Czisny still battling nerves

[flying camel]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2009/02/alissa-czisny-s.html

Interesting that she is working with a performance coach!

 

[dorispulaski]

She has "nearly a dozen coaches and choreographers?" according to the article.

Yikes!

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

^^^

The most important coach for Czisny would be the Performance Coach.

 

[Wrlmy]

Wow how does she pay all those coaches?

 

[flying camel]

She does shows, and she does some touring, modeling. She has money.

 

[demarinis5]

"Czisny also said she might tinker with her long program before the world championships to add more "content" that would enable her to earn a higher score. Every point will count: the placements at the world championships will determine the number of entries each country can send to the Vancouver Olympics".

She does need more content in her program, glad to hear that she is re-working her LP.

 

[Ginask8s]

Seems like the 3 loop is a money jump for her. maybe she should do one in combo.

 

[ks777]

Her top competitors at the world championships figure to be Kim Yu-Na of South Korea, winner of the Four Continents event, and Mao Asada of Japan, who finished third in that competition..

Her main competitors are Suguri, Ando, Kostner, Flatt, Phenuff and the finns, more like.

 

[adamlondon]

I feel really sorry for her because I think she's got lovely quality , spins, blah blha and blah but cannot jump and has not been able to do that for many years now. I really think she will be one of the great has beens with the occasional lucky breaks if everyone splats. The US champs was one of those times where her SP won her the championship. She somehow, I think, will end up like Julia Sebestyen who has been there hor ages with the occasional flash of brilliance for eg Julia won the Europeans once and since then has been coming out landing two or three jumps performing the same thing.

 

[Mathman]

Julia Sebestyen...

Look at it this way. There are a lot of skaters who didn't win Europeans.

 

[R.D.]

It's normal to be nervous. Probably a good thing, actually, because it also indicates a level of focus. The key is making the nervous energy work FOR you instead of AGAINST you. And that's not an easy thing to do. I have a little past personal experience with this, and have had it both ways- thriving AND buckling under the pressure. It's about two things: preparation and mental status. Miss one and you're done.

Glad to hear she's adding more content. On the dark side, will it give her more to worry about come Show Time?

I don't know if handling pressure is something that can be TAUGHT per se. I think it's another case of "either you got it or you don't". Look at someone like Rachel Flatt, who seems to deal with it time and time again. This quote interested me the most

Not "staying in the moment" while preparing for jumps has been her downfall

I can buy this. If she is not comfortable with her Technique, it will get her every time the nerves kick in. She seems to be handling it better this season than I can remember, though. Has she fallen more than once in the Free Skate this season?

 

[Eurofan]

Has she fallen more than once in the Free Skate this season?

She had two falls at CoR.

 

[flying camel]

Some people have to go through a lot in order to get to a certain point in their career. Alissa is one of them. She puts a lot of pressure on herself. Simply because she knows she could be great.

 

[Sylvia]

She does shows, and she does some touring, modeling. She has money.

Not sure what "she has money" means? She did receive partial Team C envelope funding this season from USFS, but that's just a drop in the bucket, really. She may be relying on some private sponsors because in her online journal entry before Nationals she wrote a "special thank you to those of you who have generously supported me financially, as I continue my training and competing." With her national title, she will qualify for USFS' Team A envelope funding next season for the first time in her career.

Here's a nice article on Czisny in the Toledo (Ohio) Blade -- she was honored yesterday at a reception in the student union at Bowling Green University: http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090213/SPORTS09/902130333

 

[GiuliaPlum]

Some people have to go through a lot in order to get to a certain point in their career. Alissa is one of them. She puts a lot of pressure on herself. Simply because she knows she could be great.

Yess...this is important. I think it was the same for Yu-Na, who struggled for many reasons in her early career.

 

[demarinis5]

Here's a nice article on Czisny in the Toledo (Ohio) Blade -- she was honored yesterday at a reception in the student union at Bowling Green University: http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090213/SPORTS09/902130333

That was a nice article, thank you for posting the link. Alissa's smile says
it all.

 

[Sylvia]

Here's the link to a local Toledo news video interview with Czisny that was posted on FSU.

 

[R.D.]

Nice interview. Thanks for sharing.

 

[madibe]

Just found this article about Alissa. Interesting and sad that none of the news shows were willing to show her. http://www.freep.com/article/20090204/SPORTS18/902040404

 

[champs]

That video interview (thanks Sylvia for the link!) looked more like a torture rather than congratulating her, it's like a job interview... I would be exhausted.