we had learnt to good use.  The result of the day was a good measure to how we were getting on.

That evening we all had to go through the painful experience of watching each other on a very large plasma screen. These were the recorded sessions of us over the week, the point was to highlight problems and correct… our styles were ripped to pieces by our coaches. Embarrassing  - yes - but good humoured and meaning well.

Saturday was our last day and the mixed team competition.  A much more relaxed competition. The coach’s team won… of course… we let them!

The week was very good in many ways.  The training was tough and intensive, structured and informative. A good mix of people meant that it was enjoyable and in social hours very laid back. Most importantly my fencing and I’m sure everybody else’s has improved which was the whole point of going.

For anyone who goes next year, my only advice is this; take lots of training clothes, as nothing seems to dry in the Brecon’s!