Tarasova on coaching in Russia

[Ptichka]

Original
[size=+2]Tatiana Tarasova: "Young coaches should be helped financially"[/size]

Soviet figure skating is dead; in order to create the Russian one it's imperative to help out the young coaches, first of all financially. THis is what the great coach Tatiana Tarasova, teacher to 11 Olympic champions in various disciplines, told the "All Sport" agency.

"Soviet system of preparing great skaters is dead", declared Tarasova. "We saw the last rays of its glory at the Turin Olympics. Right now there is a renewal of the whole team and the system of preparing the skaters. Slowly new ice palaces ae opening up, but the coaches are still earning a pittance, and have to make money elsewhere. Progressive system of preparation must include three things: proper nutrition for the athletes, proximity of the rink to the home, and the necessary ice time. Right now, each coach has to find the ice, worry about salary, and perform many other administrative functions. Only those who've already made money abroad can train comfortably back at home. In the West, the most mediocre coach make in a day what our most famous one makes in a month. It's not a worthy system."

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

TT is correct. The Soviet system no longer exisfs. But I think it would be special if TT and Moskvina as well as Mishin and many of the other Soviet coaches and choreographers would step in and create a school which teachers young choreographers and skaters what they know.

Funding for this should come from the new wave of capitalist financieres. They should have some pride in assisting Russian sports.

Joe

 

[Ptichka]

Funding for this should come from the new wave of capitalist financieres. They should have some pride in assisting Russian sports.

Yeah, and the industry should voluntarily implement environmental standards. Why, Joe, I never suspected you were such a conservative!

 

[R.D.]

interesting, thanks for translating. :agree:

 

[hockeyfan228]

Funding for this should come from the new wave of capitalist financieres. They should have some pride in assisting Russian sports.

Joe

And take a page from Valeri Gergiev at the Mariinsky? He has worked like a dog to get private funding to replace state subsidies for the theatre. If coaches are swamped with administrative work now, they'd get nothing done if they had to beg for funds as well.

Ptichka, many thanks for the translation

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

If there is no Government funding and you are against funding from the free market, then there is no system.

 

[Ptichka]

If there is no Government funding and you are against funding from the free market, then there is no system.

Of course I am not against industry funding. Just as I am not against world peace or harmony! I just do not believe that this can ever be relied on. Industry could support the great coaches who already get international visibility - but frankly they don't need much supporting since they can work with foreign students. What TT is talking about are the coaches who are going to work with kids, the ones who will get the kids just strong enough to go on to the more elite coaches. There is no insentive for the industry to support those coaches - there is no glory in it. At best, those coaches will be mentioned as "former coaches" on an athlete's bio; at worst, the skaters themselves will forget about it.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

1. I think the young coaches in Russia need to know what the technique is for teaching figure skating as it was in the USSR days. the former coaches can give that knowledge.

2. I believe in the present government of Russia there is a bureau for sports. Can not a group of young coaches approach them for more interest in figure skating?

3. Surely, there are lobbyists and advert execs there to push the sport and get monies coming in from either the govt. or from industry.

I don't know present day Russia and I am just rattling things off my head. I think it would be very sad if the elite coaches do not pass on their knowledge to the new coaches. I think they can get satisfaction out of doing that without a great deal of monetary compensation.

Joe

 

[skatergirlaj]

actually this thing of young coaches having to work your butt off,off ice and then coach too,is common here in the US as well.In our figure skating club,we have some really good coaches,but...they are working 2nd and 3rd jobs just to get by,being a waiter,working a grocery stores,secretarial jobs...AND coaching,IF we have the ice time and if they can get off from their other jobs. It's starting to look like coaches are having problems world over.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

actually this thing of young coaches having to work your butt off,off ice and then coach too,is common here in the US as well.In our figure skating club,we have some really good coaches,but...they are working 2nd and 3rd jobs just to get by,being a waiter,working a grocery stores,secretarial jobs...AND coaching,IF we have the ice time and if they can get off from their other jobs. It's starting to look like coaches are having problems world over.

Good post. I've been saying that for years when fans want someone to quit eligible skating and 'go pro'. If they can't get intoSOI then it's taking on coaching along with a zillion other coachwannabees. Nice to know that they have a second and third job to supplement their incomes.

Joe

 

[hockeyfan228]

I'm not arguing that it is the wrong thing to attempt to get funding donations. I just wanted to point out that it's a lot of hard work and takes a great deal of time. If the coaches are going to do this, it will eat into their coaching time.

 

[mzheng]

Thanks for the translation, Ptichka.

actually this thing of young coaches having to work your butt off,off ice and then coach too,is common here in the US as well.In our figure skating club,we have some really good coaches,but...they are working 2nd and 3rd jobs just to get by,being a waiter,working a grocery stores,secretarial jobs...AND coaching,IF we have the ice time and if they can get off from their other jobs. It's starting to look like coaches are having problems world over.

I agree. TT might just compare the absolute income difference between a western coach and russian one (The one day's income to one month income.)You can't compare like this. You have to compare those salary with the standard they are living. I'm not so sure of what Russia like today.....But I know about what's going on in china, an ex comunist country just like Russia before and very similar system like ex soviete, but also open to western in morden days.....in china they made less, but again they don't need to spend much either under the standard they live in.

Say for example I made 50 times more than my brother, sister and inlaws. But after paying taxes on this and that, it actually come down only about 30 times(china has very little tax compare here). Then plus the mortgage, insurances, etc. you just have to keep the job and working otherwise the bills will bury you and you lost every thing. But in china, they are able to live off an apartment, which is paid off. Hiring two live in house keepers (with the help of very little of our input), and living a very comfortable life (they can retire and collect the social security at age of 50s).....Here I'm doing all house keepers work myself after a full time job......so compare the absolute income and viewing the eastern life standard with the income you made abroad at western is really no sense. You've to compare the local salary and the local living standard then come up with some satisfying factor (so given choices, I would still chose to live here). You just can't view things there with the money you made at here. As for today, I can sale my house, lumpsum in all my saving and investment, put them in a bank. Then moving back to china. There the interest will carry my expanses without me working for a day. I can live a very comfortable life better than average person there. You just can't do compare like this.

(not sure I got my point crossed).

 

[Ptichka]

mzheng, prices in Moscow, while obviouly lower than in the US, are fairly high nonetheless. Also, when you're talking about my parents' generations - yes, most of them have their appartments that they don't pay anything for; however, my generation has to either live with their parents (an iffy proposition for families with kids) or rent/ buy on their own. Housekeepers are quite rare to say the least; in Moscow, for some reason I cannot fathom baby sitting services are quite expensive as well (with such high unemployment, you'd expect it to be more readily available...). St. Petersburg is a little more reasonable. Then, the more un-livable the place is, the more reasonable its prices.

 

[bloozywoozy]

Another problem is the number of, and the condition of rinks in Russia, AND the cost of ice time for the skaters.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I read nothing but gloom and doom here. Sad.

Joe