World Top jobs?

[KatonRyu]

I was wondering, what do great fencers like Gauthier Grumier, Sven Schmid and Matteo Tagliariol do for a living? Fencing doesn't exactly pay well, but to maintain a high position on the world ranking list I gather you'd have to fence quite a bit, and in many different countries.

What kind of job would you need to do that? Does anyone happen to know any daytime jobs of high ranked fencers?

[Fencergrl]

LOL... if North American your job is to live with mommy & daddy as long as you can and have them support you.
If you're European, there's usually more government support from what I hear.

[Empty Wallet]

I thought European fencers were jewel thieves, lotharios and spies -- with a big dose of casino gambling thrown in. (I've seen the movies.)

When I was a competitive shooter, many of the Europeans were officially in the military or police forces. Their duties were to shoot.

[D'Art]

When I was a competitive shooter, many of the Europeans were officially in the military or police forces. Their duties were to shoot.

Yeah, that's still true. I think (from admittedly 3rd or 4th hand sources) that they officially have to do a desk jockey shift every month or so to keep getting the cash. Some of the really top ones (ie the photogenic ones) may earn enough in sponsorship to not need to do this though.

[Fencergrl]

many of the Europeans were officially in the military or police forces.

That's what I was implying, but I was keeping it open as some may also get other funding in addition to or instead of.

In Canada our top athletes (if they're lucky) make about the same as our welfare recipients. We've lost some to other countries or they quit competing as it's hard to train and live on such meagre offerings. Some amateur sports tend to get more funding, hockey gets the most.

[Purple Fencer]

hockey gets the most.

Doesn't that qualify as giving to a religious institution in Canada??

[jjrenaud]

In France, the top level fencers receive money from the government by different way, first directly as support for the sport, second by sport contract with different state department, in this case you haven't to work there, you just go to the insep and train.

[KatonRyu]

Thanks for the replies! From what I know, athletes here get funding too, but only when they've reached the highest of high levels. I suppose that's the same all over the world though.

[Fencergrl]

Doesn't that qualify as giving to a religious institution in Canada??

It really should. We probably have more people who have played some form of hockey (ice hockey, floor hockey, or street hockey) throughout their childhood than people who believe in a religion. I have 3 hockey rinks within walking distance, and 1 church.

[Fencergrl]

Our government provides funding direct to top athletes, a small stipend (that doesn't really cover living costs much less training & travelling). These athletes often try and get corporate sponsorship, but usually the parents of the athlete provide the lion's share of the support.

The most common/universal type of funding is money that is provided to the sporting organization. This is based mostly on the number of participants registered with the organization.

So that's why you might see part of the entry fee for a marathon or a fun run etc... will be a one day registration fee for a particular sporting organization. This of course is waived if you are already a member of the organization.

It's a numbers game... the more participants, the more funding. This happens at both a Provincial & Federal level for us.

That may be why your local fencing organization would want you to become a member. Not only do they get more membership fees (which in our case doesn't even cover the cost of the benefit you receive of being insured) but mostly it's about proving to the government that people do participate in the sport. This funding can also be lost, if the numbers are not considered substantial enough.

That's one of the issues we have locally. Only a small percentage of fencers become members (I'm guessing 5%-10%). Most fence in their clubs for recreational & fun. Since they don't compete they don't get memberships and therefore they don't "count" as fencers and the Provincial fencing organization struggles with being seen as a "real" sport. For this reason (as well as infighting) was the reason we lost our governement support. Once it's lost, it's hard to gain back.

[Purple Fencer]

It really should. We probably have more people who have played some form of hockey (ice hockey, floor hockey, or street hockey) throughout their childhood than people who believe in a religion. I have 3 hockey rinks within walking distance, and 1 church.

So instead of a Holy Trinity you have a Holy Hat trick??

[Fencergrl]

So instead of a Holy Trinity you have a Holy Hat trick??

Meh... Churches won't get us gold for the first time on Canadian soil... we're hungry for it. Hockey (especially the women's team) & our alpine teams are our best bets especially if we get some snow.

[Empty Wallet]

How can you play hockey if it snows?

It will cover the grass and make the ball harder to hit.


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[PretAllez]

So instead of a Holy Trinity you have a Holy Hat trick??

Actually it's the "sainte flanelle". I say this seriously. As a Habs fan. Pour les siècles des siècles. Amen.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=2634...headlines_main

(yet I don't wish to see my son play hockey ... here's one reason why
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAoFY0owFXc

one of my son's friends was playing REC-league hockey and was hit in exactly the same way, resulting in a major concussion, and the near-loss of a semester, never mind the long-term effects on the brain....but he's still playing hockey ... as is his younger brother )

[Fencergrl]

That was a well publicized hit, and I agree hits like that happen all the time. They need to clean up the sport. Lifelong injuries shouldn't be part of the game.

When I was young, all the women's sports I played were crazy that way and I saw some real serious injuries happen & games called to an end as they were turning into brawls. Since then, these sports have been cleaned up a lot. Look at the women's hockey teams they're much cleaner hockey than the men's.

[migopod]

That was a well publicized hit, and I agree hits like that happen all the time. They need to clean up the sport. Lifelong injuries shouldn't be part of the game.

When I was young, all the women's sports I played were crazy that way and I saw some real serious injuries happen & games called to an end as they were turning into brawls. Since then, these sports have been cleaned up a lot. Look at the women's hockey teams they're much cleaner hockey than the men's.

Really it's just because they changed the debounce and lockout times for women's hockey.

[misha]

(yet I don't wish to see my son play hockey ... here's one reason why
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAoFY0owFXc

one of my son's friends was playing REC-league hockey and was hit in exactly the same way, resulting in a major concussion, and the near-loss of a semester, never mind the long-term effects on the brain....but he's still playing hockey ... as is his younger brother )

Canadians are such a cry babies

Thats how real hockey should be played: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxzkibD2PnA#t=1m12s

make sure you watch the whole thing

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[Fencergrl]

Misha... you're either brave, stupid or confident the Canadians here won't find you for dissing us when it comes to hockey. Now let's discuss how the Russians can't hold their liquor.

[PretAllez]

Canadians are such a cry babies

Thats how real hockey should be played: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxzkibD2PnA#t=1m12s

make sure you watch the whole thing

.

Meh ... there must have been NHL scouts in the stands
Bench clearing brawls are pretty much par for the course, certainly at a junior level, but they rarely result in serious injury (looks more like greco-roman wrestling than anything else). Although I find that they do tarnish the game (I find them boring and pointless), they alone would not be a reason to stop my kid from playing hockey
What I object to is spearing and cross-checking from behind into the boards, etc., where serious injuries, including back/spinal cord/brain injuries, can occur.
That... and hockey parents