Shoma Uno to change coaches | Golden Skate

Shoma Uno to change coaches

Interspectator

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 25, 2012
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20190603-00000109-sph-spo
My quick translation as follows:


Mens figureskating Silver Medalist in PyeongChang, Shoma Uno (21) will graduate from his coaches Machiko Yamada and Mihoko Higuchi who have coached him since he was 5 years old when he began skating; it was revealed on the 3rd, on his homepage. (the term graduate is used in Japan when one leaves a group)
Comment from Shoma Uno
"At this time I, Shoma Uno, will graduate from the Grand Prix Toukai, who have helped me for many years. The future is not decided as of yet, but I will immediately attend an overseas training camp and take it step by step.
Without forgetting my feelings of gratitude towards the teachers who have pushed my back in send-off, and the many people who have helped my competition life, I wish to make a new start.
I will continue to rely on your support"

Please tell me if I have gotten any thing wrong in my translation. And best of luck to Shoma's next big step. :pray:
 

Maria Victoria

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
It takes courage to do this when he has enjoyed much success with his former coaches. Wishing Shoma well in this new chapter of his career.
 

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!
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Jan 23, 2004
Okay this is mega news! I never thought Shoma would leave the nest.
 

Rissa

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Dec 11, 2014
I wonder if he's the one going to Eteri. Btw the whole thing reminds me of Eteri/Medvedeva split. I's probably going to be a rough season for Shoma. Does he speak any languages?
 

oatmella

陈巍
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Feb 23, 2014
I think Shoma can understand some English - not sure about speaking, though.
 

xeyra

Constant state
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Jan 10, 2017
It must have been such a tough decision to make, because he's always been so loyal to his coaches and his relationship with Mihoko in particular has always been so lovely, so I know it wasn't an easy decision for him. But they gave him his blessing so I hope wherever he ends up in he finds the experience rewarding. Good luck, Shoma!
 

bubblecherry

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 20, 2018
Takes a lot of courage and commitment to the sport & yourself to take such a huge leap of faith despite having so much success. Kudos to him for making the decision he believes is right for him either professionally, personally, or both. I'll be looking forward to more news and to see how career pans out.
 

MGstyle

Crawling around on the ice after chestnuts
Medalist
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Sep 1, 2015
Let me add that the nuance of the term "graduate" that he used is an exact equivalent of the English "graduation". It is not like simple "leaving a group", it means more that he completed his study at the school of Ms. Higuchi, and taking his journey to the next level. Just like a student does when he completes his study at a uni, or any school. I am not sure if "graduation" is a commonly used term in his current situation (leaving his coach) in Japan, but I thought it was particularly endearing that he used that term, instead of simply "leaving".

I do suspect it might have been the decision of the Japanese federation, not a decision of Shoma himself, who is so introverted and clearly uncomfortable in any situation out of his comfortable environment, to a painful level, he doesn't even understand English sufficiently. I wish Jason would be with him to look after him and help him feel more at ease, just like he did with Zhenya, but I don't think Orser will take him, not as long as Yuzu is there. I don't think Tutberidze is a very probable choice either, while she does have a taste for "small people" Shoma is too grown up :laugh: Plus how traumatic it would be, a switch from "Mom Mihoko" to the Icy Empress :eek: Arutunyan seems like the best option, but he might already have too many top level students including Nathan Chen...
 

OniBan

Final Flight
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May 8, 2014
I wonder if he's the one going to Eteri. Btw the whole thing reminds me of Eteri/Medvedeva split. I's probably going to be a rough season for Shoma. Does he speak any languages?

Aside from being a high profile skater moving on from a longtime coach, I personally don't think this is anywhere close to Eteri/Medvedeva split. Shoma's dynamics with his coaches is completely different from Eteri/Zhenya. If anything, I am inclined to think that the move is even encouraged/ suggested by them to further explore and polish his potential.
 

Crossover

All Hail the Queen
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Oct 31, 2014
As one of the people wishing to see more various styles from Shoma aside from coach Mihoko's choreographic works, I'm glad to hear Shoma's big decision. Wherever he goes, I believe he will make a good adjustment in a new place.
 

Rissa

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
Aside from being a high profile skater splitting from a longtime coach, I personally don't think this is anywhere close to Eteri/Medvedeva split. Shoma's dynamics with his coaches is completely different from Eteri/Zhenya. If anything, I am inclined to think that the move is even encouraged/ suggested by them to further explore and polish his potential.

I don't think there is any bad blood involved, and I find it very plausible that it was JSF decision and not Shoma's himself but I don't believe it was his coaches who encouraged him.

But he's a high profile, established skater who has gotten a ton of hardware including an Olympic silver under their long-time coach, who suddenly decide that said long-time coach isn't cutting it anymore. That's the similarity to Medvedeva. Of course reasons were different: Med's was the whole assembley line of future champions behind her, and Shoma's must have been the disappointing season. Another similarity I see to Med is that he's a skater starting his peak age, who's going to sufferer some serious downs because of the coaching change. (I hope I'm wrong.)

So, Raf or Eteri? That is the question.
 

ankifeather

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Wow, wasn't expecting that, I thought Shoma said something like he would only skate to choreography by Mihiko before...Sounds like he hasn't decided on a new coach yet...Are these overseas training camp really tryouts with different clubs? Jason mentioned he did a couple if tryouts before settling in Cricket Club.
 

rabidline

Final Flight
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Aug 16, 2018
Let me add that the nuance of the term "graduate" that he used is an exact equivalent of the English "graduation". It is not like simple "leaving a group", it means more that he completed his study at the school of Ms. Higuchi, and taking his journey to the next level. Just like a student does when he completes his study at a uni, or any school. I am not sure if "graduation" is a commonly used term in his current situation (leaving his coach) in Japan, but I thought it was particularly endearing that he used that term, instead of simply "leaving".

This was something that caught my eye as well. I don't know if it's a common term to use in Japanese, but I thought it's so Shoma to word it like that, and to make the news about the "graduation" instead of where he'll be going and who'll be his new coach. It's very sweet to read that.

Also regarding whether Machiko and Mihoko encouraged Shoma to make the move, it's in his own words- "the teachers who have pushed my back in sending me off."

He's had dissappointing seasons before where he could have made the move, including a very long time in juniors when he couldn't do a simple triple axel, my guess the final push for this move is Machiko and/or Mihoko telling him to go, to ensure he grows further.
 

Lamente Ariane

Skating Skills -5, Fashion +3, Camp +4
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Apr 5, 2017
I’m completely shocked! But if it’s definitely overseas I think it might be Raf. Then at least he could have Marin to help him adjust and sometimes Nathan who iirc he is friendly with.
 

yude

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Feb 28, 2012
I like his decision, good luck to him :thumbsup:

Sounds like (to me) there is still possibility he is going to stay in Japan though. But realistically speaking, I can't think of any Japanese coach for him.
 

discode

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 27, 2018
I like this decision too. He's outgrown his coach and needed a change.

He's mentioned previously he wants to train with skaters at his level, so that might narrow down the choices of coaches. Though it depends on what he views his level as. I can really only see him in at a couple places considering he wants to improve his jumps as well. Best of luck to him.
 

OniBan

Final Flight
Joined
May 8, 2014
I don't think there is any bad blood involved, and I find it very plausible that it was JSF decision and not Shoma's himself but I don't believe it was his coaches who encouraged him.

But he's a high profile, established skater who has gotten a ton of hardware including an Olympic silver under their long-time coach, who suddenly decide they said long-time coach isn't cutting it anymore. That's the similarity to Medvedeva. Of course reasons were different: Med's was the whole assembley line of future champions behind her, and Shoma's must have been the disappointing season. Another similarity I see to Med is that he's a skater starting his peak age, who's going to sufferer some serious downs because of the coaching change. (I hope I'm wrong.)

So, Raf or not Raf? That is the question.

At this point a lot of it is pure speculations as we don't have more information to go by than what is posted on his website, and the news report that are based on that posting, but I'll expect we'll hear more from him and his coaches. I do know though from past interviews that Yamada-sensei had always encouraged her students to spread their wings elsewhere should their talent/ potential surpass what her team can cater to, i.e Mao Asada
So it is my personal opinion that he has the blessing of his coaches going forward, even a little push from them (as stated in Shoma's website) so he would go - knowing how attached he is to them in the first place.

I personally don't think Shoma had a particularly disappointing season: in 2018/19 season, aside from being just shy of the podium at Worlds, he actually won both his GP assignments for the first time, won his first major title (4CC), Silver at GPF.
If anything, I think he would most likely be looking to broaden his horizon and max out his potential, which is may be possible in a different environment with other skaters as measuring yardstick.
And the decision is not as sudden as some would imply - it seems like it's something that had been in discussion for quite a while, judging from how he'd fielded/ evaded questions re his programs for the new season for some time now.

Wherever Shoma ends up, hopefully he will learn what he needed /wanted to make him a more formidable skater. This is a huge and brave decision to make - I wish him all the support and good luck!
 

Interspectator

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 25, 2012
This was something that caught my eye as well. I don't know if it's a common term to use in Japanese, but I thought it's so Shoma to word it like that, and to make the news about the "graduation" instead of where he'll be going and who'll be his new coach. It's very sweet to read that.

Also regarding whether Machiko and Mihoko encouraged Shoma to make the move, it's in his own words- "the teachers who have pushed my back in sending me off."

He's had dissappointing seasons before where he could have made the move, including a very long time in juniors when he couldn't do a simple triple axel, my guess the final push for this move is Machiko and/or Mihoko telling him to go, to ensure he grows further.

Graduation is a common term for when people leave a group and not only used in scholastics and education. For example, when a member of an idol or performance group leaves it is called graduation.

But no doubt Shoma's warm feelings towards his coaches and the club who discovered and nurtured him for so long is conveyed through his words and will never fade.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
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Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
Wow. I never thought to hear a coaching change come out of this camp.

It won't be Raf. That would mean having a direct rival of Nathan and yeah, that ain't gonna happen.
 

TallyT

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Apr 23, 2018
Country
Australia
Wow. I never thought to hear a coaching change come out of this camp.

It won't be Raf. That would mean having a direct rival of Nathan and yeah, that ain't gonna happen.

I know very little about Nathan, he seems - like the rest of last years' top men - to be a generous, essentially nice young man. But that he and his people would be agreeable to his coach working directly to improve the prospects in Beijing of one of the men who beat him in Pyeongchang? - even a saint would be hard-pressed to sit still for that.
 
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