Jenny Kirk: The Overzealous Skating Parent

Later, she mentioned life lessons- touching on some positives in the process. It's like she's reading people's feedback...

Particle Man said:

You know... that's not a bad theory. Her articles have all been negative about different aspects of skating, haven't they? The one's I've seen anyway... locker room pressure... eating disorders... insane parents... hmmmm.

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She has written complimentary articles about Michele Kwan and Paul Wylie. I haven't read all of them, but I'm thinking that people are most likely posting links to the more intriguing ones.

In general, it's her blog. It's an editorial from her viewpoint. Not everyone has experienced the same. Locker room pressure - where does it not exist in sport? Eating disorders - it's been an issue in skating and gymnastics for years, especially for the ladies. Insane parents - have you ever gone to a local league game? All of these issues were also touched on by SOI's Olympic training routine - Roz played Katia's overbearing mother. None of this is knew, but it's the most controversial aspect and Jenny's blog is intending to make people think.

heyang said:

With regard to Sergei, I didn't get the impression that he hated skating, but rather hated the regimen imposed by the Soviet system. In many books & interviews where people have mentioned G&G as a team, Sergei was the fun one and Katia was the driving force in the team. She mentions in her book that Sergei taught her to enjoy life and not just obsess over skating well. They were the right balance for each other.

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In Katia's memoir, she heard that Sergei talked like that, but Katia believed Sergei also loved skating deep in his heart. I also think at that time Sergei was just tired by their relentless coach whom G&G finally left to train with Stanislav Leonovich & Marina Zueva.

Particle Man said:

You know... that's not a bad theory. Her articles have all been negative about different aspects of skating, haven't they? The one's I've seen anyway... locker room pressure... eating disorders... insane parents... hmmmm.

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Does that make it less true? Do you believe that she's exagerating the locker room drama, her own eating disorder and the insane parents? That's what gets the hmmmm from me... espcially the eating disorder part when I think of the numerous posts on GS that pertain to a skater's weight... :sheesh:

katiedear said:

I would appreciate articles like this if they were from skating parents. Jenny Kirk was a skater and now she is trying to be a successful writer; writing about a sport that is only interesting to a small portion of the population. I don't know if anything she says is true and because her mom has passed away we can't hear her side of the story.

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I'm really surprised by the questioning of Kirk's honesty... why would she be dishonest? What does she gain? We all know that skating has a dark side - why act shocked? Its a sport dominated by little girls and young women who work really hard to do things the human body is not designed to do and it costs tons of money with the only payout coming for a blessed few...

Also, parents will lose their minds around their children's sporting endevours - regardless of the level so I'm not surprised to hear that the costlier, the crazier the parent. Such is life...

i love to skate said:

I don't see why Jenny would make something of this nature up - especially considering her mother has passed away.

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I agree. Why would she make up examples like she used in the article? I'm sorry, but I've been on the "inside" of this sport for a long time and her story is not far fetched at all. I've seen the pushy skate parents since day one and more so now, as an adult, because I want to be left alone on the ice and would prefer NOT to hear the parent "coaching" from the top of the bleachers.

Most of these overzealous parents don't even realize they're killing the kid's joy in the sport because they think they're helping. They see themselves as supportive, not pushy. When you mention it, they get defensive. Such is life...

Kwanford Wife said:

Its a sport dominated by little girls and young women who work really hard to do things the human body is not designed to do and it costs tons of money with the only payout coming for a blessed few...

Also, parents will lose their minds around their children's sporting endevours - regardless of the level so I'm not surprised to hear that the costlier, the crazier the parent. Such is life...

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:agree::agree::agree:

I can't agree more, this is so true! Especially the point that this sport is dominated by little girls.

honesty

How much is honesty and how much is that Jenny Kirk wants to be a journalist?

^ I think Jennifer Kirk's recent blogs are totally -- even painfully -- honest. She seems to be using her blog to exorcise a lot of her own personal demons and to work through unfinished emotional conflicts.

(Plus, she wants to be a journalist. )