Evgeny Rukavitsyn: “My athletes taught me to trust them, because at every step and under every straw you can’t lay it down” (May 22, 2020)
Evgeny Rukavitsyn - coach of Dmitry Aliyev, Makar Ignatov, and other skaters who train under his leadership at the Figure Skating Academy in St. Petersburg, in an interview with the FFKR website, spoke about the positive aspects of self-isolation; warned against the temptation to force preparation after quarantine and rush into the pool with his head; He commented on the changes in the cost of jumps adopted by ISU and explained why the coaching profession is not a craft, but a vocation.
- Evgeny Vladimirovich, the traditional question of recent weeks: how do you spend time on self-isolation? What can be learned from this situation?
- When quarantine began and the ice training stopped, we all isolated ourselves. I went to the country. In order not to sit idle, he took up household issues - he got out, made something in the garage ... He put everything in perfect order. But the most important and most important thing was to restore order in the head. During the season, everything happens very quickly - training, competition, start after start. There is time for work, but there is no time left to calmly think about your work. Now, in quarantine, such an opportunity has appeared: to analyze, plan something, create ... There are ideas regarding new training methods, new exercises, streamlining of these exercises, reducing to a certain algorithm of actions to fulfill our plans ...
It is clear that all this time we were in touch with the guys, talking via video. As soon as the strict quarantine regimen slept, the guys began to come to my dacha together with our general fitness coach Andrei Lushchikov and massage therapist Sergei Vinogradov. We worked very fruitfully, naturally, observing all the necessary sanitary requirements. They not only engaged in physical training, but also talked a lot, which for me, as a coach, is important. We talked about figure skating, about the performance of elements, jumps, programs ... Previously, there was not always enough time for such discussions, discussions.
In general, we practiced, talked, walked, spent a lot of time in the fresh air, even went to the bathhouse ... And I want to note, now my guys, and Dima Aliyev and Makar Ignatov arrived, in good “combat” form, they have the optimal weight for starting season, that after such a break, without ice training plays a significant role.
- How do you plan to start training after the quarantine is canceled?
- With such a situation as now, we, and not only we, are faced for the first time. Dima Aliyev generally got a pretty big break, because Dima was preparing for the United States for the canceled world championship, and when he returned, he was in quarantine for two weeks, after which a self-isolation regime was announced throughout the country. Of course, it’s hard to be in the apartment for so long and not be able to go outside. But, as they say, there is no silver lining. But there was a time to think calmly. And, as it seems to me, we found, “felt” for those exercises, those important points, so that Dima could feel his senses, understand how to make sure that he didn’t lose these achievements on the ice, and reproduce them on the ice, because due to the current situation we did the work on the floor.
Dima is not the first year in the national team. There were successful seasons, were not very successful, like the season after the Olympics. But in everything you need to look for positive aspects. It happens that an athlete has a good season, a lot of different events after the end of the season or in the off-season there are a lot of performances in the show. The athlete does not have time to relax, and this may adversely affect subsequent starts. So the situations are different, but all of them must be considered and evaluated calmly. No need to rush into the pool with your head. Although I see from my athletes, their thirst is more likely to go on the ice. But this “hungry” desire should be used wisely, because any speeding up of training is fraught with the danger of being injured. You should not rush ahead at full speed, making up for lost time. You need to calmly start training, feel the ice.
- The ISU Techcom has changed the cost of jumping. How do you comment on these decisions?
- My opinion: to introduce some changes in the middle of the Olympic cycle is not quite right and correct. Especially during the pandemic, when the sports world is in "sleep mode", including figure skating. To introduce such innovations now is not entirely justified. This is the first. As for the specifics, I completely disagree with the principle of equalizing the cost of a quad ritberger and a quad lutz. This is incomprehensible to me. I consider Lutz to be a more complex element, without denying the complexity and nuances of the performance of the quad ritberger. For the riberberger, you need to choose the optimal speed, just feel the part of the skate while entering the jump. But at the same time, all the same, Lutz, in my opinion, is more difficult, because this is the only jump that is performed with a "negative rotation", when the entry is made in one direction, and rotation around its axis in the other. All the jumping elements didn’t come from anywhere, they “grew” out of the riding elements, in particular, the lutz appeared from the “hook” element, and this is one of the most difficult riding elements. And this was reflected in the base cost of the lutz.
In addition, I see a danger that, due to quarantine in the new season, the adopted innovations will be interpreted in very different ways. It seems to me that we should first bring this issue up for discussion in our professional community and only then make final decisions. As I understand it, there was no such discussion. We were simply confronted with a fact.
- In your opinion, will the hopping content of programs change due to adjustments?
- I think the general trend will continue, and the leaders will not back off and look back. It seems to me that top-level skaters perceive such things as a challenge. For them, this is an occasion to overcome themselves, to show that I can do better, more.
Although, of course, there will also be athletes who rely on simpler jumping content, gaining premiums for elements - GOI due to high-quality performance of elements, skating, choreography ... without risk. But we have observed this in past years with the example of the same American, Jason Brown. This skater takes an interesting interpretation of spins, high swallows and so on, while performing a simpler jumping part in his programs. But once again, the trend of the top-level skaters, I think, will continue, they will continue to progress and become more complicated.
- How do you rate the last season of your students? What helped Dmitry Aliyev to succeed, become the champion of Europe? What is missing so far Makar Ignatov, who also adequately spent the adult season?
- Speaking about Dima, the main thing is that he accepted his profession within himself for real. I recall our training in Novogorsk before the European Championships in Graz. We had a clear work plan, but the training was very difficult. Perhaps, the tension affected after the Russian championship, before the European championship. In general, it was not easy. It happened that instead of 45 minutes of the planned training, we spent an hour and a half on ice. But, despite the difficulties, psychologically Dima was positive. It was important for him to fully complete the planned amount of work. Roughnesses in training, failures in training psychologically did not break Aliyev, did not knock him out of the rut. He understood: it means that we still have to work. And this positive perception of reality, positive thinking played a key role. It doesn’t work out in training - without panic, calmly and calmly work on. And when there was freshness, lightness, then against the background of the baggage of the work done, Dima felt inspired. Perhaps this was the secret of success in Graz.
You see, there is no way up without falling. And great willpower and intelligence are needed to get to your feet and move on! Dima is really a strong person. He managed to overcome himself. We could only direct him, be near, not betraying his trust and believing in him. But he did the main internal work himself! The more difficult the path we overcome, the stronger we become. We are capable of great feats! So I believe, Dima is capable of much!
And if we talk about Makar, then he simply did not have enough experience. But in general, Ignatov spent his first adult season well. To the undoubted advantages of Makar, I would attribute, first of all, his psychological stability. Makar has all the data and qualities for progress: excellent coordination, mastery of all four jumps, with the exception of the 4th axel, and, I repeat, psychological stability. Last season, Makar got the necessary experience, and this will certainly help him in the future.
- There are different approaches to the training of skaters, in particular in Russia and abroad. Do you think it is better to have a strong group of students or focus on working with one athlete?
- I give preference to the group, because competition plays a crucial role. We are all people, and the competitive moment in training is always whipping up. Another thing is that it is possible to train a large group if there is a close-knit team of specialist colleagues. When the trainer is alone, then he won’t be torn, one is not a warrior in the field. And when there are many specialists, it is easier to carry out such work.
But working in a group does not cancel the individual approach to each athlete. When there are leaders in the group, high-level skaters, they require great attention. And the coach should have enough strength, attention to all aspects related to the training of such athletes. If the whole group is given the same tasks according to the template, this will not lead to anything, it won’t work. Two points can be distinguished here: healthy competition in the group and individual work with each.
- Is the profession of a coach a profession or a vocation?
- For me, of course, a vocation. While the trainer is a craftsman, I do not think that he will be able to show great results. But when you serve your business, this is where the coaching path begins. When you just go to work, spent an hour at the rink and went about your business - this I can’t call coaching work. I’ll draw such a parallel: great artists often say - I serve in the theater. And such service to the theater is all life. Also for me. I serve my cause. I do not work as a figure skating coach, but I serve figure skating, my profession.
- Any profession, if a person is deeply devoted to it, involves self-development. Is there an exchange of information, knowledge, experience in your professional environment, because we are often painted with pictures that everyone is for themselves in figure skating?
- All coaches, all specialists who work with their athletes at the national team level, and many children's coaches are fans of their craft. And this is independent of nationality, the country they represent. Quite often during competitions, after starts, in an informal atmosphere, we communicate, we talk a lot on the topics of figure skating. Although the conversation may begin with questions about life, but then it will still move on to sports topics that concern everyone and everyone. And these discussions and discussions can go on forever. This is the question of vocation. And it cannot be otherwise - this is our life, our professional world, where every little thing, every detail is interesting.
Recently, Svetlana Vladimirovna Sokolovskaya and I have been holding joint training camps, team training camps are being held, trainers, technical specialists, judges, and leaders of our federation are always going to checkouts. We communicate a lot, and such an exchange of information is always useful. Of course, each coach has his own character. And I, for example, will not go on advising others, but I will listen with pleasure to the opinions of Tatyana Anatolyevna Tarasova, Viktor Nikolaevich Kudryavtsev ...
Yes, we are all rivals on ice, but this does not mean that we don’t communicate with each other at the side. On the contrary, it seems to me that there should be corporate solidarity, mutual assistance, support in the team, because if you act against your own, then you don’t need enemies.
Working with students is a mutual process. You teach them and learn from them. What have your athletes taught you?
- It’s hard to answer right away. They probably taught me to trust them. Do not indicate what to do and demand unconditional execution, but listen and hear the opinions of their strong students so that they become full-fledged participants in the work process. I learned how to interact with the guys, and even if I understand that at some point in the preparation they do wrong, which will lead to an error, I let them make a mistake so that they can make decisions themselves, because at every step and under every straw don't lay it down. Leading athletes at certain points in their careers, and just in life, must learn to think and act independently, because it forms a personality, and in the future the training process becomes more interesting and fruitful.
- Once upon a time, one of the riders of the Moscow Hippodrome at the entrance to his stable attached a plate with the word “Die Geduld”, which means “patience” in German. What motto would you choose for yourself?
- I would put it this way: run to your dream, you can’t run - go, you can’t go - crawl, you can’t crawl - think about the dream. What I mean? Despite everything, one must go to the chosen goal. No tear, no fuss. Go. Never give up and believe in yourself.
But for athletes it is very important that their trainers believe in them. And not because it is necessary. They just believed - absolutely and sincerely. Athletes feel it very much. And if the athlete feels the support and faith, then he is ready to overcome any difficulties and obstacles, he will be obsessed with his desire to rise higher and higher.
- Thank you, Evgeny Vladimirovich, good luck.
Olga YERMOLINA
https://fsrussia.ru/intervyu/5015-e...shagu-i-pod-kazhdogo-solomy-ne-podstelit.html
) was rather a precaution.
Or suddenly you have to take a medal as fast as possible when it doesn't fit the narrative? 
