Whats Wrong With Your National Sport Organization?

[Shena]

Just curious if the other national fencing organizations have the same pitfalls as mine, the Canadian one.

What are your thoughts? How is the ol USFA these days...?

[jeff]

Shena, what are the pitfalls of yours? (Personally, I'm pretty happy with USFA, and I avoid all the politics)

[Nusy]

Ummm... smaller problems, like we don't have enough money...

[Shena]

Oh you know, the general lack of money. The CFF doesnt have much of it, and doesnt give the athletes all that much of what they have (except to a select few people who are very good, granted, but dont even live or train in Canada!). If they want us non-top-8-in-the-world athletes to perform an become top-8-in-the-world athletes, we need to be able to go to competitions in Europe which cant be done without more money from them. I am still paying off competitions from a year ago. I'm horribly in debt. If I compete abroad I need more money from them or I keep sinking further and further into it.
Of course they have enough money to pay the fat cats in the office nice tidy salaries for doing minimal work (and it's not all that good either). Our National epéé coach doesnt even live in Canada! He lives in Poland! He isnt even Canadian But I guess they can afford to pay HIS plane trips...
Its just a big joke. They have selected two athletes they expect to be good and put ALL the money into them and fancy coahes and administrators who are altogether useless.
Woah, cool down Shena, you are ranting to a computer screen.
I just think they should put me in charge. I could do way better.

[sparkie]

Yes the CFF has put all their money into sherraine and a few others. But their gamble is that getting a medal in athens will bring in even more money for the future. Lets face it, outside of the top fencers in canada, it's not too strong or numerous. What was the max number of fencers in any event at the national elite in sherbrooke a couple of weeks ago? 30?? My local tournaments are larger than that. I remember tournaments in Montreal that were over 60 or 70. Canadian fencing has gotten smaller in the last few years and I think the CFF is hoping that by getting a medal, they will boost the popularity as well as the money coming in.