In which I amuse myself...
Dec. 1st, 2018 09:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
graculusOne of the things I didn't know, but probably should have realised, when I took up fencing was just how small the sport is. Which is a good thing at times, when I get to see people at different competitions and chat with them, but can also lead to all sorts of shenanigans where it's who you know that matters.
This definitely goes on when it comes to picking teams for regional competitions - there's different age groups and it's fairly easy to guess just how non-transparent the process is for getting onto one of those teams. The only exception, to be honest, is the veterans where it ends up being 'are you over 40 and know which end of the weapon is which?'; I've already been head-hunted for the regional team for next time around (I did also get asked by someone else at a previous competition if there was any possibility I was Welsh, though sadly I'm not...)
This kind of nepotism also sneaks into our regional training days, one of which happened today. I always roll up late because I work on Saturdays, then have to drive to a nearby city and when I got there today, I was wondering where some of the usual suspects were and discovered there'd been some cherry-picking about who got to do what. Turns out there were two of the regional cadet squad epeeists around and a while later their coach rolled up and was focussing very much on them.
Cue the sparring part of the afternoon and I was okay but nothing exceptional - then came the highlight of the afternoon! Yes, I fenced one of the cadets and completely schooled him, to the point where his coach pulled him over mid-fight (which is completely Not Done) to give him advice. Not that this helped, as I subsequently caned him 5-2 and couldn't help seeing the sour look on his coach's face when I sauntered away. That's definitely one for us old fogies! :P
This definitely goes on when it comes to picking teams for regional competitions - there's different age groups and it's fairly easy to guess just how non-transparent the process is for getting onto one of those teams. The only exception, to be honest, is the veterans where it ends up being 'are you over 40 and know which end of the weapon is which?'; I've already been head-hunted for the regional team for next time around (I did also get asked by someone else at a previous competition if there was any possibility I was Welsh, though sadly I'm not...)
This kind of nepotism also sneaks into our regional training days, one of which happened today. I always roll up late because I work on Saturdays, then have to drive to a nearby city and when I got there today, I was wondering where some of the usual suspects were and discovered there'd been some cherry-picking about who got to do what. Turns out there were two of the regional cadet squad epeeists around and a while later their coach rolled up and was focussing very much on them.
Cue the sparring part of the afternoon and I was okay but nothing exceptional - then came the highlight of the afternoon! Yes, I fenced one of the cadets and completely schooled him, to the point where his coach pulled him over mid-fight (which is completely Not Done) to give him advice. Not that this helped, as I subsequently caned him 5-2 and couldn't help seeing the sour look on his coach's face when I sauntered away. That's definitely one for us old fogies! :P
