Originally Posted by
tobukog
I think one big flaw in the current incentive base system is that you pretty much have to be World Class (i.e, medal capable) to receive substantial support....
This is part of my point. One has to already be a world class athlete in order to make the most basic of a living.
This is like Boeing telling college engineering graduates, "Work on your own for free for 10-15 years and invent something we can sell, then
if it sells, we will hire you, say we made you, and pay you an
entry level salary (less than our receptionists make). Only those who invent something....that we can sell. Be better than literally every other engineer in the country and better than most other engineers in the world."
Who would pursue engineering with those odds? Only those who truly love it...and can afford to suffer the lost wages that they could be making elsewhere.
EDIT:
I mean, this is pretty much how the music and modeling industries work...but they pay
a lot more at the top. And even so, I still would not urge any friends or family to pursue careers in those fields. For fun, yes. Career, no.