I am not going to bicker.
The second paragraph of your original post discussed things that you (by your own acknowledgment) merely imagine that TZ said. You do not know whether he actually said them. That was and is my issue.
I have tremendous respect for you. The last thing is like to do is offend you. I like Tom Z very much.
I say this as someone that respects him. I will always be grateful for him taking on Mirai at her lower point and giving her confidence and the technique as well as her 3A that allowed her to reach her dreams. However, but I have noticed things for years. I said before that Ting simply has to get used to the new coaching and new technique. Now, I'm very concerned.
It may be that I'm wrong. That all this was just burn out and she needs time to rest and refocus herself. Maybe that lofty thought I had at the beginning of the season will come true and Ting will once again have a stellar JW. But I can't lie, I think we all know I have a massive soft spot for the athletes, especially for the younger ones. There's very little they can do to make me dislike them. I defend them all to the end, and it breaks my heart when they have set backs like this. After all, they are the ones putting their bodies on the line everyday. They've spent so much money and sacrifices their childhood just for a few years to try and achieve their dreams. So, it's probably the mama bear in me saying all this.
But coaches are different. I actually respect them all, as they've made what only a tiny amount of people are capable of, making competitive athletes.
After any failure of any athlete, we're all prone to blaming the coach. Sometimes it's valid and sometimes not. I think a lot of coaches have been unfairly dragged through the mud and blamed for all a skater's problem. Does that mean we shouldn't at least look more closely? At the same time, can't we all agree that it's not a good idea to tell all skaters to dump their coaches and pray that Brian Orser will take pity on them and take them on.
And word vomit tends to ensure when I think too much. I'm probably the only person that is against skaters leaving a coach when a competition goes sour. I don't want Ting to leave Tom Z. I just worry that his enthusiasm and pride in his skaters blinds him at time.
There is no doubt that he loves them all like his own children. He's their biggest cheerleader. He feels even more nervous than they do before they take the ice. When Mirai fell apart after nationals, he was right there defending her to the media that her meltdown wasn't as bad as it has been in the past (very true!) He's an eternal optimist. It's that supportive behavior makes me like and trust him.
But I want him to succeed. I think Yelim's consistency and Young's resurgence shows that he's great coach. But could he be better?
So in the end of this ridiculously long post, I'd like to appologize for offending you. I'm not trying to slander Tom Z with my speculation. The truth is, I think with a few tweaks he could be one of the greatest coaches we've ever seen.
I guess he's not the only optimist.
