Nice article on Rachael in the San Jose paper (not Skate Canada centric)

[barbk]

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19216527

I guess she's not borrowing any clothes from her roommate.
The practice arrangements sound awful, especially given the traffic in that area. Strange that Stanford never built an ice rink.

[PDilemma]

Three rinks and four coaches could provide diverse viewpoints. Or it could be a too many cooks in the kitchen situation.

[michiruwater]

At Stanford, Flatt is taking introduction to the humanities, bioengineering ethics and computational mathematical engineering, aka, vector calculus.

Wow. Of course, it's always reported that she's very smart but I always view reputed celebrity smarts with a grain of salt. Good for her. Every part of 'computational mathematical engineering' sounds like something I would not enjoy taking as a class.

[genevieve]

Wow. Of course, it's always reported that she's very smart but I always view reputed celebrity smarts with a grain of salt. Good for her. Every part of 'computational mathematical engineering' sounds like something I would not enjoy taking as a class.

aren't her parents engineers? for some reason I imagine that Rachael grew up with math and science bandied about the house like family lore.

[skatesindreams]

Her schedule (and life) will be very busy this season.

[maureenfarone]

Thanks so much for the link . I hope she has a wonderful season.

[Sylvia]

I posted this article link in the Skate Canada forum/Articles thread yesterday...

espnW.com: Rachael Flatt jumping all over the place (2nd installment in the semimonthly series)

[nubka]

It sounds like she a lot on her plate right now. I hope she can keep it all togeather without burning out.

[Cal Girl]

That is an insane amount of pressure for anyone to survive. I hope she does, and does it well!

[MacMadame]

The practice arrangements sound awful, especially given the traffic in that area. Strange that Stanford never built an ice rink.

Why would Stanford build an ice rink? It's not like they have tons of elite ice skaters going there every year and the Redwood City rink is a 20 min. drive from campus.

Three rinks and four coaches could provide diverse viewpoints. Or it could be a too many cooks in the kitchen situation.

I think it helps if the coaches have a good working relationship. It's not unusual in this area for skaters to be sent to Charlie Tickner for help with jumps and/or to Sergei for help with polishing/choreography/edgework. I am pretty sure that similar arrangements were made in Colorado Springs between different coaches -- the only difference is that they were all at the same rink, which definitely makes scheduling less complicated.

So that just leaves the fact that it seems like she has two main coaches, Justin and Lynn, as being a bit unusual. But I'm pretty sure those two have a good working relationship and have team coached skaters before.

I bet as she settles into her schedule she finds only one of these four being her true main coach and the rest are there for supplementation.

[PDilemma]

I wouldn't question it, Macmadame, if it weren't for the arrangement of training at all three rinks with no indication of one being primary. The coaches are going to have to communicate flawlessly and constantly to make it work without a hitch or Rachael getting mixed messages.

[bardtoob]

I think she is better off having enrolled in the jr college of her choice. She will easily be let back into the farm if she decides to take time off to train until the cows come home

While deferring admission was a possiblity, an applicant for readmission has more rights, having been a matriculating student, than somebody with a past admission offer.

[BackOnTheIce]

Three rinks and four coaches could provide diverse viewpoints. Or it could be a too many cooks in the kitchen situation.

It is really two rinks, three coaches. One lead and two who assist and she is doing just fine with it all. Stop picking.

[victoriaheidi]

I think she is better off having enrolled in the jr college of her choice. She will easily be let back into the farm if she decides to take time off to train until the cows come home

While deferring admission was a possiblity, an applicant for readmission has more rights, having been a matriculating student, than somebody with a past admission offer.

I disagree for a variety of reasons.

1. I think, as much as Rachael wants to skate right now, her future is uber-important to her and she wants the connections that she'll make at Stanford. Sure, a transfer can make those connections too, but that brings me to my next point.
2. I took 5 APs in HS. Rachael took 7 (based on some articles I read. Brief aside: I got a lot more AP credit than she did. Bummer for her). She got straight A's. She worked hard. I know because I worked hard, too-I got nearly straight A's (math and science, you evil subjects!)-and, even with work, school, extracurriculars and all, she had to work a million times harder. And when you're in this for an education and you get into a school like Stanford or Harvard or one of those schools very few people get into, it would probably feel really crummy to say, "yay! I got into Stanford, but I'll be at Broadmoor Community College (or whatever the local CC is) for two years. Why did I work my butt so hard when I could've just gone there?" This applies only if the person can afford the top school, which I doubt was a major factor in her case (she probably got a few scholarships along the way, too).
3. I think she likes this level of activity. I juggle a lot of activities ATM (school, work, sorority, family, extracurriculars, etc.) and I'm happy that I have so much going on in my life. Is it stressful? Yes. I've had essentially one midterm a week every week this semester. I'm taking 5 classes for 16 units and I realize now that this is more than I should be taking. So I'll cut back next semester. But do I like being busy and having things to do and being able to pursue more than just one thing at once? Yes! I can't imagine just being one thing. I think I'd get too burned out if I were just doing schoolwork, too absorbed if my whole life were about my sorority, and get sick of my family if they were the only people I ever saw. I think Rachael's the same way. I attribute her injury last season to the fact that she was only focusing on skating and NOTHING else.

So no, I think Rachael's better off at Stanford. If she's anything like the person I think she is (overachiever talking overachiever here!), she'd feel like she wasted all that time getting good test scores and grades and working herself like crazy to wind up at the local community college where all it takes is a 2.0 and local residency.

[DickButtonFan]

I'm just amazed by her. Hope she has a great year.

[victoriaheidi]

What happened during her LP? The comp isn't over, so the protocols aren't up yet...29.33 TES? 2 falls? Below Adriana DeSanctis? Anyone have any insight?

[Sylvia]

There's lots of insight going on in the Skate Canada forum in Kiss and Cry. I would prefer not to see the usual negativity rehashed here in GSD yet again, but I guess it's inevitable, sigh...

[fsfan22]

What happened during her LP? The comp isn't over, so the protocols aren't up yet...29.33 TES? 2 falls? Below Adriana DeSanctis? Anyone have any insight?

All of her triples except for the 3Lo+2T combo were under-rotated, as well as an under-rotated 2A, plus 2 falls (3S and 2A).

As she was saying in the K&C, the program just needs some more training. It looked like it needed more miles and that she isn't fully comfortable with it yet.

After reading this article, I have some doubts about all of the travelling she has to do just to get to a rink and train. I hope she can find a more efficient way of getting it done.

I definitely haven't lost faith in her though. She's tough and she'll be back and better for Russia & Nationals.

[barbk]

I think she is better off having enrolled in the jr college of her choice. She will easily be let back into the farm if she decides to take time off to train until the cows come home

While deferring admission was a possiblity, an applicant for readmission has more rights, having been a matriculating student, than somebody with a past admission offer.

I'm pretty sure bardtoob's comment was an inside joke: Stanford is, more completely, Leland Sanford Jr. University -- or junior college, in joke terms. AKA, the farm.

[DickButtonFan]

Her firebird lp is a much better style for her.