Jenny Kirk interviews Tim Goebel

[dorispulaski]

Interview with Timothy Goebel

Jenny Kirk & Dave Lease interview Tim at length about Frank Carroll, training with Michelle Kwan, about Michelle leaving Frank, about rooming with Johnny Weir on tour, about the over-training of quads at far too young an age that led to permanent physical damage, and about almost everything about his skating career.

I found a lot of what Tim had to say very interesting.

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHw_wUA39_M
Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sLRTwd-ORQ
Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t960RAcMTzo
Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWW4oeiCt3M
Part 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSqUNMHYJ30
Part 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db1XweBA1eE
Part 7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo6wuqBdooA
Part 8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt-5PwUdUrw
Part 9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEKzhvnsPos

[rkuang]

Interview with Timothy Goebel

Jenny Kirk & Dave Lease interview Tim at length about Frank Carroll, training with Michelle Kwan, about Michelle leaving Frank, about rooming with Johnny Weir on tour, about the over-training of quads at far too young an age that led to permanent physical damage, and about almost everything about his skating career.

I found a lot of what Tim had to say very interesting.

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHw_wUA39_M
Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sLRTwd-ORQ
Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t960RAcMTzo
Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWW4oeiCt3M
Part 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSqUNMHYJ30
Part 6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db1XweBA1eE
Part 7
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo6wuqBdooA
Part 8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt-5PwUdUrw
Part 9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEKzhvnsPos

I LOVE their interviews and recaps. And this particular interview was one of their best ones.

[Mathman]

Holy Moly! What a marvelously candid interview.

Very interesting about how the top coaches demand not only a percentage of the skater's earnings form all sources, but also that even after they part company the coach still gets a cut of future earnings. There were always rumors, none substanmtiated by the principals, that this was what lay behind the split between Frank and Michelle. Michelle was in line to make millions off the Olympics and Frank wanted too much of it. (I don't know whether this is true or not, but there was a lot of speculation at the time.)

Tim feels that the powers that be in USFS essentially predetermine who is going to win and place well at Nationals. But he saved his worst for TV commentators, especially Dick Button: biased, unprofessional, and doing serious damage to skaters' careers.

[Olympia]

Thanks for these links! I'll watch them tomorrow.

Math, I didn't know about that rumor about the split between Frank and Michelle. (In my defense, I wasn't on GS at that time...I depend on you guys for insights like that!) That gives me a whole new angle from which to look at that event. I suspect we'll never know for sure, because Michelle is uncommonly discreet, and Frank seems to be pretty close-mouthed as well.

It sounds from your reporting as if Tim is not just forthright but somewhat bitter. It'll be fascinating to hear the videos.

[skateluvr]

I had to stop as Tim uses the word like 4 times a sentence. I wanted to see the real un pc tim but he's caewful. a great jumper-i liked him despite hunched shoulders.

[KKonas]

Holy Moly! What a marvelously candid interview.

Very interesting about how the top coaches demand not only a percentage of the skater's earnings form all sources, but also that even after they part company the coach still gets a cut of future earnings. There were always rumors, none substanmtiated by the principals, that this was what lay behind the split between Frank and Michelle. Michelle was in line to make millions off the Olympics and Frank wanted too much of it. (I don't know whether this is true or not, but there was a lot of speculation at the time.)

Tim feels that the powers that be in USFS essentially predetermine who is going to win and place well at Nationals. But he saved his worst for TV commentators, especially Dick Button: biased, unprofessional, and doing serious damage to skaters' careers.

Top coaches for decades received percentages of the skater's earnings when they turned pro, so this was nothing new. Danny Kwan, Michelle's dad, had conversations with Frank, some about $$$ and some about control. So perhaps it was a bit of both, but I do know Frank was devastated when she broke off their coaching relationship. Frank and Michelle have mended whatever hard feelings existed and have a good relationship now.

[KKonas]

What I found most interesting was Goebel's one word description of the skaters he knew.

[dorispulaski]

Yes, I thought that was interesting too.

[noskates]

But he saved his worst for TV commentators, especially Dick Button: biased, unprofessional, and doing serious damage to skaters' careers. AMEN!!!!!

I have thought this for years. I think Dick Button is the worst commentator EVER!!! He is biased and has his own set of guidelines that don't synch with the current judging rules, etc. He's negative, shows favoritism, and the sport has passed him by. Whew. End of rant. Sorry. Had to get that out.

Loved these interviews. I always liked Tim Goebel. His rotation in the air on his jumps was beautiful. Alot had to do with his body type, but I really liked watching him jump. Yes his posture was bad and he wasn't the most graceful guy on the ice but he was still a joy to watch when he was "on!" I thought Jenny Kirk did a great job of interviewing him and I appreciated his candid answers. I got the feeling there was more he wanted to say but it was clear he was being careful and choosing his words.

[FlattFan]

One of the things he said was to test out your big tricks a few times in smaller competition before putting it in at big events like Nationals, or Worlds, or Olympics. I wish some of our girls/boys would do so.
Jeremy Abbott didn't do a single quad prior to National, and guess what, she couldn't land it at Nat.
Ashley Wagner didn't do 3x3 or 2A-3T a single time prior to world, guess what, if she puts in it, she won't be able to land it. And her contents aren't competitive at all.

Even Yuna, Carolina, Mao with huge PCS advantage were putting in 3x3s left and right, and tested them out again and again to make sure they are comfortable. They don't need 3x3 to beat everyone else, but they do them anyway (mainly to beat each other)
It's sad because we're crowning a girl who's neither good TES nor having good PCS to back it up. Might as well give it to Hicks or Gao who are the future of the sport.

[noskates]

Hey Flatt - hoping this was a typo:

Jeremy Abbott didn't do a single quad prior to National, and guess what, she couldn't land it at Nat.

[dorispulaski]

Both this interview, and the interview Jenny had with Dr. Debi Thomas, orthopedic surgeon, were very interesting on the subject of overuse injuries that we're seeing now. Tim and Tara were probably the two saddest cases; both were doing way too many of their hardest jumps per week at way too young an age.

Debi was particularly concerned about the effect of all these Biellmanns on girl's hips, and mentioned how flimsy the labrum is, and how slow to heal, and mentioned Alissa Czisny's surgery.

She also mentioned that having so many of her hours of skating per week being in school figures was good for preserving her body vs. the current regimens that people use.

It's too bad USFSA doesn't have the money to look into best practices to keep the good skaters we have in good shape.

[Tinymavy15]

This was really great. Jenny is very professional and a great journalist, and it was fascinating having Tim be so open and honest. Finally we got the truth (or at least one side of it) about the "firing."
I wonder how he feels about Evan and the OGM now?

I agree with Tim about how some other skaters from smaller countries "have it easier" at nationals when they have the world team in the bag---but we also have to look at Japan, where the team is by no means a given and the skaters are trying and landing quads and triple axel combos.

[KKonas]

Both this interview, and the interview Jenny had with Dr. Debi Thomas, orthopedic surgeon, were very interesting on the subject of overuse injuries that we're seeing now. Tim and Tara were probably the two saddest cases; both were doing way too many of their hardest jumps per week at way too young an age.

Debi was particularly concerned about the effect of all these Biellmanns on girl's hips, and mentioned how flimsy the labrum is, and how slow to heal, and mentioned Alissa Czisny's surgery.

She also mentioned that having so many of her hours of skating per week being in school figures was good for preserving her body vs. the current regimens that people use.

It's too bad USFSA doesn't have the money to look into best practices to keep the good skaters we have in good shape.

Kathy Casey complained of the same thing after the ISU got rid of Compulsory Figures back in the 90s. Although Moves in the Field were supposed to be a trade for learning basic skating technique, many of the coaches I spoke to say it was not comparable. Nowadays some coaches are using Compulsory Dances to teach skaters about edges.

[dorispulaski]

With luck, there will be more dancers as a result