Another coaching change: Patrick Chan and Don Laws part ways.

Buttercup · Jan 8, 2010

Maybe this has already been posted elsewhere, but I just read that Don Laws is moving/has moved to a new position in Florida and will not be at Canadian Nationals and the Olympics (this article was linked on FSU). Patrick Chan will be coached by Lori Nichol (since when does she coach?) and Christy Krall. I had wondered why Chan was traveling all over the place so I guess this explains it?

And the timing, wow :eek:

.

ETA: Some intriguing comments from Laws and Chan over on IN. i love to skate - thanks for the info re Nichol & links!

i love to skate · Jan 8, 2010

Thanks Buttercup! Nichol has coached Chan when he has been in Toronto for the past couple years. Here are videos of them working together:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N-TusooOy8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsteASyhz8U&feature=related

They have worked together since he was about nine years old and they have a really good relationship. Good luck Patrick! :clap:

ETA: New articles:

http://www.ctvolympics.ca/figure-skating/news/newsid=25152.html

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5j-K7S3atjxDejRd7Mpt3wKQvWNCQ

vlaurend · Jan 8, 2010

Wow. I cannot imagine any coach choosing to quit coaching an Olympic hopeful just a month before the games, so I am going to guess this was actually initiated by Patrick Chan.

Tonichelle · Jan 8, 2010

wonder if Scott will hold off the Chan gushing now that Don is no longer sitting next to him in the K&C?

futureidol · Jan 8, 2010

First the injury, then 6th place at SC, now this coach fiasco? Things are not looking good for Canada. Rochette is a disaster as well. The only hope for Canada is Virtue and Moir, but my money is on Davis and White. USA!

i love to skate · Jan 8, 2010

futureidol said:
First the injury, then 6th place at SC, now this coach fiasco? Things are not looking good for Canada. Rochette is a disaster as well. The only hope for Canada is Virtue and Moir, but my money is on Davis and White. USA!

Coach fiasco? It sounds to me that something was working for Chan in Denver and that's why he decided to keep working there. Obviously, something was clicking there that wasn't clicking in Florida. I think this is a really positive step for him. He's comfortable with Lori and with this Denver coach being an expert on Dartfish and technical elements, it sounds that he could be well on his way to getting more secure jumps.

How is Rochette more of a disaster than the other ladies? None of them have skated clean and all of them have skated a 3-5 triple program just as she has.

Taan · Jan 8, 2010

Laws ran, not walked, away from coaching Chan

http://www.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100108&content_id=7892404&vkey=ice_news

gfskater · Jan 8, 2010

Taan said:
http://www.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100108&content_id=7892404&vkey=ice_news

Patrick spent several weeks this past summer at UD where my daughter skates once a week. He was such a nice person at the rink. Kind and curteous to everyone on and off the ice. He even would help the off ice trainer put all her stuff away at the end of the day. She had a lot of balls, cones, mats, bands, stackables, ropes...! I don't remember any other skater ever helping.

What a pleasure to watch him skate. What amazing jumps. It is interesting that he does not push that often. He seems to move by using edges and turns which gives his skating a fluidity.

It is a shame he was injured. I hope he has fully recovered.

Tinymavy15 · Jan 8, 2010

WTF? Laws gets up and moves to Florida 2 months before his star pupils big Olympics? Would it have killed him to wait until early March? This came way out of left field for me... more Chan drama.

chuckm · Jan 8, 2010

Chan's been in Colorado Springs for the past two months. He was supposed to go there for about a week, and then return to training with Laws. He never came back, so Laws went to Colorado, but Chan pretty much ignored him.

It seems as if Chan wanted to end his relationship with Laws after the SC debacle, but didn't have the guts to tell him to his face. So he just stayed away and let Laws do the dirty work.

Tonichelle · Jan 8, 2010

I kinda see it the same way, chuckm... especially after reading the icenetwork article. granted we're only getting Laws' side of it at this point, but he's even said that he's the one that ultimately broke ties...

good luck to both of them.

justabigfan · Jan 8, 2010

vlaurend said:
Wow. I cannot imagine any coach choosing to quit coaching an Olympic hopeful just a month before the games, so I am going to guess this was actually initiated by Patrick Chan.

Recently Patrick Chan said that the West Palm Beach facility is his home, and he will stay there. He seemed happy with the situation. According to the IceNetwork article, Laws says Chan didn't run from him. He ran from Chan. Laws also requested that Skate Canade credential Lori Nichol as Chan's coach. There's a link to it in another thread.

I would get it if Patrick was more comfortable with the new technology, as opposed to the older coach, but possibly didn't know how to tell Don. Maybe Don saw what was happening and did the next right thing, but then why make a point of saying "I ran from him?" I think we will hear more in time.

i love to skate · Jan 8, 2010

This is one situation which I think Patrick with keep his mouth shut about.
New articles keep popping up. Here is one more I found with some quotes from Ryan Bradley and Rachael Flatt.

While working in Colorado Springs, Chan impressed U.S. skaters Rachael Flatt and Ryan Bradley.

"It's been wonderful having him train in the Springs with all of us," Flatt said. "He's such an incredible skater. He is very inspiring when it comes to the way he trains. He's very motivated and very dedicated to the choreography, especially.

"He goes all out, he holds nothing back."

Added Bradley, a hopeful for the U.S. Olympic team:

"It's really pushed me to try and up my skating skills a lot because he's so brilliant at those things and it's so natural. When he goes out to skate, I'm like, 'Wow, my crossovers next to your crossovers, it's not going to look so good.'

"It's so motivating. It's been awesome. I hope he keeps coming back."

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=oly&id=4809075

justabigfan · Jan 8, 2010

It's nice hearing how other skaters admire his skills, and he seems to be a genuinely nice person. He's my kind of skater - love his edges, speed, power, musicality and courage. I wish him the best of luck at Canadians and Olympics.

Tinymavy15 · Jan 8, 2010

I am sorry to say that I have a worse opinion of Patrick after all this. Sure, I am open to hearing his side of the story, but I am
more inclined to agree with chuckm in that he was not mature enough to end his relationship with Laws up front. I feel like this is like when Michelle left Frank right before 2002. Sure, Patrick will have a coach in Lori, but as we all know, it is not his artistry/chreo that needs
work. He needs to be with a strong technique/jump coach.

i love to skate · Jan 8, 2010

Tinymavy15 said:
Sure, Patrick will have a coach in Lori, but as we all know, it is not his artistry/chreo that needs
work. He needs to be with a strong technique/jump coach.

Yes, that's why he is working with Christy Krall. She was obviously helping him a lot and his jumps were improving so he decided to stay. It is a perfect balance for him - a coach to focus on his technique and one to focus on his choreo, edges, presentation, etc.

Tonichelle · Jan 8, 2010

well he's working with two "coaches" one of which seems to be more of a technical coach...

as long as he doesn't go the route of "I need to do this by myself" I think he'll be good to go

Ravensque · Jan 8, 2010

Well it certainly didn't take too long for the Chan bashers to be out in fine form. I'm happy for him if he is comfortable training where he is right now. I'm sure there are two sides to this story. GO PATRICK!!!! It sounds as though he is making progress training where he is now, and he and Lori Nichols have worked together for a long time I believe.

Hsuhs · Jan 8, 2010

Interesting timing.

i love to skate · Jan 8, 2010

UPDATED:

Chan enjoyed the environment in Colorado, training with high level peers, and training in altitude (which makes you stronger when you skate at lower altititudes). He's been working with Krall since May and with Lori pretty much his entire life. Chan asked Laws to join him at Canadians but he decided not to. The split makes sense to me.

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/figureskating/news/story?id=4809734

Another coaching change: Patrick Chan and Don Laws part ways.

Buttercup

i love to skate

vlaurend

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

futureidol

i love to skate

Taan

gfskater

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win

chuckm

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

justabigfan

i love to skate

justabigfan

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win

i love to skate

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

Ravensque

Hsuhs

i love to skate

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