You are Green/Parsons' advisor. What should they do?

[kwanfan1818]

Unless they really want to continue to focus on this year's programs and results and hope to get to Worlds so that, with a Top 10 placement in Montreal they could move to funding Tier A2, being first alternate, but not at Worlds gets them nowhere on the 2024-5 funding list: they're already on B1 due to a Top 4 at US Nats. Being second or third is fundamentally meaningless in terms of funding.

If not, then healing and then coming back to look at next season with fresh eyes on how to plan and build going forward would be my unsolicited advice.

 

[flatfoot]

Have either of them got another nationality. Perhaps skating for a country where the field is not so deep and they are not under as much pressure might give them some breathing space to experiment a little and find the best way to express their talent

 

[litenkyckling]

Have either of them got another nationality. Perhaps skating for a country where the field is not so deep and they are not under as much pressure might give them some breathing space to experiment a little and find the best way to express their talent

I don’t think that they do but even if they did USFS wouldn’t release them without paying huge sums of money - Michael is a JWC and they are 4CC Champs together the fed wouldn’t want to let them go

 

[flatfoot]

I can understand that. They must have big hopes for them.

 

[StarryEyedSkate]

1-Heal whatever the injury is.
2-Leave the current coaching. I feel like if they really like the avant-garde choreography and ideas they would be better off with Babs or even Carol Lane and her academy in Canada. I keep thinking to myself they would fit in great with Marina Zoeva but IDK if she's still coaching or just doing choreography since her move to FL.

 

[shan]

1-Heal whatever the injury is.
2-Leave the current coaching. I feel like if they really like the avant-garde choreography and ideas they would be better off with Babs or even Carol Lane and her academy in Canada. I keep thinking to myself they would fit in great with Marina Zoeva but IDK if she's still coaching or just doing choreography since her move to FL.

It looks like they plan to stay with their current coaches. (Quoted from the post FD interview linked somewhere earlier in this thread.)

MP: “For next season we want to concentrate on what makes us strong as a team and show something that represents our strengths. That will be a good direction for next season.”

CG: “We have a really strong and supportive team around as and we have a pretty good plan so I think we are really well prepared for a sharp off-season.”

They revealed that they are batteling with chronic injuries but are sure they have the best team around them to be handeling that.

 

[StarryEyedSkate]

It looks like they plan to stay with their current coaches. (Quoted from the post FD interview linked somewhere earlier in this thread.)

MP: “For next season we want to concentrate on what makes us strong as a team and show something that represents our strengths. That will be a good direction for next season.”

CG: “We have a really strong and supportive team around as and we have a pretty good plan so I think we are really well prepared for a sharp off-season.”

They revealed that they are batteling with chronic injuries but are sure they have the best team around them to be handeling that.

Why quote me when 2 pages of other posters are saying they need to change coaches as well??

 

[~tapdancer~]

Why quote me when 2 pages of other posters are saying they need to change coaches as well??

Probably because you were the poster right before she posted. It's ok. I just took it to mean that even though some may think they need a coaching change, their comments don't sound like that is an option right now.

 

[Andora]

They're highly ranked at MIDA aren't they? It's hard to know what is them and what are the coaches, versus the choreographers, versus etc etc. I don't think there's any sense in leaving yet. But if they have another you'd like this next year, then they have to.

I remain surprised by how arresting Caroline's presence on ice can be when she has the right program and training situation. But he screams choir boy or something that level of earnest, and I find it distracting. I don't think he has any edge, and it's limiting. Not her.

I hope they can hit a Chock & Bates type of stride in terms of packaging and programs-- not the abstract stories, but nailing what works for them artistically, and pushing that envelope every year. Hopefully MIDA can help them do that...

 

[shan]

Why quote me when 2 pages of other posters are saying they need to change coaches as well??

You were the latest post. I was just adding to the conversation.

 

[Rafter]

Finances also play into this. Training outside the US is costly and and usually means they can’t coach on the side for income.

I was hopeful at the end of last year that they would settle in at MIDA and thrive. Not sure what’s going on with Michael but his lack of consistency this year has cost them dearly. I’m sure it was pretty bitter to place behind Zingas and Kolesnik yesterday in the RD.

If they aren’t connecting with their coaches or feel others getting more attention they will need to look elsewhere but that should be the last option.

Although the US dollar goes far in Montreal/Canada with the exchange rate.

Why did they leave their old coaches? Did it ever come out as to why? To me they looked much better under them than White/Belbin.

Frankly, their programs are boring. I also don’t see much chemistry or IT factor. I also don’t think they look that great together. I think she’d look better with a taller/bigger partner. Chen is a good suggestion.

Also I know she’s young still and has amazing skating skills (edges) but her expression is very one-dimensional.

 

[Tak]

Why did they leave their old coaches? Did it ever come out as to why? To me they looked much better under them than White/Belbin.

ITA with you. Their first coaches gave them interesting programs and I thought they looked MUCH better with them than they do now.

Why did they leave? Does anybody know?

 

[Spiralgraph]

Well, I disagree.
I think their previous coaches are very good for younger teams moving up through the junior level. But with rare exceptions (that Martha Graham number) they have not excelled at packaging or giving their senior teams good material or choreography. I should add that one of their present coaches Greg Z. was part of their previous coaching team for a year or two.

 

[sk9tingfan]

Well, I disagree.
I think their previous coaches are very good for younger teams moving up through the junior level. But with rare exceptions (that Martha Graham number) they have not excelled at packaging or giving their senior teams good material or choreography. I should add that one of their present coaches Greg Z. was part of their previous coaching team for a year or two.

Note that the choreography for the Graham-inspired program as predominantly done by Caroline and Michael during the pandemic.

 

[skatingguy]

ITA with you. Their first coaches gave them interesting programs and I thought they looked MUCH better with them than they do now.

Why did they leave? Does anybody know?

Davis/Smolkin showed up.

 

[Evgeniafan]

Davis/Smolkin showed up.

I'd leave too.

 

[Wyliefan]

I've always wondered if their team giving M/S a ripoff of their program contributed to it, too. But that's only speculation. I have no idea if it's true.

 

[kwanfan1818]

While I know that many coaches have international students, it’s not always just coaches who don’t seem to get skaters past a level, but also the lack of politicking support. If most of your students are local, and many of them are sibling teams, you already are looking at program limitations, political limitations, and, because while local families are making financial sacrifices, they’re not moving away from home at a young and splitting up families, and when it’s time to go to college, that is a different decision if your life has evolved, but not been disrupted. (Wing/Lowe learned that in BC, after getting a push from Skate Canada before Dubreiul/Lauzon.) Even with Green/Parsons, they might have been sensitive to the age difference, especially with how young she was when they teamed up, and were treating them like a sibling team. Maybe WISA was tired of being in that boat.

The connection with Tutberidze is interesting: they certainly would connect with pushing for their kid. They’re no longer entirely relying upon USFS, and have Tutberidze/Georgia and Tkachenko/Kiliakov/Israel, which is a tie to the former-Soviet judge network. So sacrificing Green/Parsons was something they’d be willing to do. We always talk about IAM having the judges.