2018/19 Coaching changes

[GraceAndPower]

Quote

"I didn't really ask [Hanyu] for permission," Orser said. "I just threw it out there to get his reaction, and I didn't really get one. I'm sure if there was an issue, I would have heard about it by now."

 

No reaction means Yuzu expressed no disappointment, anger, worry... or enthusiasm, there's that too. I imagine he was quite taken aback... Maybe he's happy about it now, but he probably wasn't in that moment! It's a big change...

 

As for the second comment, I find it quite flippant. Then again, I'm often baffled by Brian's comments about Yuzu, the way he seems to not know a thing about him outside the rink, that time when he said he had no idea what Zu's thoughts were as all his interviews were in Japanese... I don't really "get" their relationship.

[micaelis]

I'm not too worried about how Yuzu will handle the new arrivals.  He handled Javi well, even though we have learned recently not everything was sunny and cheerful.  Brian, though, has been with Yuzu now for over half a decade and I'm sure he knows how to act proactively if he thinks something might happen that might upset Yuzu.  He's been fortunate, though, that Yuzu does not show any signs of being a male prima donna and I really wonder if when Brian undertook training Yuzu he would end up with not just simply a talented skater but a media phenomenon who just years later would be staking a claim as the greatest skater of all time.  I think far more than was the case with Javi, Brian has had to do a lot of learning on the job when it came to handlng media demands for Yuzu and all such related matters. 

 

As for the other skaters, we have to remember that Yuzu is more or less a finished product.  Brian can't really teach him anything new and so his role and the role of the others there when Yuzu is concerned is one now more on the level of advice and feedback.  True, they will work with Yuzu when he is going into what is for him uncharted territory but we have to remember that if it is uncharted for Yuzu more than likely it's uncharted for everyone else also.  It will be a situation where everyone is engaged in the same exploratory task. 

 

As far as the relations between Yuzu and the new arrivals I see no problems developing.  Yuzu and Zhenya will not be competing against each other unless it's a team competition, and I tend to think their training schedules will be more or less separate.  As for Jason, comments here have led me to think that by and large Yuzu and Jason will be going their separate ways while at TCC.  With Boyang I feel strongly Yuzu will be welcoming him enthusiastically.  The two are showing signs of becoming truly close friends and considering Yuzu's loner ways I think that is a development much to be welcomed.  True, he has had his mother through all these years but outside of her his world outside the walls of TCC has been decidedly limited.  The only impediment between him and Boyang, I think, will be language (I have no idea how much English Boyang has though Yuzu's English I've heard is fairly decent in informal situations but tends to freeze up in formal, public situations, such as interviews).  I think Yuzu's relationship with Boyang might, unlike his with Javi, extend outside the walls of TCC.  At least I hope so.

[Katt]

18 minutes ago, wpisces said:

Well, once Japanese media sniffs out it and senses it could make drama, Yuzuru will have to deal with their tons of questions long before Brian   But I'm not sure if he would agree to give opinion about it so ...

I dont think he would answer anything about how he feel about his training mate during ice show. We might have to wait until his open practice 

 

@BrightonDogwoods : I won't try to pretend that I know what's Yuzuru's thinking and how he react. There's alot of things that they never share to us. I hope things turn out fine for all skaters. 

 

I have to say getting along well in ex/gala is different from training together. There's time that people think Yuzuru and Javi are the best friend in the world until Brian reveal they never hang out and won't keep contact once they retire. He never hang out with Nobu and Keijj either. Yuzuru will just focus on his own stuff. I doubt any training mate could change his long time habit. After all, he said multiple times that he's in canada only for skating.  

[EisElle]

5 minutes ago, micaelis said:

I think Yuzu's relationship with Boyang might, unlike his with Javi, extend outside the walls of TCC.  At least I hope so.

they're headphones buddies, after all, so that's a bit more he has in common with Boyang than with Javi (plus the love for everything Gold). Oh, and they both spent the day after their Helsinki medals being totally adorable nerds  one all alone rewatching his SP and the other "celebrating" with cup noodles

tbh I don't expect Yuzuru's off-ice life to change that much, it's just how he is (he himself described himself as an introvert) so, even if he loves goofing around with others during galas, he probably values his spaces a LOT. I just don't think he needs to interact with many people all the time. I bet even at home he stays holed up in his room most of the time, but I'm also sure he appreciates a lot having his mom to share things like meals with him...

[Yatagarasu]

Yeah, that was a highly unpleasant thing to read.

It's a direct quote, so please, let's not go down the road of Hersh, this, that. Direct quotes are not touched or you'll find yourself booted out. In fact I would not be surprised at all if Hersh took care to leave this statement in a direct quote, precisely because he understood the, at best, uncomfortable nature of the whole thing.

 

If he had asked Javier once up on a time (and boy were we informed of this point), out of simple respect, he should have asked Yuzuru about Boyang. It doesn't even matter if he has explicitly said he's not staying the full quad. Presenting him with a fait accompli then giving this weird statement how there was no reaction, I don't even know what to say. Of course there wasn't, he was presented with no option but to accept it. Doesn't matter that he would have said yes anyway, it's an issue of principles. 

I don't think I even have to explain why the follow up is highly, highly ironic. Sure he would Brian, after all he has such a fantastic track record of informing you of things. 

Leaves a bad taste in the mouth, to be blunt.

[valkyrie]

24 minutes ago, GraceAndPower said:

As for the second comment, I find it quite flippant. Then again, I'm often baffled by Brian's comments about Yuzu, the way he seems to not know a thing about him outside the rink, that time when he said he had no idea what Zu's thoughts were as all his interviews are in Japanese... I don't really "get" their relationship.

 

my gut reaction is to find a lot of the things he says about his relationship with yuzu odd too, but i try to remember that we only get brief glimpses of what's going on, and even then we don't really know. it's not really brian's fault if yuzu is introverted and doesn't want to talk about his personal life, especially in english. and anyway, yuzu is obviously content enough with how they do things to have stayed all these years.

[k8y]

1 hour ago, GraceAndPower said:

 

No reaction means Yuzu expressed no disappointment, anger, worry... or enthusiasm, there's that too. I imagine he was quite taken aback... Maybe he's happy about it now, but he probably wasn't in that moment! It's a big change...

 

As for the second comment, I find it quite flippant. Then again, I'm often baffled by Brian's comments about Yuzu, the way he seems to not know a thing about him outside the rink, that time when he said he had no idea what Zu's thoughts were as all his interviews were in Japanese... I don't really "get" their relationship.

 

28 minutes ago, Yatagarasu said:

Yeah, that was a highly unpleasant thing to read.

It's a direct quote, so please, let's not go down the road of Hersh, this, that. Direct quotes are not touched or you'll find yourself booted out. In fact I would not be surprised at all if Hersh took care to leave this statement in a direct quote, precisely because he understood the, at best, uncomfortable nature of the whole thing.

 

If he had asked Javier once up on a time (and boy were we informed of this point), out of simple respect, he should have asked Yuzuru about Boyang. It doesn't even matter if he has explicitly said he's not staying the full quad. Presenting him with a fait accompli then giving this weird statement how there was no reaction, I don't even know what to say. Of course there wasn't, he was presented with no option but to accept it. Doesn't matter that he would have said yes anyway, it's an issue of principles. 

I don't think I even have to explain why the follow up is highly, highly ironic. Sure he would Brian, after all he has such a fantastic track record of informing you of things. 

Leaves a bad taste in the mouth, to be blunt.

A million times both of these reactions. I understand Brian has different relationships with Javi and Yuzu because they are different people and have different needs etc. But I'm not sure how many times I can use that as an excuse for the lack of warmth and weirdness in Brian's comments about Yuzu over the years. They've been together 6 years, have gone through many things, but the only thing you ever hear from Brian is that Yuzu is private, polite, lives with his mother, works hard, and shouldn't be underestimated. Someone should interview me because I know all of these things too, from my couch. I try to think, well maybe that's all Yuzu wants Brian to say about him, and that's okay too. But the flip remark in that article, especially in light of how Brian has made his consulting Javi to be part of the story of Yuzu coming to TCC, annoys the heck out of me. And I'm writing this because there are always people on this forum who are more measured and knowledgeable than I am so I'm hoping you guys can calm me down a little. 

 

Edited to add: This also comes at a kind of vulnerable time for Yuzu. He's injured, not fully recovered after several months, his future and purpose are a little uncertain. It would help if Brian didn't look like he was phasing him out so quickly. 

[yuzuangel]

2 hours ago, Katt said:

I can see that one sentence might create alot drama, but I'm sure Brian wouldn't come to Yuzuru's apartment to ask one question then left when he saw no reaction 

 

Scene 1 (Dark, stormy night)

 

Brian enters, wearing a dark cape, takes off his hood. Only one candle lights the scene.

 

Brian: "Boyang is coming to train at TCC."

 

Yuzu: literally doesn't react

 

Brian: leaves

 

Lightning strikes and thunder roars in the background.

 

Lol seriously how I'm imagining it.

[Neenah]

Yuzu is not Javi so we shouldn't expect Brian to approach them the same way. It is normal when dealing with people we know to try and talk to them in a way that they would respond to better. Brian knows Yuzu and he chose the way he thought would work best. 

 

I think Yuzu would have said yes even if he was unhappy about it because he is not a selfish person. So, it makes sense that Brain would not just ask but rather talk to him about it and watch for a reaction (basically what Yuzu would not say openly). 

[yuzuangel]

4 minutes ago, Neenah said:

So, it makes sense that Brain would not just ask but rather talk to him about it and watch for a reaction (basically what Yuzu would not say openly). 

You're right, actually this makes lots of sense. His facial expressions are more expressive than his spoken words sometimes.

[Yatagarasu]

28 minutes ago, k8y said:

I understand Brian has different relationships with Javi and Yuzu because they are different people and have different needs etc. [...]And I'm writing this because there are always people on this forum who are more measured and knowledgeable than I am so I'm hoping you guys can calm me down a little. 

 

I think there's a great cultural difference between the two so it's never been that close on a personal level between them; there's less understanding in terms of two people relating to each other.

I have always been eh about some of the approach in terms of how things were presented in public, so I understand.

 

Thing is, post SC 2016, they seem to have settled their issues when it comes to skating itself, and more or less, it seems to be smooth sailing on that front. It's the one thing Yuzuru seems to care about so as long as they are working as student and coach, and all of Yuzuru's needs are being met (and they are), that's what counts. Yuzuru also seems to be very close to Briand, and has been working with him a lot, pre and post PC, so there is also that. Tracy has always been very kind to him.

 

Would I like more care when certain things are being said in public? Sure I would, especially as it does seem like Brian's making long-term plans without him in the picture but at the same time, Yuzuru's training will, I will bet on it, at least for now, remain unaffected and that is what counts (I say for now because if by some weird circumstances he has himself a plate of interesting mushrooms, and decides to go for three and 2022, then the whole thing is going to require a lot of juggling). 

 

 

6 minutes ago, Neenah said:

I think Yuzu would have said yes even if he was unhappy about it because he is not a selfish person. So, it makes sense that Brain would not just ask but rather talk to him about it and watch for a reaction (basically what Yuzu would not say openly). 

 

I don't agree really. Especially not considering both how he is, and where he's from. Not to mention his history. 

[Hydroblade]

3 minutes ago, Yatagarasu said:

I say for now because if by some weird circumstances he has himself a plate of interesting mushrooms, and decides to go for three and 2022, then the whole thing is going to require a lot of juggling

He IS an interesting mushroom so most of the time i'm ??? about what he's going to do next. It's like being on a closed rollercoaster where you can't see the track at all >_<

[Yatagarasu]

6 minutes ago, Hydroblade said:

He IS an interesting mushroom so most of the time i'm ??? about what he's going to do next. It's like being on a closed rollercoaster where you can't see the track at all >_<

 

Not going to lie, I would love to pick his brain one day. That's a great description!

I don't mind discussing, as it is certainly fun, and passes the time, about what he might do but deep down, I truly don't think I can predict a single thing when it comes to him. Which just makes it all the more brill! 

[Huiqi]

25 minutes ago, Neenah said:

Yuzu is not Javi so we shouldn't expect Brian to approach them the same way.

I think the reason Brian did not approach Yuzu the same way he approached Javi back in 2012 was because he felt that if he had agreed to coach Yuzu without Javi's permission, Javi might be hurt/mad and leave him. After what happened with Yuna and Adam Rippon, having another student leaving Brian would not be good for his reputation. However, after leading Yuzu and Javi to Olympic glory, things have changed. Brian has also changed (sadly).

[Sombreuil]

I find the professional relationship Yuzuru has with his coaches more understandable than this notion that the coach is there as a second parent - we saw how that can go with Eteri and Zhenya.  I don't think there's any doubt that Orser and Javier were a lot closer than O is with Yuzuru, but Y doesn't need that sort of closeness - he has family with him.  O is reduced to talking about Y in the same cliched terms all the time because he doesn't know him that well outside the rink - he's private, he's studious, he's family oriented, and he's very focused on his skating.  J is a typical laddish European bloke who likes football, beer and socialising, (and to my eye hasn't loved skating much the last two seasons)  which btw is an equally cliched way for O to talk about him.  The bottom line is that there's a greater cultural divide between Canada and Japan than between Canada and Spain.  

 

Things went badly wrong at Boston, both sides could have handled that better.  I hope they've ironed out their communication problems, and the way the team handled the Olympics was a tour de force.  I agree that the impression we're getting at the moment is unfortunate but as long as Y is happy with the way his training is handled I don't think new people will affect him.

 

NB the informe Robinson programme was a puff piece for Javier on Spanish tv so was bound to be the way it was - I admit I could have done without the little moue of disapproval with which B described Y as 'a little too intense' but his record speaks for itself.