If you could fence for a living....?

[arcon]

[ 10-23-2001: Message edited by: arcon ]

[Stryder]

Ask a pro ball player.
What could possibly be wrong with getting paid to do what you love to do?



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www.geocities.com/strydermike

[saberkid]

heh, i kinda get piad... i coach fencing class's and i love fencing, wich go's down to coaching too, but, i dont think thats what you ment, yeah, id love to get paid to fence! duh! heh paid by the touche?


Chris

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Fence with the best die like the rest!

[Moonitic]

I think it's every person's dream deep down that they get paid for doing what they love to do. For those of us who have sacrificed, only to reap the rewards later, it's great.

Then there are those who are bitter in their jobs, & feel the need to take it out on others...

[Peach]

I don't think I would fence for a living. I look at pro athletes in other sports and except for a lucky few what I see is a brief career followed by retirement with relatively little money and chronic pain from overuse injuries. Besides, if fencing were pro, I doubt very much they would hire a middle-aged overeducated asthmatic like me.

Maybe I'm perverse, but I prefer keeping it on the level of a hobby. That allows me to be obsessive about it while feeling that I get to choose when I think about it and when I train.

[arcon]

[ 10-23-2001: Message edited by: arcon ]

Good question! It's a hard call.

I always loved to write. A few years back, I landed a job at a newspaper. For a while, it was a blast; writing for a living and being recognized for a skill.

But at some point it became almost painful to force stories out "by the inch" regardless of my mood or personal involvement. The danger is in something you love becoming a cookie-cutter task, that you can repeat over and over because you have to.

At the moment, I can't imagine that happening to my love of fencing! But I suppose my above-described experience might help answer your question, IMHO.

I went to college and got a degree in the field I loved. Worked in that field for 20+ years and enjoyed every day of it. I awoke one day and realized that I had done everything in my profession that I had ever dreamed of doing and more. I felt bored and empty. I quit my business, sold off it's assets and went back to school. Iv'e found a new passion/career, work less hours, make more $, and feel blessed that I was able to do two dream jobs in my life, while people around me struggle to do the same job they have worked and hated since High School.
Through it all, since 1969, fencing has always been my fun time passion.

I truly lead a charmed life.
Ron

[big poppa]

Ron I know your real name . Your first name is Lucky

[HilandDoug]

If I were good enough, I'd do it in a heartbeat! I've always felt pro athletes lead a charmed life anyway. Although, my life is pretty charmed as it is!

[its_me_mango]

Okay: scientifically:
If you teach physical fitness each and every day, then you will overuse the same muscle groups and you'll become fatigued, and become a bas__rd. Then no-one will be able to be around you. If you teach physical fitness like the gym teachers in school, they get vacation days and breaks, so you'll need to work out a business plan by which you include 2-3 weeks vacation each year. If this cannot be done, then you need to go back to school for a teaching certificate and teach high school gym, and only teach fencing on a part time schedule. The only teachers of fencing i knew about 4-5 of them, two were full time professors and two did other kinds of work in the community. So if I could fence for a living: yes I would

[its_me_mango]

you can find business plans on the internet, some are free sample plans, others cost money, sometimes a consultant would have to be involved, and it may not be worth it to spend too much on needless overhead - libraries have business plans, etc.

[Rick]

Okay... three years of being a psychology major (only to give in to champagne wishes and caviar dreams and switch to business for another two and a half years in college) has taught me a couple of things:

When you do something because you love doing it, and even picking up the cost, that is what we call "INTRINSIC" motivation. It is motivation from within... we do it because it makes us feel good and adds to our self-esteem and builds our self concept -- factors which we all need for our own mental health.

When we get paid to do something (ie a job), then our motivation is EXTRINSIC -- forces from outside our person making us get up at the crack of dawn, punch in and punch out, and battle the horrendous rush hour traffic to get home and get ready to do it all again the next day. We do it because we "need" to... IE: I Need to put food on the table... I need to buy that new sound system for my entertainment center... I need to buy a new lame, etc...

Is it possible to mix the two? I think it is: Confucious once said, "If you love your job, then you have no work." However, at this day and age, you have to watch out for the pitfalls. Some studies have shown that extrinsic motivating factors tend to slow down one's intrinsic drive. I don't think that's 100% true, but it can be a reality for some people.

Would fencing just end up being a job; another means to an end (food, clothing, etc.)? Or would it be like being on vacation everyday of the week? Tough call if you ask me.

[arcon]

[ 10-23-2001: Message edited by: arcon ]

[Gav]

No quesion.

Sit in office. Have a******** phoning me about the state of the British railway and why they can't use the f****** Internet!

OR

Fence.

No problems. Fencing is what I would do full time given the chance.

[This message has been edited by Gav (edited 07-03-2001).]

[jspierre]

You could say they exist, or at least existed. My coach is a former National Team member from Russia, and he describes himself as a former full time, essentially, professional fencer. He called the program his "meal ticket" and toured in Russia and on the European circut. He worked out something like 6 days a week for 6 hours a day. I think the Chinese fencers are the same, and while the old Soviet Union is no longer, I think that Russian athelets are still professionals.

I once asked my coach what is the biggest difference between American fencers and Russian fencers. His reply, "For Russians, it's like a job..."