2018/19 Coaching changes

[WinForPooh]

I don't think Hersh would misquote. He absolutely would not. No respectable journalist would do that and like him or not, he is one of those.

 

But he would cherrypick quotes and throw them into the article where it would have most impact, and his way of most impact is not necessary 'intends to convey what the interviewee really meant '. So if he put a floating quote in there with no context, I do think the context would explain things that are making us scratch our heads. 

 

He leaves wiggle room, like his contexts for the GOAT thing,  sentences with half quotes and half his own interpretations put together but with quotes placed correctly. Tbh they all do that. 

[LucyH]

6 hours ago, micaelis said:

I am simply flying on speculation here, but in defense of Brian it might be that he knew, before the fact, that Yuzu could handle the new arrivals and  that Yuzu would go along with these developments.  When Brian asked Javi he did so because he might not have been sure how Javi might react.  Javi hadn't been with Brian all that long, remember, certainly not the many years that Yuzu has been with Brian at this time and although there is much in Yuzu that Brian finds inexplicable he knew that Yuzu could handle this development. 

 

As far as Brian's frequent seeming coldness when speaking about Yuzu, I think quite simply Brian finds himself overawed by the Yuzuru Hanyu phenomenon.  There is no way when he initially undertook Yuzu's training back in  2012 that he could have foreseen the sheer phenomenon Yuzu would become.  He knew back then that he was dealing with a major talent, but particularly after those two weeks in late 2015 when Yuzu broke the short, long and combined records at NHK and then did it again in his very next competition, not only establishing new records but establishing 100, 200 and 300 as the benchmarks for acceptable winning scores thereafter, well, it's like those in horse racing had to readjust their perspectives when Secretariat broke the mile and a half record by over two and a half seconds at the Belmont.  I remember the look on Brian's face at the 2015 GPF when he and Yuzu were awaiting the scores after Yuzu's long program.  It's the look of one who is being made to realize that he might be sitting next to a figure-skating version of a 'god on earth'.  How can any coach react to having one of his athletes quite simply remaking the sport?  I just have a feeling that Brian at times simply stands in awe of Yuzu and as a result he thinks carefully about any remarks he makes about him in interviews.

Yup Javi was also in a really bad state when he went to Brian from Morozov so there's that as well... Javi and Yuzu are in totally different positions within the pecking order so to speak so I get why Brian didn't ask his permission because at the end of the day really Brian is the one that runs the coaching staff, he doesn't need anyone's permission to take on new students. The wording was odd and flippant but he may have a reason as to why he did it this way (I don't know what those are but look at the way he and Yuzu's team masterfully handled the media in PC with regards to Yuzu's injury - never giving away and appearing fully confident). I am almost 100% certain that that they talked to Yuzu before accepting all three students - that fits with the TCC modus operandi 

[hoodie axel]

1 hour ago, Xen said:

He told Jason flat out that Boyang would be at TCC, if anything, think that means those two will partner up. 

Not a conclusion I draw, but I'm not sure, either way.

[Katt]

Back to Boyang, seem like it was CSAwho push and decided this move. I hope he's fine with it. 

[hoodie axel]

18 minutes ago, Katt said:

Back to Boyang, seem like it was CSAwho push and decided this move. I hope he's fine with it. 

Where do you get this?

[Katt]

3 minutes ago, hoodie axel said:

Where do you get this?

From the IN article. Its was Shen/Zhao who approached Brian. And Brian did say they barely talk aside from Korean ice show. From the wording, its indeed different if you compare to Evgenia and Jason who decided themselves. I'm not surprise because CSA decided almost everything for their skaters. Just hope he can adapt the new training enviroment soon. 

[Xen]

I think CSA was going to send him overseas sometime, sooner or later. I would not be fully surprised if the push really did come from CSA, and ultimately, even if Boyang wanted to go to BOrser, financially and logistics wise, it would be up to CSA to decide. Boyang's english also isn't that great.

 

Again, go back and read Zhao's interview with Tencent sport at PyeonChang and the idea that many chinese atheletes are not mature enough yet to make those decisions. And he's not far off- while not stupid or wholly ignorant, many of the top atheletes in China get pulled out of the normal education system as soon as they decide to focus on sports. And this pull out isn't just like going to a special school like Yuzu, we're talking about something closer to the Russian system where they receive the bare minimum education necessary to meet law. I ran into a couple girls who are around 9/10 years old, and they pretty much just train, barely doing any schooling.

 

On the other hand....let's just be glad he is at TCC, because another option would have been Raf (where the 2 junior men went).

[xeyra]

It's the same in Korea, it seems. From what I read recently, Young You only has math and language classes while being homeschooled. 

[hoodie axel]

I'm sure the CSA did decide, but I really doubt they took zero input from him. That seems like a strange assumption to make honestly. And he does probably have his own goals.

[cirelle]

I read Brian's "I'm sure I would have heard by now" as a reference to Yuzu's team, not necessarily Yuzu himself. There might be stuff he wouldn't mind, but that his team would, so not reacting before talking to them might be a good idea. 

 

We see so little of how Brian is as a coach - basically just performative interviews and K&C appearences. And sure Brian says some weird stuff, but like my former PhD advisor can say some really weird stuff and he is an excellent advisor. Anyway, like so many of you have said, we don't really know the dynamics or the context. 

 

[Yatagarasu]

5 hours ago, hoodie axel said:

I'm sure the CSA did decide, but I really doubt they took zero input from him. That seems like a strange assumption to make honestly. And he does probably have his own goals.

 

Actually, I am absolutely sure CSA would decide with zero input from him, it's how stuff is done there. 

Doesn't mean that he didn't say something about it but this was a CSA call.

 

(think pairs and how they shuffled them according to what they saw fit, regardless of their wishes. Think Hanee who got a lol no to go to Raf. Etc)

[hoodie axel]

4 minutes ago, Yatagarasu said:

 

Actually, I am absolutely sure CSA would decide with zero input from him, it's how stuff is done there. 

Doesn't mean that he didn't say something about it but this was a CSA call.

 

(think pairs and how they shuffled them according to what they saw fit, regardless of their wishes. Think Hanee who got a lol no to go to Raf. Etc)

Oh, no, I guess I wasn't too clear. I'm sure it was a CSA call in the end (so even if he'd said no, maybe they would send him -- as @Xen suggests, the athletes might not have the maturity for decision making processes + he's just 20 in the first place), I just think that the concern over him not being alright with it, or being concerned too much about him not being able to adjust, is likely unnecessary. I'm guessing they ran this plan across him after the Olys, and he had enough time to think over it, and get adjusted to the idea, and he seems driven enough to see the benefits. It's also possible he was on board as soon as he heard the idea (because we're believing it was the CSA that brought up the idea), maybe it aligned with his own personal goals in his opinion. I just don't think he would've been against the idea (which is a concern among a few -- especially those who think that his coaches practically looked like his parents and would've made it very difficult for him to leave them), though I can't say for sure, of course.

[Katt]

Evgenia is the one who personally contact with Orser. Jason too. They want to train with Orser by their own will. With Boyang, I think its more like CSA approached Brian, got a nod from him, then they inform Boyang later. For sure he had time to think and prepare himself for the move. We don't know he like it or not. I think he is willing to improve and know TCC is a good place so he won't against it. But it might take a bit longer for him to get use to the new training place, in a different country than Evgenia and Jason. Not to mention, language barrier and culture difference. Brian did have communication issue with Yuna and Yuzu, both are Asian so I guess that's why I'm a bit more worried about Boyang. Anyway, we have to wait and see how its goes. 

[hoodie axel]

1 minute ago, Katt said:

Brian did have communication issue with Yuna and Yuzu, both are Asian so I guess that's why I'm a bit more worried about Boyang.

Sure.

 

For the rest, I'm not sure I'm familiar with the CSA to claim it was solely their idea. It could be that Boyang approached them with the idea, and then they agreed with it and approached Orser. Probably unlikely given the interviews with Zhao, but still possible.

[Katt]

6 minutes ago, hoodie axel said:

Sure.

 

For the rest, I'm not sure I'm familiar with the CSA to claim it was solely their idea. It could be that Boyang approached them with the idea, and then they agreed with it and approached Orser. Probably unlikely given the interviews with Zhao, but still possible.

I guess after what happened with HanYan and their pair skaters, I don't trust them to value their skater's opinion