Tennell announces coaching change to Zakrajsek

[syzygy]

The body you are born with is the body you are born with. Sasha already was born with a fluid body. You can teach ballet, you can teach Pilates but if your lower back does not bend fluidly and your arms don’t move in the way of a ballerina dancer you can only teach that to a certain point. Your body is what your body is.

I would disagree that you are born with a "fluid body." I know of professional dancers that were the opposite of graceful until they were 13 or even 14. You can't change your body, but you can change how you use it.

 

[ana]

Bradie is a beautiful skater and I support her. I hope everything will go well for her.

 

[kwanatic]

Unpopular opinion here, but I think it's a good move for Bradie to go to Tom Z.

Tom Z isn't the best but he's one of the top US coaches there are and he's based at one of the top training centers in the country. I mean, Bradie could do worse. This is a different situation. It's not like he's starting with Bradie from scratch. She's a mature skater who is technically sound and established on the senior level. And, as an added bonus, she has a strong mind for competition. He doesn't need to fix anything with Bradie...his role will likely be to take what she has and elevate her to the next level by helping her get a 3A or possibly a quad.

People saying this is a bad move from a PCS/artistic standpoint need to remember that she's not going to Tom Z as a choreographer; he's her coach. I'm fairly certain his focus will be on the technical side and I doubt this is an Eteri/Daniil type packaged deal where switching coaches means switching exclusively to one particular choreographer. Bradie can continue to work with Benoit or whoever else she wants to. As she's an adult, I'm sure she has a bit more say in what kind of image and style she has on the ice as well. It will be up to her and that part of her team to continue to grow and improve her skating artistically.

I'm happy for her and I'm excited to see how she plans to step it up.

I wonder if Amber Glenn getting a triple axel had anything to do with Tennell's coaching change? With Glenn's growing self-confidence and the fact that judges are willing to support her if she puts in a good free skate like her performance at Four Continents, I would say she is a potential threat to Bradie's road to Beijing.

I am very happy for Amber and the fact that her skating is looking better...BUT I'm not convinced she's a threat to the top 3 yet. As brilliant as she was in the SP at nationals she basically blew it in the FS. It's been her M.O. for a long time--she does not skate well under pressure. At 4CC she had a better performance in the FS but the fact is she finished 9th, more than 9 points behind Eunsoo Lim who was 8th, and 32+ points behind Bradie who finished 3rd. Her highest score (190.83 at 4CC this year) would have placed her 12th at worlds in 2019. That's not to say she can't or won't improve upon her scores, only that she has a long way to go to get to the level of Alysa, Bradie or Mariah.

Amber has always had great technical content and the fact that she may be adding the 3A is a big deal. I just question if she has the mental toughness to pull it off... Being capable of landing a 3A is an amazing accomplishment, but landing it under pressure in a competition is another story. I'm crossing my fingers for her because she's immensely talented and has always had what she needs to succeed. However, I'm not counting any eggs in Amber's basket until they hatch.

 

[overedge]

Having parents that are dancers, or whose bodies are flexible, or who have any other kind of exceptional talent or attribute may increase the chances that their kids will have the same qualities. But there's no guarantees. So it's wrong to say that a skater will be super flexible or super artistic because their mom or dad was.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

I guess one of the great aspects emerging from this thread is that the top US ladies are determined to make themselves as competitive as other leading nations like Russia, Japan, and South Korea.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

It’s kinda sad that you felt the need to reply to this twice. Do you have a pseud you forgot to switch to?

She's fabulous. But, she's evil.

 

[olympic]

Unpopular opinion here, but I think it's a good move for Bradie to go to Tom Z.

Tom Z isn't the best but he's one of the top US coaches there are and he's based at one of the top training centers in the country. I mean, Bradie could do worse. This is a different situation. It's not like he's starting with Bradie from scratch. She's a mature skater who is technically sound and established on the senior level. And, as an added bonus, she has a strong mind for competition. He doesn't need to fix anything with Bradie...his role will likely be to take what she has and elevate her to the next level by helping her get a 3A or possibly a quad.

People saying this is a bad move from a PCS/artistic standpoint need to remember that she's not going to Tom Z as a choreographer; he's her coach. I'm fairly certain his focus will be on the technical side and I doubt this is an Eteri/Daniil type packaged deal where switching coaches means switching exclusively to one particular choreographer. Bradie can continue to work with Benoit or whoever else she wants to. As she's an adult, I'm sure she has a bit more say in what kind of image and style she has on the ice as well. It will be up to her and that part of her team to continue to grow and improve her skating artistically.

I'm happy for her and I'm excited to see how she plans to step it up.

One thing I will say is that Bradie this past season more often than not seemed to run out of gas in the 2nd half of her LP. It wasn't horrific but was noticeable. So going to Tom Z will may be give her the conditioning she needs by training at high altitude.

 

[just tuned in]

Please remind me -- who was her prior coach?

 

[natsulian]

Please remind me -- who was her prior coach?

Denise Myers and Jeremy Allen who also coach Elsa Cheng, Isabelle Inthisone, and Calista Choi all of whom are learning 3As and quads.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Denise Myers and Jeremy Allen who also coach Elsa Cheng, Isabelle Inthisone, and Calista Choi all of whom are learning 3As and quads.

How bizarre that Bradie left a coaching team who are already teaching those elements to her team mates. The plot thickens.

 

[Sylvia]

Tom Zakrajsek has an established reputation of teaching 3A and quads.

That said, I have a LOT of respect for Denise Myers and what she accomplished with Bradie over 11 seasons (she qualified for U.S. Nationals at every level and in every season they were together, including winning the 2018 U.S. Senior title, 2015 U.S. Junior title and Novice bronze at 2013 Nationals (Junior 4th/pewter medal in 2014, 10th in Novice in 2012, 15th in Intermediate in 2011, 10th in Juvenile in 2010 - she meets my definition of a "late bloomer" ).

 

[Sylvia]

Please remind me -- who was her prior coach?

Here's a photo I took in Greensboro of Denise Myers and Jeremy Allen with their 2 medalists, Calista Choi/bronze and Isabelle Inthisone/pewter, in the Junior Ladies event : https://twitter.com/SylviaUnseen/status/1220427425798029312
(Elsa Cheng placed 7th in Junior, skating up from Novice level.)

 

[DreamSkates]

That's not really true. People have different bodies. Even when it comes to toe point. Some people easily point their toes and have ballet feet and others don't. Bradie injured her back. She's recovered but she still has to take care of her back. Sasha was blessed with 180 degree turnout and other attributes that made her an incredibly beautiful skater. I find it interesting that in spite of the emphasis on flexibility, there aren't many skaters who have the abilities that Sasha had. For the Russian split jumps, the only skater who seems to equal Sasha's ability to get that "emphatic" leap on the beat of the music is Jason Brown. Dance ability is something that people are born with. Even in Eteri's group, all the girls receive the same dance training yet Trusova does not move as fluidly as some of the other girls. It's not laziness on her part that she doesn't dance as well.

Sasha did have beautiful lines and positions moreso than anyone else at that time.

 

[Coco]

Brady is a young adult and may want to move out on her own. That is a healthy impulse. She could do a lot worse than living near an Olympic training center in Colorado.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

Brady is a young adult and may want to move out on her own. That is a healthy impulse. She could do a lot worse than living near an Olympic training center in Colorado.

She could do a lot better than someone with a history of encouraging/pressuring his athletes to compete while seriously injured.

 

[Coco]

She could do a lot better than someone with a history of encouraging/pressuring his athletes to compete while seriously injured.

I totally agree and have said the same elsewhere. She already has a history of overuse injuries

 

[bardtoob]

True, it was when she was Carroll that she began to develop the 'poker face' while skating, I think this was in part due to the fact that she was a bit all over the place emotionally in programs before, IIRC her Nats. 2009 LP was an example of this.

The Poker Face began when she could not shake her reputation for under rotations and she had to hide her emotions in the Kiss and Cry when the score would come up. Mirai has a great real smile but can't hide shame behind a fake smile very well.

 

[Maximillian]

The Poker Face began when she could not shake her reputation for under rotations and she had to hide her emotions in the Kiss and Cry when the score would come up. Mirai has a great real smile but can't hide shame behind a fake smile very well.

That seems like a petty and unnecessary dig at Mira and not what I was referencing. I was not talking about her reactions in the Kiss and Cry, I'm talking about her lack of facial expressions in performance, which began in about 2009.

 

[natsulian]

Denise Myers, Bradie's former coach, wishes Bradie the best of luck as she begins her new chapter. She writes on Instagram:

Our Journey with Bradie has now ended, but will always be cherished. Times change, people change. But it’s absolutely certain that both Jeremy and I wish her the best in skating and - most importantly - life.

While I was Bradie‘s primary coach, she qualified for 11 US championships earning 6 medals, 2 National Championship titles, qualified for 3 World Championships and earned an Olympic Bronze medal in the team event in Pyeongchang. Most recently, in February 2020, Bradie earned a bronze medal at the Four Continent Championships.

Bradie is currently 2nd in the ISU World standings, and according to the ISU World standings, she is the highest US athlete in standings from all four disciplines as of (4/20/20).

I will always be proud of her and of our accomplishments together. Hard work speaks volumes.

Our team now eagerly looks forward to placing full attention on our new generation of athletes. As one chapter finishes, another begins!

Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CEXFKLfJ..._web_copy_link

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Denise Myers, Bradie's former coach, wishes Bradie the best of luck as she begins her new chapter. She writes on Instagram:


Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CEXFKLfJ..._web_copy_link

Such a diplomatic post. Denise certainly seems like one classy individual.

 

[Sylvia]

Denise certainly sounds like one classy individual.

From my personal experience, she definitely is!

 

[VGThuy]

Denise Myers, Bradie's former coach, wishes Bradie the best of luck as she begins her new chapter. She writes on Instagram:


Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CEXFKLfJ..._web_copy_link

That's how you do it. Keep it professional and positive, and move on to the students you have.

 

[Vagabond]

I wonder whether Eteri Tutberidze has been reading this thread.

 

[bardtoob]

That seems like a petty and unnecessary dig at Mira and not what I was referencing. I was not talking about her reactions in the Kiss and Cry, I'm talking about her lack of facial expressions in performance, which began in about 2009.

I am sorry that it was read that way.

I absolutely adore Mirai, particularly that she worked so hard and accomplished so much technically that the USFSA had to stuff it and send her to another Olympics, where she fully rotated and landed every triple in one program. No lady had ever done that at the Olympics. I also think she should have made the Dancing with the Stars final.

I also think she received a lot of incorrect rotation calls over 8 years, which used to anger me. All in all, she is the only skater to ever be "undumped" by national and international figure skating officiating panels.

 

[Maximillian]

I am sorry that it was read that way.

I absolutely adore Mirai, particularly that she worked so hard and accomplished so much technically that the USFSA had to stuff it and send her to another Olympics, where she fully rotated and landed every triple in one program. No lady had ever done that at the Olympics. I also think she should have made the Dancing with the Stars final.

I also think she received a lot of incorrect rotation calls over 8 years, which used to anger me. All in all, she is the only skater to ever be "undumped" by national and international figure skating officiating panels.

No worries at all, I sort of figured as much as it didn't seem consistent with your posting history. I always get so defensive about Mirai.

 

[LarrySK8]

I actually think this is a good move for Bradie. She has good presentation and is aware she must grow artistically, and Tom Z won't impede that growth.
But she really needs 3A and/or quad and the chance to train full time as an Olympian. She can have that in Colorado Springs, and she will train at altitude, always a bonus.

Smart move I say.

 

[Sylvia]

Tom Zakrajsek is doing an Instagram Live from the World Arena right now...

ETA:

Bradie attempted 3A twice and fell on both attempts. Tom Z. said that she landed 3A< on one foot for the first time yesterday.
ETA #2 that a clip of her 2nd attempt is posted in the U.S. Ladies thread: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...th-adjusted-vision.107389/page-2#post-5853611

I've posted some jump notes in the U.S. Club Competitions thread: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/2020-u-s-club-competitions.107439/page-5#post-5853461

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Bradie attempted 3A twice and fell on both attempts. Tom Z. said that she landed 3A< on one foot for the first time yesterday.
ETA #2 that a clip of her 2nd attempt is posted in the U.S. Ladies thread: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...th-adjusted-vision.107389/page-2#post-5853611

This news warrants a telephone call to ANL first!!

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

After all that happened in 2020 please let the Universe keep Bradie and Amber safe doing all these 3 axels.

 

[Jammers]

Tom Z really? Aside from the jumps Tom's skaters are usually lacking in most areas of skating such as skating skills and choreography and being slow on the ice.