USFA age divisions

[foildad]

Am I the only person bothered by the names given the different age groups?

The word "veteran" implies experience, but in the USFA world it just means you've made it to 40. So "Veteran" should be renamed "Senior".

The word "Senior" implies that you're old, as in the Senior PGA Tour. It's not a good term for the best fencers in the country. The fact that a 14 year old is number 12 on the "Senior" NRPS is the ultimate oxymoron. So "Senior" should be renamed, but I can't come up with the right term.

"Junior" is the worst. It's so degrading. We have an Olympic Gold Medalist listed on the "Junior" point list. We might as well call it the "Peewee" division. So "Junior" needs a new name, too.

Any suggestions?

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Originally Posted by foildad

Am I the only person bothered by the names given the different age groups?

The word "veteran" implies experience, but in the USFA world it just means you've made it to 40. So "Veteran" should be renamed "Senior".

The word "Senior" implies that you're old, as in the Senior PGA Tour. It's not a good term for the best fencers in the country. The fact that a 14 year old is number 12 on the "Senior" NRPS is the ultimate oxymoron. So "Senior" should be renamed, but I can't come up with the right term.

"Junior" is the worst. It's so degrading. We have an Olympic Gold Medalist listed on the "Junior" point list. We might as well call it the "Peewee" division. So "Junior" needs a new name, too.

Any suggestions?

y-10(extra small farts) y-12(small farts) y-14(medium farts) Cadet (large farts) Junior (Extra large farts) Senior (extra extra large farts) Veteran (extra extra extra large farts)

[Joan of Ark]

Uhhh... I don't think that quite solves to problems... how come if you are between 20 and 40 you dont have an age group??? Thats not fair... for middle age people... they have like 3 events to fence in...div 1, div2, div3.. and of course.. you can't fence in all three of them...

[voi3ad]

I thought it was cool to be a USFA Veteran , because I was in the Gulf War (1), but I'll be 39 this year anyway, so...

[dberke]

Originally Posted by foildad

Am I the only person bothered by the names given the different age groups?

The word "veteran" implies experience, but in the USFA world it just means you've made it to 40. So "Veteran" should be renamed "Senior".

The word "Senior" implies that you're old, as in the Senior PGA Tour. It's not a good term for the best fencers in the country. The fact that a 14 year old is number 12 on the "Senior" NRPS is the ultimate oxymoron. So "Senior" should be renamed, but I can't come up with the right term.

"Junior" is the worst. It's so degrading. We have an Olympic Gold Medalist listed on the "Junior" point list. We might as well call it the "Peewee" division. So "Junior" needs a new name, too.

Any suggestions?

I like to refer to my age group (the 30s crowd) as "cadet veterans", or simply "cadeterans".

Dan

[Joan of Ark]

Originally Posted by foildad

Am I the only person bothered by the names given the different age groups?

I've never thought about it.. and I must say I was VERY confused by your logic at first... but then... it sank in!.. . oh well.... i dont worry about the names given to the age groups... i just fence in the age groups that I am allowed to (y14, cadet, junior)

[Mo]

Originally Posted by foildad

Am I the only person bothered by the names given the different age groups?

The word "veteran" implies experience, but in the USFA world it just means you've made it to 40. So "Veteran" should be renamed "Senior".

The word "Senior" implies that you're old, as in the Senior PGA Tour. It's not a good term for the best fencers in the country. The fact that a 14 year old is number 12 on the "Senior" NRPS is the ultimate oxymoron. So "Senior" should be renamed, but I can't come up with the right term.

"Junior" is the worst. It's so degrading. We have an Olympic Gold Medalist listed on the "Junior" point list. We might as well call it the "Peewee" division. So "Junior" needs a new name, too.

Any suggestions?

I know ice skating has terms like "novice, Sub Novice" etc.
It is always confusing.
Personally I think it is kewl that there are Y14 fencers on Senior point lists. There is another who is 4th in Senior team and 7th in Senior Rolling.
Junior could be called U20 and Cadet U17.
I am sorry FD I just don't think it is that dire of an issue.
I think that Y14 used to be called "Muskateers" or something bizarre like that. Things could be worse.

[Lefty1]

Originally Posted by foildad

Am I the only person bothered by the names given the different age groups?

The word "veteran" implies experience, but in the USFA world it just means you've made it to 40. So "Veteran" should be renamed "Senior".

The word "Senior" implies that you're old, as in the Senior PGA Tour. It's not a good term for the best fencers in the country. The fact that a 14 year old is number 12 on the "Senior" NRPS is the ultimate oxymoron. So "Senior" should be renamed, but I can't come up with the right term.

"Junior" is the worst. It's so degrading. We have an Olympic Gold Medalist listed on the "Junior" point list. We might as well call it the "Peewee" division. So "Junior" needs a new name, too.

Any suggestions?

Why does it matter?

[Peach]

In other sports, over-40 competitors are called "Masters," which would cause confusion in fencing. I definitely prefer not to be called "Senior," even though at 53 I'm coming up on being able to join the AARP. Frankly, I prefer "Veteran" because it implies I've been through something that took bravery, and survived.

[foildad]

Originally Posted by Lefty1

Why does it matter?

It only matters if fencers are concerned about accurate perceptions in those rare instances that the general public hears about fencing.

[garyhayenga]

Originally Posted by foildad

It only matters if fencers are concerned about accurate perceptions in those rare instances that the general public hears about fencing.

We can't be concerned about it because there is no hope!

I gave up worrying about it way back in college when a reporter from the local paper came in and interviewed all of us in the club and then went back and wrote "Sabre is an oriental slicing weapon,"

Every fencing story has such outrageously egregious errors in it that the names of the age categories is irrelevant.

Besides, Cadet, Junior, Senior and Veteran are the french words that the F.I.E. uses. They just happen to be the same in English.

gary hayenga

[jeff]

Originally Posted by Peach

at 53 I'm coming up on being able to join the AARP

Whoops, you've been eligible for AARP for 3 years now. How did you manage to not be blanketed by invitations yet? They started pitching them to me well in advance of the dreaded birthday.

FWIW, I think the word "junior" and "senior" go back to when there were only U19 and "everybody" events. When they added 40-and-over, the word "senior" was already taken, and (as Peach mentions) "Master" already was taken, and was even used for "Masters competitions"..

[foildad]

Originally Posted by garyhayenga

We can't be concerned about it because there is no hope!

I gave up worrying about it way back in college when a reporter from the local paper came in and interviewed all of us in the club and then went back and wrote "Sabre is an oriental slicing weapon,"

Every fencing story has such outrageously egregious errors in it that the names of the age categories is irrelevant.

Besides, Cadet, Junior, Senior and Veteran are the french words that the F.I.E. uses. They just happen to be the same in English.

gary hayenga

Thank you. I needed that perspective. You are so right.

This reminds me of when my we told our local small town newspaper about my Y10 daughter's top 8 finish at Summer Nationals. The reporter went to the USFA website, learned that there were 3000 entrants at SN, and reported that my daughter came in 7th out of 3000 competitors.

The fencers know what's up. I guess that's all that matters.

[Peach]

Originally Posted by jeff

Whoops, you've been eligible for AARP for 3 years now.

Shhhhh..... What I don't know won't hurt me.

I already read the magazine because my husband gets it (maybe that's why I don't get the solicitations?), and it's funny how young those old people are these days.

[Lefty1]

Originally Posted by foildad

It only matters if fencers are concerned about accurate perceptions in those rare instances that the general public hears about fencing.

It still doesn't make much of a difference. The general public doesn't here much about the age divisions anyway. You should probably just be more concerned about which one you fence in

[hscoach]

Originally Posted by D+F+P=Hadouken!

y-10(extra small farts) y-12(small farts) y-14(medium farts) Cadet (large farts) Junior (Extra large farts) Senior (extra extra large farts) Veteran (extra extra extra large farts)

Thanks D+ for not calling the over 50 crowd "old farts"

[haroldbuck]

Originally Posted by garyhayenga

I gave up worrying about it way back in college when a reporter from the local paper came in and interviewed all of us in the club and then went back and wrote "Sabre is an oriental slicing weapon,"

Every fencing story has such outrageously egregious errors in it that the names of the age categories is irrelevant.

Besides, Cadet, Junior, Senior and Veteran are the french words that the F.I.E. uses. They just happen to be the same in English.

The high school paper of the school I used to coach did a short piece on our team. I don't think I'll ever forget it: "Fencing has three weapons: fencing, eppe, and saviour."

Many sports resort to using terms like "junior." I recently watched the Junior World Hockey Championships, which I think had players as old as 20. And someone made a very good point about how we can't use "masters" for an age group in fencing.

I agree with the original point that the names given to the age groups aren't the best, but it's better than having to say "19 and under," "40 and over," and the like.

[haroldbuck]

Originally Posted by foildad

This reminds me of when my we told our local small town newspaper about my Y10 daughter's top 8 finish at Summer Nationals. The reporter went to the USFA website, learned that there were 3000 entrants at SN, and reported that my daughter came in 7th out of 3000 competitors.

Wow! She must be really good!