Beloved coaches (literally) | Golden Skate

Beloved coaches (literally)

ladyjane

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I didn't watch all skates at IDF but I was alerted to two coaches who really caught my eye. Both Italian. Sylvia Fontana who really seems to care a lot for her skaters while simultaneously sharing her feelings with her husband, John Zimmerman, who is just as feeling but less open with his emotions. I love Sylvia's tears when her skaters are doing good (while John is there also with his smile and hugs) and she is just so emotional and caring for her skaters. I recall her motherly actions towards Kevin, but also her tears when her skaters do well. And at IDF it was so in the face: this is a coach who cares, who loves her skaters. And the other coach was Barbara Fusarpoli. I never was a fan when she was skating with Maurizio but as a coach, she is just so emotional and caring. So happy Charlene and Marco did well...also with tears. I am in love with coaches like these. What do you think? Should a coach be emotional, should he/she be really caring as these two beloved (in my view) coaches? Or should they take more distance?
 

el henry

Go have some cake. And come back with jollity.
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Interesting question, but I think it may rest on the cultural expectations from coaching.

I don't think a coach is any less "beloved" if they are not outwardly emotional. I remember two quotes that struck me, and I can't find them with a quick search:drama: but I'm fairly certain I'm not making them up:

Frank Carroll: He saw his job is to be the anchor for the skater. And this is the quote I remember: I may be dying inside, but you never let a skater see it. I'm steady for them.

I remember the same kind of comments from Kori Ade, who of course had a very close relationship with Jason: I don't cheer too loudly if they're doing well, because then what happens if they don't do well? They don't need to worry about what the coach is thinking.

I don't think Tracy Wilson cares any less for her skaters because she's not crying/screaming at a good skate. ;) Of course, it's easy to be happy/emotional if you win:biggrin:
 

AshWagsFan

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Jekaterina Platonova seems to be a very loving coach, she is very emotional and caring with her skaters, such as Angelina Kuchvalska:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zx35e7KNtA

The skaters also seem to treat her with great kindness, respect, and emotion as well, which is why she seems so beloved in Latvia
 

Arriba627

TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION 🔥
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I didn't watch all skates at IDF but I was alerted to two coaches who really caught my eye. Both Italian. Sylvia Fontana who really seems to care a lot for her skaters while simultaneously sharing her feelings with her husband, John Zimmerman, who is just as feeling but less open with his emotions. I love Sylvia's tears when her skaters are doing good

I love these two! I think of them as the Dynamic Duo. They were at Skate America with some of their skaters. While eating breakfast in the hotel dining room, I realized they were sitting at a table right near me. I couldn't take my eyes off of them and would have loved to have spoken to them but didn't want to interrupt their breakfast! I was noticing their reactions and interaction with Denney & Frazier at IdF. They seem like very special coaches.
 

TallyT

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Apr 23, 2018
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Well, you could argue that greater love hath no coach than that he carries and looks after a pooh tissue box. In public :laugh:
 

theharleyquinn

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Feb 25, 2014
It's a bit sensitive especially after IdF, but I always loved how much Mihoko Higuchi doted on Shoma when he would finish programs.
 

LynsJ

On the Ice
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Feb 13, 2018

Aww loved this! I was there but missed raf doing that! Everyone got behind shoma in that moment it was electric.

I found it hard during the event when Raf was at the boards to take my eyes of him. I wanted so bad to catch him being really expressive but it was hard [emoji23][emoji23]

I agree about Sylvia and barbera they are both so invested. Watching Bruno massot this weekend was lovely too. He seemed very calm and focused, his head bobbing to the movements. I can’t wait to see how he progresses his team and how he does as a coach.
 

heyheyhey

Final Flight
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Apr 19, 2018
Raf. :biggrin:

That is all.

I was listening to some interview with Adam and he was talking about how Raf changed his life (let him stay at his house, helped him get a car, made him believe in himself & evaluate what he wants to do with his life etc) and I thought it was pretty cool. Many of his students have been “older” skaters that people kinda write off after awhile and if they really listen to him, he’s really good at breathing new life into their careers and making them feel good about what they can accomplish if they really work for it. I feel Mariah may be having that right now and Brezina last year. I like that about his coaching.
 

Roast Toast

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Apr 13, 2017
This is a tricky question because for a coach to be universally popular I think they can't get too many bad results... but they also can't get too many good results ;) if you know what I mean. Right now I think Stephane meets the description the most. I was also very moved by Barbara, she was so emotional after G/F's free dance.
 

el henry

Go have some cake. And come back with jollity.
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whole post

I think I understand what you're saying, but I want to make it clear for myself that I am not advocating some kind of "Tough love suck it up" coaching for all skaters (despite the fact that I am of an age where I walked barefoot ten miles in the snow to school, uphill both ways:laugh:)

IMHO, a wise coach knows his or her skaters and treats them as individuals. When the skater needs emotional encouragement, they give it to them. In my examples, Frank and Kori were saying that staying on an even keel provided that encouragement in the long run.

The skater's results, to me, have nothing to do with whether one is a good coach. Having walked barefoot in the snow, I take a longer term view. :biggrin: Don't get me wrong, I think medals and competitions are great. But did a coach help the skater be the best they could be, on and off the ice?

That's a beloved coach:agree:
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
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I was listening to some interview with Adam and he was talking about how Raf changed his life (let him stay at his house, helped him get a car, made him believe in himself & evaluate what he wants to do with his life etc) and I thought it was pretty cool. Many of his students have been “older” skaters that people kinda write off after awhile and if they really listen to him, he’s really good at breathing new life into their careers and making them feel good about what they can accomplish if they really work for it. I feel Mariah may be having that right now and Brezina last year. I like that about his coaching.

Exactly my point.
 

Tolstoj

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Joined
Nov 21, 2015
It's totally a cultural thing.

Here in Italy we get emotional on everything, if you don't, it seems like you don't care.

Beyond those mentioned above, i also saw Franca Bianconi and Walter Rizzo getting very emotional at Matteo Rizzo results in the past 2 years.

Reactions from japanese coaches also are often very funny, it's like they have fun sending their skaters on the ice and sit with them in the KnC. Machiko Yamada immediately comes to mind.

https://twitter.com/rockerskating/status/904055315661897728

In Russia of course Tarasova's reactions are always my favourites: especially at 1998 Olympics, you can feel the emotions and the stress on bringing Kulik and Grishuk/Platov to the gold medal.

https://youtu.be/JSvujoS_BoY?t=257
https://youtu.be/YfzZ7NMIdVU?t=531

But as other mentioned in other countries it's totally normal to not behave as much, Tracy Wilson doesn't cry or yell and yet you hear her in interviews, she sounds like one of the most caring coaches i've ever seen.

While Frank or Eteri tend to not overemote in one way or the other, and that's normal too in figure skating.
 

TontoK

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I guess it depends on what you think the job of the coach should be.

I think it's to get the very best out of their athletes, not necessarily to be lovey-dovey in the Kiss and Cry.

I appreciate that Sylvia got emotional when he skaters did well. She knows how hard they worked.

But, I'm more impressed by Raf, who once literally shoved Adam Rippon on the ice to complete a program when it would have been easy - and bad in the long term - to let him quit.

One coach, a coach I do not admire, has a great reputation for "being so supportive" while not getting the best out of the students. No, not a fan of that. At all.
 

el henry

Go have some cake. And come back with jollity.
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Actually, when it comes to Raf, I'm way more impressed by the fact that Raf waived his fees for Adam than that he shoved Adam onto the ice. Underneath all that bluster he's a teddy bear, one thing in his favor:agree:

Anybody can act tough. Not really impressed by that. And as I said, medals fade. Not impressed by that either (in the long run, in the short run medals are great, no doubt:).)

IMHO, nobody at this level of skating needs the "I walked ten miles barefoot in the snow now show me what you're made of" speech. They're way harder on themselves than any coach could ever be. :think:
 

ladyjane

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Jun 26, 2012
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Netherlands
Thank you all. I guess you are right in that I just love it when coaches get all emotional, even if they do it all the time because it's the way they always react to one of their students really doing well. That's probably just me, someone who gets to sniff and gets all teary when things like that happen.

I just read Adam's book (beautiful on the outside) and it's pretty clear he has enormous admiration for Raf if only because RAF told him he wouldn't accept his mothers money anymore, then helped him get his act together and only then expected to get fees again. There's a lot in between, but the gist of it is that Raf helped him get independant. Of course I admire that too, just as I admired Tarasova in her day who would also get very emotional. And I certainly didn't intend to be negative about either Tracy Wilson or Kori Ade, of whom I have heard nothing but praise and how supportive they are to their students. And stay that when a student becomes an ex-student because a particular student needs a different angle or approach after a while.

So, now I'm going to walk 10 miles barefoot in the snow (once the snow arrives). ;)
 
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