Nam Nguyen Makes Coaching Change

[Sylvia]

Skate Canada press release (April 25, 2016): https://skatecanada.ca/2016/04/nam-nguyen-makes-coaching-change/

“After careful consideration and discussion with Nam’s parents, we believe a new start will be best for Nam. The move to David Glynn is a good fit,” said Brian Orser. “I wish Nam all the best and I am confident he will rise again.”

Nguyen will relocate to San Jose in May [train with coach David Glynn].

This news (and this IceNetwork article that includes more about his prom invitation made publicly to Polina Edmunds during Team Challenge Cup) is also being discussed in the Canadian Men's thread: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/ind...ason-threads-merged.96255/page-8#post-4783192

 

[DimaToe]

Can they just do a full switch and send Edmunds to Orser?

 

[A judge]

I wonder if the whole Nam family will move out to California? They all moved to Toronto when Nam went to Orser.

 

[jlmart]

I wonder if Nam's sister changed coaches. Isn't she with the Orser organization as well?

 

[A judge]

I was wondering the same thing about the sister.

 

[Marco]

Too bad it no longer works. I see no training area more inspirational than one with the current top 2 male skaters in the world.

I wonder if the whole Nam family will move out to California? They all moved to Toronto when Nam went to Orser.

Where are they originally from?

 

[mag]

Too bad it no longer works. I see no training area more inspirational than one with the current top 2 male skaters in the world.



Where are they originally from?

I believe they are from the Vancouver area.

 

[shutterbug]

I believe they are from the Vancouver area.

Nam was born in Ottawa as per his ISU bio This is a surprise to me. I would have thought Vancouver area too.

 

[dramagrrl]

As a fan of his, I am not pleased with this decision. I understand the desire to have a fresh start after such a disastrous season, but I think he would have been much better off staying where he is and being patient.

 

[A judge]

Nam was born in Ottawa but lived and was coached by Joanne Mc. in Vancouver for many years before the family moved to Toronto.

Dramagrrl, I am sure this was not all his or his parents decision.

 

[OrioleBeagle]

Hopefully, he will start doing proper off-ice training and go to the gym with Polina. Having her as a training mate might be a good motivation for him. He certainly won't want to be outdone by a girl!

 

[barbarafan]

As a fan of his, I am not pleased with this decision. I understand the desire to have a fresh start after such a disastrous season, but I think he would have been much better off staying where he is and being patient.

When you refuse to follow what your coach has asked you to do and your father backs you up there is really nothing more a coach can do...so from other posts the change may not have been voluntary on Nam's part.

 

[Nomad]

When you refuse to follow what your coach has asked you to do and your father backs you up there is really nothing more a coach can do...so from other posts the change may not have been voluntary on Nam's part.

If that is true, then I think Orser did the right thing. I dealt with similar situations back in my tutoring days. Kids who wouldn't follow my study plans, parents who took the kids' side...most of the time I ended up telling the parents to find someone else to waste their time and effort on Junior or Princess.

 

[pinky166]

Hopefully, he will start doing proper off-ice training and go to the gym with Polina. Having her as a training mate might be a good motivation for him. He certainly won't want to be outdone by a girl!

I don't think the Nam/Polina relationship will last long TBH. Polina is a fierce competitor and her skating level is a lot stronger than Nam's right now and once she gets her braces off I'm sure she'll get a lot of attention from the guys at college. I mean who knows they just sort of seem like a strange couple to me.

 

[genevieve]

I am sure this was not all his or his parents decision.

Based just on the statement quoted above, it sounds like he was asked to move on.

Didn't Orser also request that Rippon move on several years ago? I don't think he's interested in keeping students just for the sake of having them.

 

[barbarafan]

If that is true, then I think Orser did the right thing. I dealt with similar situations back in my tutoring days. Kids who wouldn't follow my study plans, parents who took the kids' side...most of the time I ended up telling the parents to find someone else to waste their time and effort on Junior or Princess.

Exactly and a complete change of everything might shake him up a bit ...especially if Polina is all gung ho and influences him..If he stagnates at new location then I imagine he will lose his good friend as well because they will not be on the same page...If he listens and starts to bulk up a bit he will be able to rotate those jumps again and his overall skating.....speed and ice coverage will improve tremendously (which is why he got low pcs even when his jumps were working and everyone was complaining about him) Then of course the word will be that David Glynn is a great coach and fixed Nam. I think that is exactly what Orser wants as he really cares deeply about all his students and wants only the best for them..whether it is with him or with another coach.

 

[Nomad]

I get that impression as well - that Orser just wants what's best for Nam and doesn't let his own ego get in the way. If a teacher-student relationship isn't working, it's best to admit it and find an alternative. I stuck it out with one kid even though it wasn't working because I needed the money. But I was very up front with her parents and told them that if she wasn't going to work at her French outside of the two hours a week I spent with her, the best they could hope for was a D. Which is what the kid ended up getting.
Anyway, I hope that Nam and Glynn can make it work, because he is a talented kid.

 

[Sylvia]

Didn't Orser also request that Rippon move on several years ago?

No, it was Rippon's decision to leave.

I looked up Nam Nguyen's sister's qualifying results last season - Kim Nguyen placed 8th in Pre-Novice at COS Sectionals last November (top 7 advanced to Challenge) and she landed clean double axels in both programs.

 

[CdnSk8Fan]

I looked up Nam Nguyen's sister's qualifying results last season - Kim Nguyen placed 8th in Pre-Novice at COS Sectionals last November (top 7 advanced to Challenge) and she landed clean double axels in both programs.

Actually it's top 4 that move one from sectionals (top 8 from Quebec) and wildcard spots filled based on TES, then PCS ranking from ALL sections. So if a section did not have enough competitors, it would free up X spots for wildcards. It just worked out COS had 3 spots that were at the top/near the top of the wildcard list

 

[PeterG]

When you refuse to follow what your coach has asked you to do and your father backs you up there is really nothing more a coach can do...so from other posts the change may not have been voluntary on Nam's part.

Wow...what thread (or threads) should I have been reading to have been aware of this? I had no idea!

I don't think the Nam/Polina relationship will last long TBH.

They are dating? I am so out of the loop!

 

[mackiecat]

Actually it's top 4 that move one from sectionals (top 8 from Quebec) and wildcard spots filled based on TES, then PCS ranking from ALL sections. So if a section did not have enough competitors, it would free up X spots for wildcards. It just worked out COS had 3 spots that were at the top/near the top of the wildcard list

Actually with the wild cards, the top 7 went on from COS

 

[Moustaffask8r]

I don't think the Nam/Polina relationship will last long TBH. Polina is a fierce competitor and her skating level is a lot stronger than Nam's right now and once she gets her braces off I'm sure she'll get a lot of attention from the guys at college. I mean who knows they just sort of seem like a strange couple to me.

.... they're not a couple....

 

[Moustaffask8r]

Wow...what thread (or threads) should I have been reading to have been aware of this? I had no idea!



They are dating? I am so out of the loop!

They're not

 

[Moustaffask8r]

Actually it's top 4 that move one from sectionals (top 8 from Quebec) and wildcard spots filled based on TES, then PCS ranking from ALL sections. So if a section did not have enough competitors, it would free up X spots for wildcards. It just worked out COS had 3 spots that were at the top/near the top of the wildcard list

They're unifying Ontario, they will no longer be 4 sections.... I wonder what will happen regarding qualifying for Challenge??

 

[PeterG]

I don't think the Nam/Polina relationship will last long TBH.

So they're good friends and Nguyen chose Glynn in part as his friend Polina would be his training mate?

 

[mag]

They're unifying Ontario, they will no longer be 4 sections.... I wonder what will happen regarding qualifying for Challenge??

I was wondering the same thing. I could see them getting 8 spots, like Quebec, but I think 16 might be pushing it. It would be nice if they put the extra 8 spots into the wildcard pool.

 

[pinky166]

.... they're not a couple....

Oh okay, I just sort of assumed with the whole prom thing but with kids that age it's always hard to figure out who is together and who isn't.

 

[overedge]

Interesting that the quote from Orser refers to discussions with Nam's parents but doesn't mention Nam....Not to read too much into a press release which has probably been super-edited by all involved, but this does give the impression that Nam's parents might have been part of the reason for Orser not wanting to continue coaching Nam.

 

[mrinalini]

Oh okay, I just sort of assumed with the whole prom thing but with kids that age it's always hard to figure out who is together and who isn't.

I remember how fascinated you seemed to be over the supposed Patrick Chan/Rachael Flatt relationship, too. It's disturbing.

 

[Nomad]

I remember how fascinated you seemed to be over the supposed Patrick Chan/Rachael Flatt relationship, too. It's disturbing.

Now there's an odd couple for you.