Alysa Liu Switches to Colorado Coaching Team

[4rkidz]

repeated above .

 

[VGThuy]

Let’s be real, having any child put their body through the stress of elite figure skating has already disregarded the “best interest of the child” standard.

 

[MacMadame]

Let’s be real, having any child put their body through the stress of elite figure skating has already disregarded the “best interest of the child” standard.

Depends on your definition of "best interests of the child"

Many, many adults who participated in elite sports as a child say that they are glad they did it and list all the benefits it gave them. Even though they had injuries to deal with along the way or may have been homeschooled which some people think is horrible (and some do not).

 

[4rkidz]

Depends on your definition of "best interests of the child"

Many, many adults who participated in elite sports as a child say that they are glad they did it and list all the benefits it gave them. Even though they had injuries to deal with along the way or may have been homeschooled which some people think is horrible (and some do not).

That’s so true, same with myself and our daughter the positives definitely outweighed the negatives, which for me was a knee replacement quite young and for her weekly Physio. Even my brother who was a competitive soccer player and had multiple surgeries for teenage injuries put his own kids into the sport. Was it in the best interest of the child? Maybe not at times but upon reflection I think many would agree that the bigger picture was worth it.

 

[MacMadame]

I also forgot to include people who became multi-millionaires. I'm pretty sure LeBron James thinks his parents putting him in Basketball was in his best interests.

 

[Vagabond]

Basketball is one of those sports children take up if they're too tall and too heavy for figure skating.

 

[Coco]

In Lebron's case, it was unofficial foster parents.

 

[Brenda_Bottems]

This thread has been informative. I now know what BOBA is!!

Likewise. My initial assumption was this BOBA could be some sort of illicit substance.

-BB

 

[VGThuy]

I also forgot to include people who became multi-millionaires. I'm pretty sure LeBron James thinks his parents putting him in Basketball was in his best interests.

I forgot that Lebron was the norm and we should ignore all that literature about American team sports exploiting black youth and labor oftentimes with heavy consequences…including for the ones who do “make it” but obviously can’t all make Lebron status fame. The stories about College sports being the new plantation (hopefully somewhat changing thanks to court decisions) or how slavery’s legacy is continuing in professional basketball didn’t come from nowhere.

I’m sure there are tons of adults who are proud that they participated in elite level sports. Many of them probably had grounded support systems that helped them understand it was one part of their lives but didn’t totally define them. I’m just iffy about extreme child labor these days when the child isn’t fully understanding what they’re getting themselves into and won’t until years after. That’s all.

 

[canbelto]

I forgot that Lebron was the norm and we should ignore all that literature about American team sports exploiting black youth and labor oftentimes with heavy consequences…including for the ones who do “make it” but obviously can’t all make Lebron status fame. The stories about College sports being the new plantation (hopefully somewhat changing thanks to court decisions) or how slavery’s legacy is continuing in professional basketball didn’t come from nowhere.

I’m sure there are tons of adults who are proud that they participated in elite level sports. Many of them probably had grounded support systems that helped them understand it was one part of their lives but didn’t totally define them. I’m just iffy about extreme child labor these days when the child isn’t fully understanding what they’re getting themselves into and won’t until years after. That’s all.

Playing professional sports is not the end-all of playing intramural sports. I teach plenty of kids who will never be Lebron James. They'll never even be playing for a Kentucky or a Gonzaga. But they did get an athletic scholarship and that's how they could afford a 4 year college.

It's all about being realistic and managing expectations.

 

[VGThuy]

Playing professional sports is not the end-all of playing intramural sports. I teach plenty of kids who will never be Lebron James. They'll never even be playing for a Kentucky or a Gonzaga. But they did get an athletic scholarship and that's how they could afford a 4 year college.

It's all about being realistic and managing expectations.

I get that but even in a sport like gymnastics where parents don’t dream of elite but of a scholarship, it’s all a crap shoot and there’s been stories upon stories of athletes not getting one and having to deal with lifelong pressure, expectation, and disappointing parents who didn’t realize even college scholarships are an incredibly hard dream to achieve with sport. I’m not saying sports are bad. Far from it. But it can start taking over life and there’s a dark side to it as there is a bright side. I’m just talking about when it reaches the level Liu is now. If it was all hunky dory then we wouldn’t have had the majority of the posts in this thread be so negative and some even mentioning eating disorders and what not. Those negatives plus permanent body damage have become part of THIS sport’s image.

I’m sure she thinks it’s worth it, and that’s all that matters. I’m just questioning the ethics of children in high level activities with lifelong physical and mental consequences. Questioning…not saying ban anything. Since I’m such a big fan of skating I’m sure I’ll stop questioning one day and be all go junior skater doing quad quad combos!

 

[becca]

I think we have to let parents decide. Because the probably in most cases love their kids. And also know them.

Yes sports have risks but then there is the regrets your kids may feel if their parent did not encourage a talent.

If not the parents who then the State? Do We want the state to have that much power the federation? The federation is out for the federation as a whole.

I do think that most kids who teach at that level more than likely have a very involved parent or a parent who cares very much about their success.

This being said smart parents listen to the experts. Don’t think it’s a good thing to not listen when folks say you need technical team.

All of this being said realistic expectations need to be here. Krall seems like a decent long term coach.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. I don’t think one is necessarily going to be landing quads at be Olympics easily….. Don’t see moving back and forth as a good thing.

Putting unreasonable expectations isn’t smart and won’t help her perform well.

All of this being said if Abbott wants to be a coach he shouldn’t be doing show skating in the middle of the Olympic year

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

I read Dominique Moceanu's book, so I'm not a huge fan of the OTC dorms for teenage girls. Sincerely hope Alysa is not being asked to adjust to living in a dorm on her own for the first time in her life, a few months before what may be her best shot at the Olympics.

That is another concern of mine. This very well may be Alysa's best shot at the Olympics. She'll be 20 at the next one. Four years is a long time for things to go wrong. And frankly, it seems that on average the best skaters hit their peak in their teens with some exceptions like Kostner. Mirai is another exception as someone who was able to add a big jump in time for her Olympic glory moment in the team event. I hope that this is the case for Alysa. I hope that such a talent will still be able to skate, thrive, and improve by leaps and bounds up through 2026. And beyond if she wishes it. That being said, the sudden move to Colorado just 2 days after NHK also worries me as far as acclimatizing herself. It can't be easy to go from sunny California to much colder Colorado, with the winter months yet to come, and at a much higher altitude than she is used to. I hope she stays healthy and adapts to the changes quickly. Not to mention leaving her friends behind. That has to be tough too. I hope Alysa wanted this too and that it wasn't just her dad's notion. I hope she is happy, stabilizes her jumps in time for the Games, and keeps her love for the sport. As to expense, per her website, her current sponsors are Toyota, Idea and John Wilson skates. I hope that she picks up a few more sponsors along the way.

 

[kirkbiggestfan]

Her dad must have called the best coaches in the world. Can’t blame him for doing what he thinks is best for her. I wonder if he even tried with Eteri.

 

[Frau Muller]

Her dad must have called the best coaches in the world. Can’t blame him for doing what he thinks is best for her. I wonder if he even tried with Eteri.

Eteri wouldn’t allow ice cream and BOBA.

 

[olympic]

Her dad must have called the best coaches in the world. Can’t blame him for doing what he thinks is best for her. I wonder if he even tried with Eteri.

I don't think young American girls / women would survive Eteri - The negative reinforcement style of training would overwhelm them

 

[PRlady]

I don't think young American girls / women would survive Eteri - The negative reinforcement style of training would overwhelm them

I don’t think Eteri would accept a non-Russian skater who is competitive with Russians. Part of her mystique is being the Wonder Woman who brings glory to Mother Russia.

 

[Primorskaya]

I don’t think Eteri would accept a non-Russian skater who is competitive with Russians. Part of her mystique is being the Wonder Woman who brings glory to Mother Russia.

Part of her income, too.

 

[muffinplus]

The membership of this forum (myself included) literally have hundreds of years of experience and knowledge in figure skating. Our experience,opinions and recommendations shall not be dismissed or erased.

-BB

Reading your posts is surely a highlight of this forum for me

 

[sk9tingfan]

Her dad must have called the best coaches in the world. Can’t blame him for doing what he thinks is best for her. I wonder if he even tried with Eteri.

Surely you jest....

 

[becca]

I don't think young American girls / women would survive Eteri - The negative reinforcement style of training would overwhelm them

I don’t know Eteri and I am sure she is a tough as nails coach. But I also feel that if USFSA had the opportunity they would take her in a New York second.

 

[sk9tingfan]

I get that but even in a sport like gymnastics where parents don’t dream of elite but of a scholarship, it’s all a crap shoot and there’s been stories upon stories of athletes not getting one and having to deal with lifelong pressure, expectation, and disappointing parents who didn’t realize even college scholarships are an incredibly hard dream to achieve with sport. I’m not saying sports are bad. Far from it. But it can start taking over life and there’s a dark side to it as there is a bright side. I’m just talking about when it reaches the level Liu is now. If it was all hunky dory then we wouldn’t have had the majority of the posts in this thread be so negative and some even mentioning eating disorders and what not. Those negatives plus permanent body damage have become part of THIS sport’s image.

I’m sure she thinks it’s worth it, and that’s all that matters. I’m just questioning the ethics of children in high level activities with lifelong physical and mental consequences. Questioning…not saying ban anything. Since I’m such a big fan of skating I’m sure I’ll stop questioning one day and be all go junior skater doing quad quad combos!

Just yesterday, I had a conversation with one of the medical assistants at my oncologist's office. We have known each other for more than 14 years and I've been following the progress of her daughter who was an elite level gymnast through her sophomore year in high school. She switched to field hockey after a myriad of injuries and coached. She also had been out at "the ranch" and her mother indicated her husband was opposed to her going because he said, "Those people are weird".

Now in college, she refuses to discuss gymnastics.

It appears that the effects of elite training and competition have finally come to roost. The mother indicated that her daughter has been affected by an involuntary vomiting syndrome a couple of years ago. She has been diagnosed with a severe eating disorder and dropped from a high of 145 lbs. to 102 and is hospitalized 1000 miles away from her parents.

I kid around about PTSD (Post-Tuberidze Stress Disorder), but I'm not kidding.

 

[Rukia]

I don’t know Eteri and I am sure she is a tough as nails coach. But I also feel that if USFSA had the opportunity they would take her in a New York second.

You're probably not wrong, but it's not like she didn't coach in the US already. My husband had a co-worker who had coached with her in San Antonio who did not have nice things to say about her haha.

 

[Mayra]

I don't think young American girls / women would survive Eteri - The negative reinforcement style of training would overwhelm them

American girls / young women have survived worse and won Gold.

That’s not a compliment. Just a sad fact.

 

[becca]

Just yesterday, I had a conversation with one of the medical assistants at my oncologist's office. We have known each other for more than 14 years and I've been following the progress of her daughter who was an elite level gymnast through her sophomore year in high school. She switched to field hockey after a myriad of injuries and coached. She also had been out at "the ranch" and her mother indicated her husband was opposed to her going because he said, "Those people are weird".

Now in college, she refuses to discuss gymnastics.

It appears that the effects of elite training and competition have finally come to roost. The mother indicated that her daughter has been affected by an involuntary vomiting syndrome a couple of years ago. She has been diagnosed with a severe eating disorder and dropped from a high of 145 lbs. to 102 and is hospitalized 1000 miles away from her parents.

I kid around about PTSD (Post-Tuberidze Stress Disorder), but I'm not kidding.

The ranch lets be real in gymnastics was a horrific place with actual sexual abuse. I don’t think it’s fair to compare at all to Eteri.

There is no evidence her students are being sexually abused.

And as for the whole Alyssa likes sweets things wasn’t there and article some where of Yulia eats a sweet somewhere I always took things like that as PR. I doubt any of them are eating loads of sweets

 

[Brenda_Bottems]

My husband had a co-worker who had coached with her in San Antonio who did not have nice things to say about her haha.

As the millennials are fond of saying,spill the (boba) tea.

-BB

 

[crzesk8dad]

Let’s be real, having any child put their body through the stress of elite figure skating has already disregarded the “best interest of the child” standard.

Yet you continue to watch....

 

[genevieve]

Reading your posts is surely a highlight of this forum for me

there had to be someone

 

[Rukia]

As the millennials are fond of saying,spill the (boba) tea.

-BB

There's not a whole lot since apparently my husband thought asking for gossip about figure skating coaches was "not appropriate at work." He just said he was surprised when he saw her at worlds because he didn't think much of her coaching skills and that no one at the rink liked to deal with her because she was "super crazy." This guy was only a part time coach (his day job is as an engineer), and he wasn't like bitter about it or anything. More shocked. Haha.

 

[Wyliefan]

The ranch lets be real in gymnastics was a horrific place with actual sexual abuse. I don’t think it’s fair to compare at all to Eteri.

There is no evidence her students are being sexually abused.

There are other kinds of abuse besides sexual abuse. They're just as real and just as damaging, unfortunately.