One hit wonder coaches | Golden Skate

One hit wonder coaches

pangtongfan

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Jun 16, 2010
Who are some coaches who come to mind who trained only one highly successful skater and were never heard from again. Some to come to mind for me are:

Robin Wagner- I dont really count her "blip" with Cohen
Alex McGowan
Joanne Barbo

Such a shame about Robin Wagner too. She is such a wonderful and kind lady.
 

clairecloutier

Final Flight
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Aug 27, 2003
Christy Kjarsgaard Ness. She trained a couple elite skaters after Yamaguchi but only had real success with Kristi.
 

mskater93

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Oct 22, 2005
Alex McGowan is working at a more grassroots level now in Nevada. Students love him by all reports. :) I was never a fan of Robin Wagner. YMMV, but I found her to be all about herself, not her skater....

How about Linda Leaver on this list?
 

skatingfan4ever

"Our blade takes us in the most amazing places."
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Priscilla Hill with Johnny Weir? I can't remember what skaters she has now.
 

dwiggin3

Final Flight
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Mar 16, 2005
This is an interesting thread - sorry to see it is not as popular as I'd like.

One thing I would point out is that many of these "one-hit-wonder" coaches specialize in beginning/mid-level skating and are not necessarily looking to be the next John Nicks or Frank Carrol. Most of these coaches are simply laying the foundation for the "big-name" coaches - who take on skaters and "finish" them. The real grunt work is done, IMO, by the beginning/mid-level coaches.

Occasionally, we'll see a coach/skater combo who sticks it out for the long-haul. IIRC, this was the case with Scott Hamilton and Brian Boitano. Several more recent skaters/coaches are Pricilla (sp) Hill and Johnny Weir, Robyn Wagner and Hughes to name a few.

Unfortunately, coaching at the lower level is not taken as seriously as it should. How many times do we see a promising young skater come around with some serious technique issues that seem to have been ignored. Too many of these coaches are just too eager to push students up the testing ladder even when the technique is not sound. I understand the desire to achieve testing goals but with the dismay of figures and the lack of fundamental skating skills theses days, it's all about preforming tricks - technically sound or not.

Having said that, I think those of us in the skating community owe these coaches a big round of applause for all of their hard work - which often goes unnoticed when a skater hits the "big-time" and moves to a more prestigious coach who can "finish" them.
 

Tonichelle

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Jun 27, 2003
This is an interesting thread - sorry to see it is not as popular as I'd like.

One thing I would point out is that many of these "one-hit-wonder" coaches specialize in beginning/mid-level skating and are not necessarily looking to be the next John Nicks or Frank Carrol. Most of these coaches are simply laying the foundation for the "big-name" coaches - who take on skaters and "finish" them. The real grunt work is done, IMO, by the beginning/mid-level coaches.

Occasionally, we'll see a coach/skater combo who sticks it out for the long-haul. IIRC, this was the case with Scott Hamilton and Brian Boitano. Several more recent skaters/coaches are Pricilla (sp) Hill and Johnny Weir, Robyn Wagner and Hughes to name a few.

Unfortunately, coaching at the lower level is not taken as seriously as it should. How many times do we see a promising young skater come around with some serious technique issues that seem to have been ignored. Too many of these coaches are just too eager to push students up the testing ladder even when the technique is not sound. I understand the desire to achieve testing goals but with the dismay of figures and the lack of fundamental skating skills theses days, it's all about preforming tricks - technically sound or not.

Having said that, I think those of us in the skating community owe these coaches a big round of applause for all of their hard work - which often goes unnoticed when a skater hits the "big-time" and moves to a more prestigious coach who can "finish" them.

Scott Hamilton had several coaches over the years. He was only with don for five-ish years.
 

dorispulaski

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The PSA gives a developmental coach of the year EDI award to recognize the coaches who develop skaters in their early competitive careers.

http://www.skatepsa.com/Joint-PSA-USFS-EDI-AWARDS.htm



Developmental Coach of the YEAR In recognition of new talent and superior teaching technique for a coach who has a career record of helping athletes develop to higher levels of the sport and as human beings. A nominee for developmental coach must never have had a national champion and should be recognized for their work with skaters below the senior level.


Recipients
2011 Kori Ade
2010 Jim Peterson, Lyndon Johnson, Allison Smith
2009 Jim Peterson,
2008 Yaroslava Netchaeva, Iouri Tchesnitchenko
2007 Mark Mitchell, Peter Johansson
2006 Mark Mitchell, Peter Johansson
2005 Tammy Gambill
2004 Pamela Gregory
2003 Mark Mitchell, Peter Johansson
2002 Not awarded
2001 Pamela Gregory, Jeff DiGregorio
2000 Barret Brown, Thomas Lescinski
1999 Tom Zakrajsek
1998 Igor Shpilband, Elizabeth Coates
1997 Megan Faulkner
1996 Peter Oppegard
1995 Traci Coleman
 

pangtongfan

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Jun 16, 2010
Christy Kjarsgaard Ness. She trained a couple elite skaters after Yamaguchi but only had real success with Kristi.

I thought of counting her. She did coach Susan Humphries to make the Olympic team in a big upset, knocking off longtime top 10 World skater Karen Preston, then placing top 10 herself at Worlds. She coached Nicole Bobek once, but to no real success.
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
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Jun 16, 2010
Alex McGowan is working at a more grassroots level now in Nevada. Students love him by all reports. :)

Good to hear. Didnt he and Thomas completely break off any relationship or contact after the 88 Worlds.


Linda Leaver is a great one. Cant believe I didnt think of her. Definitely a one hit coaching wonder.

Laura Galindo as well for sure, but was she even Rudy's real coach.

Suzanne Bonaly was a terrible coach, Surya's success had absolutely nothing to do with her I am sure. Definitely a one hit coaching wonder though.

Priscilla Hill seems to have coached a large number of decent skaters.
 

blue_idealist

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Joined
Feb 25, 2006
What about Manon Perron, did she have any other elite skaters besides Joannie? Although maybe she doesn't count since she is working for Skate Canada now.
 

gmyers

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Mar 6, 2010
The first coach to come to mind was actually Slutskaya's coach. I believe that slutskaya is the only one who reached their peak success while being coached by her.
 

gkelly

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Jul 26, 2003
The first coach to come to mind was actually Slutskaya's coach. I believe that slutskaya is the only one who reached their peak success while being coached by her.

Well, there was this chick, wearing this dress.

Since she never did anything in seniors -- and as far as I know did not move to another coach before retiring -- one could say she reached her peak success with that junior world medal.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Good to hear. Didnt he and Thomas completely break off any relationship or contact after the 88 Worlds.


Linda Leaver is a great one. Cant believe I didnt think of her. Definitely a one hit coaching wonder.

Laura Galindo as well for sure, but was she even Rudy's real coach.

Suzanne Bonaly was a terrible coach, Surya's success had absolutely nothing to do with her I am sure. Definitely a one hit coaching wonder though.

Priscilla Hill seems to have coached a large number of decent skaters.

I agree that this is a really interesting thread. Everyone's mentioned anyone I could think of—notably Robin Wagner and Linda Leaver. Drivingmissdaisy, Suzanne Bonaly is such a witty addition to the list that I almost laughed out loud, and I'm at the office. Poor Surya; one wonders what kind of skater she would have been with a real coach to make her extend her limbs and skate on the actual edge, not the flat of the skate....Well, she still ended up with more World medals than someone like Angela Nikodinov, whose skills were gorgeous, so she didn't lose out too seriously.

Wait a minute...wasn't Denise Biellmann coached by her mother? (With far better results than Surya, might I add.) Even if I'm remembering correctly, I don't know whether Mrs. Biellmann coached anyone else.
 
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dorispulaski

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Come to think of it, didn't Michelle list her dad, Danny Kwan, as her coach for a while after she dropped Frank? She also had Scott Williams for a while.
 

Antilles

Medalist
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Jul 26, 2003
Michelle did list her Dad, but I don't think his official title was coach. I think he was listed as support. Scott Williams coached Michelle for a season and I haven't heard from him since then.

Didn't Hill also have Gregory&Petukhov at the end of their career?

Not a huge "success" but Charlene Wong had Amber Corwin and I haven't seen her since.

Shae-Lynn Bourne had Weaver&Poje but seems to have moved on from coaching.

Rochette also had Sebastien Britten for a year and I haven't seen him since.

Kurt and Michael Jyranik (know I butchered that spelling).

I am also curious about big time coaches that have seemed to disappear, namely Dough Leigh and Natalia Dubova.
 
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