Alissa Czisny plans to compete next season

[Trewyn]

The whole 4CC thing rubbed me the wrong way, too- she said last year that she didn't do well because of the short prep time between Nationals and 4CC- as a result, USFS passes this year to give her more time to train for worlds and she thinks she deserved it?? She's got a bunch of people telling her she deserved it, anyway.

The thing about regretting to do 4CC; last year wasn't the first season she'd said that. There have been instances before of her going to 4CC and then regretting it. For this year, it was obviously Jason and Alissa's plan to do the competition and it must have been frustrating not to get the option; but she got the World Team invite; isn't that the one that really matters? But I think that's probably been discussed enough on the boards

OT; I hope she'll have another great skate at least, maybe win another GP. I definitely hope we'll see some new, happier LP music from her. She has a beautiful smile it'd be great to see it more during a freeskate

[Mathman]

If I were Alissa I would come back next year just to annoy all the people who are telling me to retire.

[louisa05]

Of course it might not be for you Toni, and let us not talk or compare suffering. .

My aunt was killed in head on car crash in January. A 17 year old girl was driving the other car and also died. Those families suffered.

My mother has been losing her vision steadily for 30 years. I found out last week that mine is going to be the same.

A friend of my husband's family is dying of cancer. Stage 4. A friend of mine from college had breast cancer surgery on Thursday. It is in her lymph nodes.

PERSPECTIVE. There are worse things in life than ANYONE not competing well at an athletic event whether you like that athlete or not.

[macy]

^ Just to be clear, I was kidding. I don't know Jason in real life.

In Internet Skating Board life, of course, that's a different story.

WOW i am gullible.

[Mathman]

I am sorry. Bad on me.

(In reality, I am actually Brian Boitano. )

[macy]

I personally think it's easy to WANT to be a competitor and WANT to succeed than it is to thriving competing. I've said it before-I show horses. I LOVE riding and I really, really want to do well. But sometimes no matter how focus I am in practices, no matter how well things are going at home and at the smaller shows, I just cannot shake the expectations I place on myself and fail to accomplish my goals. I don't give up, because I really do like the competition excitement and the times it does come together, it is so thrilling. But I a no Michelle, and I have failed more often than succeed. But yet I keep trying.

i totally know what you're saying, i used to competitively skate and as i got older, i had the same problem alissa always has had--nerves. i didn't know what to do about them and i couldn't control them, but even through the painful performances i kept trying. yeah it sucked when i didn't skate how i practiced, because when you put it in front of a crowd for me it was torture. but i just kept at it because that's what skaters do and that's who they are. we can tell alissa to retire or do this or do that all we want, but it is she who will decide when it's time for her to retire.

and olympia, maybe the upcoming juniors will take some of the pressure off. next year gracie is going to be all the rave and courtney may be a contender too. along with ashley, agnes, and caroline probably and alissa won't have the attention and all the pressure she has had put on her the last 2 years, especially after her showing at worlds. it might be a good thing and if it is like that i hope she embraces it.

[SkateFiguring]

If I were Alissa I would come back next year just to annoy all the people who are telling me to retire.

[drivingmissdaisy]

i totally know what you're saying, i used to competitively skate and as i got older, i had the same problem alissa always has had--nerves. i didn't know what to do about them and i couldn't control them, but even through the painful performances i kept trying. yeah it sucked when i didn't skate how i practiced, because when you put it in front of a crowd for me it was torture. but i just kept at it because that's what skaters do and that's who they are. we can tell alissa to retire or do this or do that all we want, but it is she who will decide when it's time for her to retire.

What is strange about Alissa is that she is capable of overcoming the pressure; several times we have seen her skate well, if not perfect, and win an event. I've really never seen someone who, when she is 100%, is capable of such a wide range of results (1st to 22nd). I wouldn't retire if I were her, simply because I wouldn't want that Worlds result to be my last.

[Olympia]

Louisa, I'm so sorry to hear of all the adversity you have been facing recently.

Your remarks are a reminder that skating is for us a refuge from the difficulties of life (and certainly this year it has served as such for me), and that even for the skaters, a bad season isn't the same as a bad turn of events, a family loss, an illness, and so forth. Twenty-five is "elderly" for a skater, but it's far from old in the general scheme of things, and even if Alissa walks away right now, she can have great success in many other fields of endeavor, or even in as a coach. I am reminded of how Debi Thomas's career turned out after her "failure" at the Olympics; she's Dr. Thomas now. And even Deanna Stellato, who had a career-ending injury so early that most fans never got to see her, has become a successful esthetician and enjoys her life. As you say, Louisa, perspective.

(And as for your sight, keep in mind that just like skating skills, medical science advances year by year. There's every chance it can catch up to you by the time you need it the most. Just look at the revolution in cataract surgery. They used to take out the lens and give people those thick glasses. Now they replace the lens right at the same time. Ophthalmologists understand more about the eye every day.)

[R.D.]

i totally know what you're saying, i used to competitively skate and as i got older, i had the same problem alissa always has had--nerves. i didn't know what to do about them and i couldn't control them, but even through the painful performances i kept trying. yeah it sucked when i didn't skate how i practiced, because when you put it in front of a crowd for me it was torture. but i just kept at it because that's what skaters do and that's who they are. we can tell alissa to retire or do this or do that all we want, but it is she who will decide when it's time for her to retire.

Not everyone is cut out to compete, and I understand that. But sometimes I wish certain folks up at USFS understood as well...

Like I said on FSU- she has developed an unfavorable Worlds record, being 15th, 11th, 5th and 22nd. Only ONE top 10 finish out of FOUR trips. A skater of her caliber should be doing much better than that, frankly. One look at the numbers and you really don't want to send her to Worlds again, particularly on the team that will decide spots for Sochi...

[drivingmissdaisy]

PERSPECTIVE. There are worse things in life than ANYONE not competing well at an athletic event whether you like that athlete or not.

I'm sorry to hear of all these things that have happened for you recently. I know that definitely impacts your life and really make you prioritize what's really important.

I think why we get so worked up here is because sports is a fantasy world for us. Some of us aspired to dance (in my case) or skate and never really had the talent or opportunities that some of these athletes do. So, while we do understand figure skating is not the most important thing in the world, I think it is something that is important to us and so it does look as if we lose that perspective sometimes. I'm hard on those that don't make the best of their gifts because so few of us have world-class talent and know what it's like to want something and no matter how hard we work we can't get there.

[R.D.]

I'm hard on those that don't make the best of their gifts because so few of us have world-class talent and know what it's like to want something and no matter how hard we work we can't get there.

The flip side of this statement is that the "gifts" you speak of often wind up with people who don't have a passion for said activity. I've been there. And I realize that it is unfair, and sometimes frustrating for the audience. But just like you cannot give talent to people, you cannot give passion or interest to talented people. It must come from within. Now, in the rare case you get both mixed in- well, that's when you become one of the greats.

[Olympia]

The flip side of this statement is that the "gifts" you speak of often wind up with people who don't have a passion for said activity. I've been there. And I realize that it is unfair, and sometimes frustrating for the audience. But just like you cannot give talent to people, you cannot give passion or interest to talented people. It must come from within. Now, in the rare case you get both mixed in- well, that's when you become one of the greats.

An excellent characterization of the rare diamonds who are champion skaters.

[ImaginaryPogue]

If I were Alissa I would come back next year just to annoy all the people who are telling me to retire.

Me too. I would also skate well enough to earn silver at US Nationals. Could you imagine?

[Mathman]

^ I know! I have my "Down with the Committee" posts already written.