Sasha Cohen Moves Back to California, Will Train with Former Coach John Nicks | Golden Skate

Sasha Cohen Moves Back to California, Will Train with Former Coach John Nicks

RealtorGal

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Well, I guess it really was not a hoax after all! Guess Sasha couldn't handle another winter in New York! :)

Hugs to everyone from sunny, warm San Diego. :biggrin:
 
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chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
I don't see how this change is going to help Sasha.

She was inconsistent under Nicks, inconsistent under Tarasova, and inconsistent under Robin. She's done exactly two clean FSs since the 2002 Olympics: one in the QR at Worlds 2004, and one at Marshall's last spring. But each time there was a title on the line, she made those inevitable, costly mistakes.
 

Ptichka

Forum translator
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Interesting. I suspected her partnership with Robin wasn't going to last, but I didn't think she'll be moving back to West coast. I wonder how her family feels, having moved all the way to East Coast just two years ago. Overall, I feel she'd have been best served by sticking with Tarasova. I really hope she'll do well...
 

Spirit

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I don't understand. How will the New York Knicks help her to become a better figure skater?

Isn't that why she moved to New York in the first place?
 

Lucy25

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
Spirit said:
Isn't that why she moved to New York in the first place?

Someone remind me why she left Nicks in the first place, I can't remember. I wonder why she now feels he can help her. I wish Sasha the best, but I just don't know about her mental condition. Her whole family keeps getting uprooted for her. There must be somethings going on that we don't know about. Once again I am convinced her journal entries really tell her fans nothing.
 

lavender

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Either way I think she will be happier now that she's back in her old environment.
 
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Ptichka

Forum translator
Record Breaker
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Jul 28, 2003
Lucy25 said:
Someone remind me why she left Nicks in the first place
I believe she just felt that she needed someone who could push her harder and giver her better skills. Also, she left specifically to work with Tarasova, and I always thought it was a near perfect fit. When that didn't work, she left for Robin, who I always thought was just a place holder.
 

lavender

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
If I had a chance I would go to TT even if it was for a short time so I don't blame Sasha for making that choice. I would go to TT for the programs and Frank/ RA for consistency/jumps/skating skills. Those are the 3 best single coaches in skating imo.
 

euterpe

Medalist
Joined
Sep 4, 2003
Sasha left Nicks just after the 2002 Olympic season. If you recall, Tarasova had just coached Yagudin to the OGM and had a reputation as a coach of champions. Sasha was very disappointed that she hadn't won the OGM and TT seemed like the coach to get her there in 2006. They started out together with 2 gold medals and a silver medal at the 2002-2003 GP, and won the GPF Championship over Slutskaya. Sasha again finished 4th at Worlds, but then in the fall of 2003, Sasha beat Kwan for the first time at Campbell's, and went on to win 3 GP gold medals. Shortly after that, Sasha had a bad skate at the Winter Cheesefest and lost her GPF title to Suguri, and the relationship with TT unraveled.
 

jesslily

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 4, 2004
When Sasha worked with John Nicks, she was more comfident and the jumps were more right although she always missed toe. But with TT and Robin W. this year, she most time fell on two or three jumps. John Nicks does not have elite skaters now and it's a good decision to go back to him. Plus California is she was born and grew for 17 years. I was a little surprised when Sasha announced leaving John Nicks three years ago. She did well at 2002 Nationals and Olympics, and Nicks treated her very well, saying"I came to rink every day just for Sasha and NNN..." or something like that. Frankly speaking I like the programs Sasha and Nicks created together. They are very original, not like TT's or Nicolai's programs which are always have been made following a format.
 

yelyoh

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
The Zamboni Turns

If Sasha can retain what she has gotten from each coach she will be better for it.
 

Linny

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 13, 2003
Statement from John Nicks?

Anyone heard any statements from John Nicks?
Linny
 

Skate Sandee

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
If Sasha truly believes that the number of times she falls in a competition is directly proportional to the quality of the coach, she's sadly misguided. I hope that's not the subconcious motivator. And yet some fans on several boards have written posts that essentially say "Well, under (insert coach) Sasha fell in this competition, and that competition, and so on". Or "under this coach, she medaled at Worlds for the first time, so this coach is the one!" That's twisted thinking IMHO since Sasha's never been consistent. People have cited ONE qualifiying round performance and ONE cheesefest where she actually executed a clean LP.

A coach can only do so much. A coach can teach technique and influence your conditioning and endurance. But a coach can't teach consistency or get inside your head and mentally do the program for a you. If she believes that somewhere out there a magic formula with a magic coach exists, she's doomed to be looking for a really long time.
 

lavender

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I agree Skate Sandee.


I don't know what Sasha's fate will be but I feel that she truly would benefit from going back to California. She may only benefit emotionally but that seems to be her point anyway. This time around she's not mentioning how coach A will take her to this or that level like she did when she went to TT and then Robin.
 

kyla2

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
John Nicks gave her confidence, something she has been lacking lately. He was completely in her corner and it showed. Her other coaches were less invested in her success because they hadn't trained her from the beginning. This is always the down side of changing coaches from my perspective. Someone mentioned it on another thread, and it is worth repeating. Her flexibility works against her when she is landing jumps, as does her size. She is so small, she has no ballast to help her hang on, unlike some of the other skaters. Personally, even though I am a lifelong Michelle Kwan supporter, I would love to see John Nicks help her pull it together tehcnique wise. If she could skate a completely error free program during a major competition, it would be a significant accomplishment for her. She is a magnificent skater and she deserves success just like anyone else.
 

Ptichka

Forum translator
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
kyla2 said:
Her other coaches were less invested in her success because they hadn't trained her from the beginning.
I disagree. If you recall, the reason it all started unravelling with TT after the winter cheesefest is because TT did not think Sasha should have been skating in the condition she was in. If anything, she was invested enough in Sasha to care about the quality of the skate she put out above all else.
 

Gardenkitty

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
Robin let her move into her house with her and seemed very dedicated to Sasha's success. I don't think we can judge Robin's contribution based on Sasha's limited competitions this fall, especially when vacations, infected spider bites, "ice time issues", Sasha's back injury and Sasha choosing to skate at Chelsea Piers all limited the time Robin had to work with Sasha.

However, each skater is in charge of their own career and if Sasha thinks moving to the West Coast is the right thing for her, then she should do it.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Wasn't there a thread already on this?

This confirms what we've sort of known all along... :laugh:

That journal entry that was taken off her site still baffles me though.
 
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