Caroline Green/Michael Parsons are a team

[wickedwitch]

According to the GP assignments.

Best of luck to them.

 

[CassAgain]

Not shocking, but a little bit...different to see a new team announcement via GP assignments. But best of luck; should be interesting.

 

[Jarrett]

Any clue if Gordon is going to continue?

 

[Princessroja]

I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty bummed. I've been watching the Greens and predicting their rise for at least three years now, and suddenly poof. Such a pity. I'm hoping Caroline and Michael make a good pairing though.

 

[her grace]

I'm intrigued by the pairing. It should be quite an adjustment for both partners to have a partner with which they could do romantic themes when neither has experience doing that. Of course, with the age gap, it could be a while before they do that anyway, and lucky for them, the RD rhythm this season is not particularly sensual.

 

[Lara111]

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[Colonel Green]

I'm intrigued by the pairing. It should be quite an adjustment for both partners to have a partner with which they could do romantic themes when neither has experience doing that. Of course, with the age gap, it could be a while before they do that anyway, and lucky for them, the RD rhythm this season is not particularly sensual.

Yeah, it's going to be a few years before I stop thinking "watch where you put those hands, Michael", I suspect.

 

[aftershocks]

Oh boy. None of this type of PC commentary is really necessary. You might as well scour to find out the ages of every pairs and dance couple in the world and set up a full bore stake-out. Be sure to get out those binoculars and nit-pick this new team's every performance move and every performance expression too. Jeez

Probably the most important issue when there are partnership age differences is to be cognizant of emotional maturity, particularly in terms of possible body image issues not leading to eating disorders (a problem that is not age-restrictive of course, but generally starts at a young age for female athletes). In addition, being able to handle competitive pressures well and manage mutual goal-setting.

It's also not as if Caroline & Michael haven't known each other for years, since they were already training mates in the same camp. Their training camp is surely known for its professionalism. Plus, I would bet they are both approaching this partnership with a mutual business-like, competitive, goal-oriented outlook. Conducting oneself responsibly in both personal and professional relationships is largely a matter of personal responsibility.

Meanwhile, good luck to Caroline & Michael! I'm eager to hear what their program music selections will be for their debut season together.

Looking back:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhi7fyva9To Rachel & Michael hip hop sd 2016 JGP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_gLCx0Wj2k Caroline & Gordon 2017 sd JGP Riga

 

[Princessroja]

Agreed. I normally am not a fan of partnerships with such big age gaps when the younger is SO young, but Michael seems like a really great guy and Caroline seems very mature, so I think they'll do just fine. It'll be a huge adjustment for her to go senior so young though, and for both of them to adjust to having a new partner for the first time. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit worried for her for that reason.

 

[insideedgeua]

Yeah, it's going to be a few years before I stop thinking "watch where you put those hands, Michael", I suspect.

Yes, let’s tar and feather him just in case.

Michael is a really sweet young man. Let’s not turn this into anything it’s not.

 

[Colonel Green]

Yes, let’s tar and feather him just in case.

Michael is a really sweet young man. Let’s not turn this into anything it’s not.

Nobody is suggesting it’s actually inappropriate, just that the age gap is there and it’s hard not to notice it.

 

[insideedgeua]

Nobody is suggesting it’s actually inappropriate, just that the age gap is there and it’s hard not to notice it.

Yes, it’s a big age gap, but that’s all it is. To suggest, even jokingly, that you’d feel the need to watch where his hands are really isn’t appropriate.

It’s hard enough to keep young men in this sport at times. Let’s not inadvertently place anyone under suspicion just because they are male.

I hope they do well together.

 

[barbarafan]

Yes, let’s tar and feather him just in case.

Michael is a really sweet young man. Let’s not turn this into anything it’s not.

Totally agree. The conversation is in poor taste. Michael managed to leave sex and perversion out of the long partnership with his sister so I think he will treat her like a younger sister and to think anything else would happen is sick.

 

[Carolla5501]

Nobody is suggesting it’s actually inappropriate, just that the age gap is there and it’s hard not to notice it.

Actually unless you are a dirty old man it's easy to ignore it. Try to grow up and keep your mind out of the gutter and it won't be a problem.

(And by the way did you object to the age gap between Deanna and Nathan? After all she was a lot older than him.)

 

[angi]

Nobody is suggesting it’s actually inappropriate, just that the age gap is there and it’s hard not to notice it.

Exactly. The refusal to have a serious discussion about their age gap is troubling. I do wish them the best, and both seem like fine young people. However, that does not change the fact that Safe Sport talked about this exact issue in US figure skating and that such an age gap can be problematic. It's not suggesting anything bad goes on in this partnership god forbid, but more people should consider criticizing a partnership with such an age gap and where one is a teenager and the other an adult.

 

[angi]

Actually unless you are a dirty old man it's easy to ignore it. Try to grow up and keep your mind out of the gutter and it won't be a problem.

(And by the way did you object to the age gap between Deanna and Nathan? After all, she was a lot older than him.)

Oh please, it has nothing to do with growing up and everything to do with a problematic history regarding this kind of age gap. It's "easy to ignore"? Ignoring it is what made it such a huge problem to begin with.
And the age gap between Deanna and Nathan is completely different as they are both experienced adults.

 

[Wyliefan]

We're all hyper-aware of the dangers right now because so many awful stories have come out in so many different fields. I think it's good to be aware, and it's possible to do so without smearing a guy who, as far as we know, is a nice guy who hasn't done anything wrong. We can hope for careful and wise people on their team who can keep an eye out just on the off-chance that something happens -- which is what we should hope for every young team anyway.

 

[clairecloutier]

Exactly. The refusal to have a serious discussion about their age gap is troubling. I do wish them the best, and both seem like fine young people. However, that does not change the fact that Safe Sport talked about this exact issue in US figure skating and that such an age gap can be problematic. It's not suggesting anything bad goes on in this partnership god forbid, but more people should consider criticizing a partnership with such an age gap and where one is a teenager and the other an adult.

Just because an age gap can be problematic doesn't necessarily mean that there will, in fact, be inappropriate behavior in any specific partnership. As @Wyliefan says, there should be awareness and oversight to prevent potential issues. But I don't think there needs to be a presumption of guilt, or criticism, simply because an age gap exists. It is something, certainly, that needs to be overseen with much more care, sensitivity, and responsibility than has generally been shown in the past. But we should also not automatically assume that misconduct or abuse will occur, IMO.

 

[believed]

I think it's good to be aware, and it's possible to do so without smearing a guy who, as far as we know, is a nice guy who hasn't done anything wrong.

I agree with this and want to point out that no one in this thread has done anything to smear Michael’s name. It’s fine to be uncomfortable with the age gap (especially one wherein she is a teenager, a young teenager, and he is an adult) without others stating that we are making a big deal out of nothing or that we are looking for insidious motives. I do not know anything about Michael Parsons. I hope that this partnership is good for both of them and that their coaching team and every adult involved in helping them makes sure they protect both of them.

 

[aftershocks]

Just because an age gap can be problematic doesn't necessarily mean that there will, in fact, be inappropriate behavior in any specific partnership. As @Wyliefan says, there should be awareness and oversight to prevent potential issues. But I don't think there needs to be a presumption of guilt, or criticism, simply because an age gap exists. It is something, certainly, that needs to be overseen with much more care, sensitivity, and responsibility than has generally been shown in the past. But we should also not automatically assume that misconduct or abuse will occur, IMO.

Exactly, and thank you. Why should irresponsibility be the go-to assumption anyway? I didn't even realize Caroline's and Michael's exact ages, and it hasn't been a huge over-focus in the previous U.S. ice dance thread when rumors of their possible partnership began to be discussed.

The other part of this is that an age gap between partners doesn't have to exist for abusive or inappropriate interactions to take place. Awareness and sensitivity are important, but it's better to not automatically jump to conclusions and over-react when age gaps in partnerships exist. Proactive support and sensitivity to emotional dynamics should be in place for every fs athlete in every discipline. Sensitivity and responsibility in professional and personal interactions has always been important at all times and in every sport, not just in the current OTT reactionary environment.

For me, Caroline & Michael look to be a good match. It's an advantage that they have trained under the same system and coaches. I would also question why the automatic assumption that Caroline will grow much taller. Possibly, but perhaps that has already been looked into by Caroline and her coaches, and they may not see it as a potential issue. Maybe there's a way of determining whether or not she has reached her full height, and if she hasn't, they might have a clue as to how much taller she may grow.

 

[Sylvia]

Fun trivia: Michael P. & Caroline G. share the same October 3rd birthday.

 

[aftershocks]

However, that does not change the fact that Safe Sport talked about this exact issue in US figure skating and that such an age gap can be problematic
...

Stop already please. This entire issue surrounding sexual abuse and sexual promiscuity, etc., is a cultural issue and should be treated as such. The sport of figure skating has myriad problems, but does not exist in a vacuum when it comes to concerns surrounding sexual misconduct. The people running the sport need to be more aware and more responsible about a great many things, and with a good deal more transparency. They are sorely behind the times in a lot of areas, which is sad and frustrating.

But meanwhile, please stop with all the innuendo and jumping to hard-line conclusions about a new partnership 'age-gap' simply because something tragic and horrific has happened in the sport of figure skating, which has unfortunately led to some unnecessary over-reaction and hand-wringing. Again, personal responsibility and common sense should be everyone's go-to modus operandi always. Why all this OTT concern simply because the cultural climate has begun to demand significant attention be paid to situations that should always have been treated with common sense guidance, care and respect for everyone involved?

I recall people joking about Rockne Brubaker looking like Mary Beth Marley's dad, but little attention was apparently ever paid at the time to Mary Beth's emotional maturity. I'm not assessing blame at this late date, but perhaps if more attention had been paid to her emotions and to her underlying problem with an eating disorder, her very bright and talented partnership with Rockne might have been saved. Paying attention to all relationship dynamics within the sport and to emotional maturity levels for young athletes are the lessons that need to be learned. But this jumping to OTT conclusions of an exclusively sexual-based nature surrounding partner age gaps, is not helpful.

Meanwhile, I applaud everyone (including Rachael Flatt on the issue of eating disorders) who is actually getting to work trying to do something about problems within the sport that have needed to be more fully addressed for a very long time.

 

[angi]

@aftershocks Please stop telling me what to say and what to think, and please stop adding a hidden meaning to my words. I have not written a single bad thing about either of them and I have not one bad thing to say about them.
However, to quote an article on the issue "the U.S. Center for SafeSport has criticized figure skating for a culture that “allowed grooming and abuse to go on unchecked for too long.” " This is a serious issue and a discussion worth having. It's an issue in all partnerships with that big of an age gap and a pairing of teen/adult regardless of what federation they belong to, and when a pairing like this is announced a discussion about the subject is allowed without you going around trying to shut everyone up and blame them of trying to cause drama or jump to conclusions. No conclusions were made, just concern voiced.

 

[aftershocks]

The refusal to have a serious discussion about their age gap is troubling...

Frankly, we don't need to be having any overly nit-picky discussions about it here. Any concerns surrounding their partnership are a matter of their personal responsibility, as well as partly the job of their parents and their coaches, with guidance and assistance where and if needed, by U.S. figure skating. Why are you singling them out in any case? Were you worried about the age gap between Deanna and Nate? Are you worried about the age gap between Tarah Kayne and T.J. Nyman who are currently dating off-the-ice and have separate partnerships on-the-ice?

If this is such a concern, why not create a separate thread then to police all age-gap relationships and age-gap partnerships? My word, now I begin to wonder, what's the age difference between Lu/ Mitrofanov; Lockley/Prochnow, et al? And what all was happening between Liu/Johnson when they were partnered? How did Meno/Sand ever get away with splitting with their partners so long ago and partnering together because they fell in love and had the same goals in figure skating!

Looking for problems where they don't exist doesn't help the serious situations and problems that do exist.

 

[aftershocks]

Please stop telling me what to say and what to think, and please stop adding a hidden meaning to my words... However, to quote an article on the issue "the U.S. Center for SafeSport has criticized figure skating for a culture that “allowed grooming and abuse to go on unchecked for too long.”

This isn't really anything to argue about. Plus, I'm not telling you what to say or think. I can't add a hidden meaning to your words either. I'm only posting what I think, observe and feel. Everyone can read and assess and come to their own conclusions.

Once again, discussing SafeSport in this thread is OTT and unnecessary. It is jumping to an unfounded conclusion. Mentioning their age gap and voicing a concern in that regard is anyone's right. But how those concerns were expressed IMO is OTT, unnecessary and unhelpful. This is especially so in the absence of knowing anything about Caroline's and Michael's personalities, much less about their prior personal interactions as training partners. To be perfectly honest, their partnership and their personal interactions are none of our business.

 

[angi]

Why are you singling them out in any case?

Because this thread is about them.

Were you worried about the age gap between Deanna and Nate?

No, since as I said both are experienced adults.

Are you worried about the age gap between Tarah Kayne and T.J. Nyman who are currently dating off-the-ice and have separate partnerships on-the-ice?

I don't follow skaters personal lives or comment about their personal lives. Also, try being less condescending.

 

[aftershocks]

Because this thread is about them.

IMO, you have singled out Caroline and Michael due to their 'age-gap' unnecessarily. That's my opinion. Again personal responsibility is needed in every personal and partnership interaction within sport and within life in general.

There are available lessons to be learned within the sport of figure skating. But IMO, aimlessly suggesting there's a problem with this new partnership for PC reasons due to other recent ongoing issues within the sport, is unnecessary and unhelpful.

 

[jlai]

To be fair age gap comments were made about other partnerships at times too...

 

[aftershocks]

To be fair age gap comments were made about other partnerships at times too...

^^ Making reference to the age gap is not the issue -- over-problematizing this particular partnership and placing an unnecessary focus on their age difference just because it appears to be PC to do so, IMO is unproductive. There was a 9-year age gap between Marley/Brubaker, but nothing of an inappropriate nature occurred between them. However, more attention being paid to Mary Beth's emotional maturity and apparently hidden eating disorder was needed earlier on. So, emotional maturity and all other concerns should always be taken into consideration. But it shouldn't be our task, especially not in this thread.

Jumping on this particular partnership with undue alarm, is what I am reacting against. And by pointing out that other age-gap partnerships were discussed on FSU does nothing to support the necessity for the current OTT comments about an 'age-gap' in this particular partnership. Age-gaps aren't needed for abuse to occur in any relationship. Using common sense and taking personal responsibility for one's behavior and interactions is always advisable.

As I indicated earlier, I think the issue of emotional maturity and paying attention to any possible underlying problems in that regard is one of the important concerns, especially for young athletes. Also, as others have pointed out, there may be an adjustment process this new team may experience related to getting used to skating with someone new after being paired with their siblings for so long. In addition, for Caroline, hopefully her adjustment to seniors will proceed smoothly.

That said, I wish Caroline and Michael the best of luck with their partnership. I'm particularly glad for them that they have been able to pair with each other in the aftermath of likely unanticipated partings with their respective siblings. It's cool for Caroline and Michael to be able to continue pursuing their passion for ice dance. And I hope their siblings are doing well and are both in accord with this new pairing. Whether or not we see Gordon or Rachel competing on the ice again, I'm sure they have both gained a great deal from their competitive ice dance careers which should serve each of them well in their future endeavors.

 

[Jammers]

I don't get this pairing from the 8 year difference to the possibility that Caroline outgrows him soon as she's still only 15 and growing and he's really short for a Ice Dancer. And why is she so in a hurry to compete as a Senior she really should have stayed in Juniors for a couple of more seasons and get more experience then make the jump to Seniors.