It seems to me that Adam could be a podium contender if he could just fix his triple Axel and get a reliable quad. His PCS already seem to be right up there.
I think he should switch to Alexander Ouriashev as his coach, i.e. Adam needs a jump specialist to salvage his amateur career.
I don't think their personalities would mesh. Alex would chew up Adam and spit him out in one lesson.
Maybe a little "tough love" is exactly what Adam needs. His delusionally upbeat interview after his awful FS shows that Adam needs a reality check. Jason and Yuka are just too nice and reaffirming.Originally Posted by mskater93
Who else has Alexander Ouriashev coached? Can Gracie's huge jumps also be a function of her natural abilities as a jumper? Some people simply get more spring and lift to their jumps than others...
I wonder if there is a fashion in coaching styles and we are currently (in the US) in a soft-love coaching era. I only say this because of Yuka and Jason as well as seeing the way Christy Krall showers Patrick with praise even after some bad mistakes. I'm sure she's a great coach, judging by his results, but those scenes are embarrassing, IMO. I prefer the John Nicks/Frank Carroll professional poker face where it takes a great performance to get a "Better" and a smile.
Former students of Alex Ouriashev: Deedee Leng (former Junior Ladies Champion), Megan Oster (former Junior Ladies silver medalist, JGP medalist, Novice Ladies Medalist), Megan Hyatt (Junior Ladies silver medalist, JGP medalist, Novice Ladies Medalist), Jason Thomas (Novice and Junior Men Nationals), Maverick Egueia (sp) (Phillipines Junior Men's Champion), Natalie Mecher (Juvenile-Junior medalist, NACS winner, JGP Medalist), Maria Papas (former Greek National Champion)
Alex teaches with an interesting technique that "encourages" a skater's natural spring. Gold went from 2Lz to a 2A and full set of triples in under a year when she went to work with Alex. Leng had the same phenomenon working with him - only a 2Lz and then suddenly a month or two after working with him, she had a 2A, 3S, and 3T and 3Lo, 3F, and 3Lz not far after. Oster, Hyatt, and Thomas all worked with him on their jumps and he helped Hyatt keep most of her triples even as she reached 5'9" off skates.
eta: Alex also gave Gracie the disappointed face when she came off the ice at Nationals for falling on a 2A and didn't crack a smile until her scores came up...he is definitely not a squishy, touchy feely kind of coach....
Last edited by mskater93; 04-02-2012 at 12:35 PM. Reason: Alex's Coaching Style
Wow, Mskater93, you are an encyclopedia of knowledge! I'm impressed!
Thanks. I've been at the same rink as Alex teaches at for a long time and have seen these kids all pass through here at some point. We gave Alex sh!t about the disappointed face he gave Gracie as she exited the ice when he got home from Nationals.I've watched all of these coach-student relationships over the last decade or so. I think he was most disappointed when Natalie Mecher was injured repeatedly (she was truly talented) once she moved up to Seniors and ended up leaving the sport as he brings her name up from time to time talking about Alissa C and hoping for the best for Gracie.
He truly is not a coach for the "soft" skater as he pulls no punches and has very limited "soft skills" of his own and is short on patience with his talented students. His most famous phrase around our rink is "you go do." (in his Ukranian accent). Don't get me wrong, I like the guy a lot and he is a talented coach, but there are some days at our rink that I wish my TV remote mute button would work on him because he's been known to get loud, especially if a skater starts popping a lot of jump attempts (his complete pet peeve - he'd rather you fall repeatedly) and it can be distracting....
^ha that's the same with my coach, popping was a huge issue with me for a while and she got so mad at me. very limited patience for popping.
Maybe too many of our top skaters have been pampered by their coaches for too long and that's why they are not tough competitors. Gracie doesn't seem to mind getting pushed by her coach though. But she might have the mind frame to handle someone like Alex. She seems like a determined girl with the eye on the prize and she's not letting anything distract her from getting it.
Gracie definitely is a smart girl who works very hard and has a long term plan for where she wants to be. She and Alex seem to have a great coach-student relationship from what I can observe at the rink with them.
I think Adam is capable of more than what we saw.
I dont think a coaching change
will fix him being a headcase, Gracie simply has big jumps and more conistent
Adam is such a beautiful skater. I think he is truly elegant and when I see him I am reminded of skaters likem Johnny Weir, Paul Wylie, John Curry even. Is Richard Callaghan still coaching? I never hear of him-did he retire? I know he was very close to Eldridge and they did well together, and of course Tara Lipinski, though Tara was a terror in a good sense and would win with any high level coach. Such a phenom.
Anyone know what Callaghan is up to and who he coaches if still in the game?
Adam needs Frank Carroll to whip his butt
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