JMHO, but I think that Frank Carroll's comments about the need for a single voice is exactly right. There needs to be an overall vision for Gracie's career, a strategic arc that is mapped, whose waypoints do not end at Sochi. I fear that Gracie is bombarded with too many cacophonous voices, and that she has been sucked into the hype of her hypothetical position in the skating firmament (hypothetical because she hasn't really accomplished anything yet) and the attendant short-term payoff. Why do I think this? The fact that she refers to her "haters" is a small but clear sign, I think, that she has not shielded herself from the vortex of public expectations.
Naturally, at such an age and under such a mindset, when things do not go swimmingly, a certain amount of panic starts setting in, which is always a dangerous time. Her Free-Skate, in which her jumps began to unravel like a bad zipper after the first mistake, is emblematic in microcosm of potential macro issues in the management of her career that Gracie needs to navigate.
Again, purely my personal opinion, but I believe that Gracie should be focusing on improving and competing hard and having fun, knowing that she's executing a five-year game plan, not just a few months. If something unexpectedly great unfolds, that's icing. By lifting the burden of internal expectations, it might even improve her results.
I am not, I trust, underestimating or patronizing Gracie. Timing is everything. If she had more years of senior skating under her belt, and it was clear that she is at or near her performance plateau, then it is a different story. Then, one's time is now, and the skater has to accept the proposition that she must go big or go home.
Gracie, however, does not need to take up that particular burden quite yet, in my view. And we shouldn't be pushing it on her.
Take a deep breath, girl, and get a good sniff of perspective. I certainly hope things work with Frank Carroll.
(Then get back to your run-throughs )
Wow, Robeye. That was most eloquent, rational post I've read in the last few days, RE: Gracie Gold. Thanks you for this. I had been very discouraged and frustrated by the number of "Gracie is doomed posts," not because I'm her uber (though I guess the way I've been defending her, I seem to be. But what I'm defending is exactly what you have written, Robeye. I'm defending the fact that any career is a process and one will certainly have struggles, weaknesses that don't disappear just because the fans want them too. The key to Gracie's success isn't "whether she has it together" but rather how she handles the struggles, disagreements along the way.
I think the "haters" comment she tweeted was probably a combination of disappointment in herself (i mean, she just had a bad skate) along with having to see a number of people tag @GracieEGold with nasty comments for like last few days. Gracie strikes to me as a person who takes critcism to heart for herself and even for others, especially if they are close friends/family. I remember a few months ago, some Twitter users were making fun of her sister (and again tagging her ...why the heck they would do that I'm not sure) and Gracie proceeded to defend her with these two random antonymous users. So I agree, Robeye, she will have to learn to process through social media and use those tweets to motivate her rather than cripple her.