Inspired by a comment in this thread.
Which coach should Sasha have stayed with for the best long-term success? Was it a mistake to switch from one coach to the other or one coach back to another?
John Nicks
Tatiana Tarasova
Robin Wagner
Other coach
Inspired by a comment in this thread.
Which coach should Sasha have stayed with for the best long-term success? Was it a mistake to switch from one coach to the other or one coach back to another?
Last edited by riverflows; 07-21-2006 at 12:54 AM.
Definitely Mr. Nicks. Near as I can tell, the detours to work with Wagner and Tarasova were ultimately pointless; and Wagner didn't help matters by taking a well-choreographed program and making a total mess of it.
I liked Sasha's skating the most under Tarasova.
Perhaps, but she may have learned other things that she ultimately might not have had she stayed with one coach. Now, whether it contributed to her success (or lack of it, depending on how you look at things), only she knows.Originally Posted by JonnyCoop
I mean this respectfully RD, I don't think she does. And Joesitz was on with the "demons" comment. I can only speculate what he meant, and I don't chance at putting words in his mouth, but that is something I feel fit what I saw every LP (different face in the SPs) she skated out and took the applause - yet I have only payed really close attention to her for 3 years I would say. Just a different look about her every time but the "soup challenge" in Dec. 05 that I saw / noticed. JMO
Well, perhaps, but has she seemed to have APPLIED any of these other things she may have learned?
This is going to sound like a bash, and it's not intended as such, but IMHO Sasha has probably evolved LESS as a skater or performer in the last 6 years, since her Senior Nats debut in 2000, than most other skaters, any category, in that same time period. Have we seen Sasha do anything different than the same basic thing she was doing in 2000? I personally have not, but if anyone else has, I welcome them pointing it out. I personally find nothing wrong with her skating, either then or now, but if she's learned "other things" I'm hard pressed to try and come up with what they might be.
I voted for other coach, but don´t know who that might be. Maybe Callaghan would be good for her jumping?
Mr. Nicks is a great coach and has brought Sasha as far as it is possible under him. Now Sasha needs a technical coach.
About Tarasova, I never understood the reason for Sasha to select her as a coach. As a choreographer yes, but definetely not as a coach. Sasha did not need more artistry, she had it already. What she needed was a strong jumping coach and of course great choreography.
I was kinda thinking Callaghan, too, but I think Sasha might bristle being coached by that mucfh of a control freak. Then again, he did wonders with Bobek..
How easily they forget. TT's Swan Lake got silver at Nats. Wagner's got lst in the QR at Worlds. Those are facts
I can not understand why fans insist that Sasha's problems are because of the coaches and choreographers and not hers personally..
To me, the problem lies not in the coaches but in Sasha herself. Am I the only one to believe this (except Peggy)??
Joe
Just because it got results doesn't make it a better program. Plenty of mish-mash messes get scored highly and end up on podiums. As I recall, after the unveiling of "the great rework", the responses on this board to it were for the most part, extremely negative.
And IMHO Qualifying Round results are only relevant if someone really tanks in them. After all, Mikkeline Kierkgaard was 2nd in Worlds QR in 2000 -- didn't help her much in the long run, tho.
Well, I agree that a lot of the problem lies in Sasha herself, but not everything. One also needs a coach that is able to fix some parts in that problem. As I mentioned above, Tarasova was a wrong choice, because Sasha needed help in her jumping and not in artistry. I also believe that Sasha needs discipline in her work. If Callaghan managed something with a big problem child like Bobek, I´d expect him manage to do wonders with Sasha.
Last edited by Jaana; 07-23-2006 at 01:03 AM.
I'm not sure what 'the problem' is beyond the idea that Cohen's ambitions may be a lot stronger than her abilities and/or work ethic. Nothing to do about the first and for the second only a tyrant with some power over her (to keep her from bolting to easier pastures) would do any good.
But then I never bought into the Sasha-Hype and I think she's done about as well as I expected. I never looked at her and thought "best ever!", I thought "probable world medalist, probably more than once and maybe world champion with a little luck".
I really thought Sasha was special when I first saw her in that Cleveland Nats. However, after taking a year off to heal her back she came back to Skate America with a Quad.... well may be a popped double salchow. I then thought of her as being feisty which I liked, but that didn't lead to anything special in 2002 Olys. 03, 04, 05 did not bring in the gold. She still was a very excellent skater through those years, but she did not get her dreams fulfilled.
I can not blame that on any of the coaches or choreographers. JMO.
Joe
and her "journey" is really no different from any other skater...just Kwan and Slute. jmo
Living in Europe in those dark and terrible BYT (Before Youtube) ages and so I didn't see her until SLC, where I thought she was very, very good but not the greatest thing since buttered popcorn.
In objective terms she _is_ special. Three straight world medals and an olympic medal is an outstanding record. How many gifted skaters never get a single world medal? Again, I think she's lived up to her potential fine, she just hasn't lived up to (her own? other peoples'? hype about her).
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