I haven't been fencing at all for nearly two weeks! And I haven't even been engaging in f.net discussions, even though some very important talk has been going on about the proposed change in qualifying paths. I'm just too tired and stressed (catching up at work after Moscow has been a marathon conducted at sprint pace) and I find it rather discouraging to think about all this stuff right now.
I've been hopeful that veteran women's sabre in the US would get more populous, not just stronger, but our numbers don't seem to have gone up much at the NACs over the past few years. Division into age groups may be part of the issue, of course.
The only local veteran event in the past year that I really thought worked well in terms of size was at MFC in Manhattan, and even that was mostly guys. Bill Hall's event in Massachusetts is great, but always ends up being at a bad time of year for me.
Someone mentioned fencing vet events combined at the ROCs and I hate that idea, but I also don't want to show up at a qualifier made up of, at most, six people. I have spent a lot of time encouraging veteran participation, and had some success, but we just haven't reached the point where we can see some growth.
Joe Streb just sent out an e-mail arguing that the Vets should secede from the USFA, which just made me want to go lie down with a cold compress on my forehead. I like being in the USFA, and when veterans run things they get really peevish and argumentative.
10-09-2009 04:23 PM