I agree with this. The divisiveness over coaches is sometimes confusing for me. I think changing coaches is smart, healthy, maybe even necessary for a long term skating career. In some cases. Not every method of coaching works for every skater just like every method of teaching or parenting works for every child. And what worked for a skater as a child may not work for them as a teenager or an adult.
Kimmie Meisner discussed that exact problem in her TSL interview. After she turned 16 she wanted to be treated differently. Frank Carroll talked about Michelle Kwan leaving him in his TSL interview. To paraphrase what he said - 'Michelle was probably tired of hearing the same thing over and over, day after day, year after year, and needed a change. It was a way to keep things fresh and reinvent herself as a skater.' Makes sense to me.
Michael Weiss had been with Audrey Weissinger (I know I spelled it wrong) his entire career. For years. They were close. He ended up changing coaches. He explained it as 'eventually you just stop hearing what they are saying.' (something like that)
Some people can stay with a coach for (most of) their entire career and it is the perfect fit. See Mishin, Tuk & Plushy. A coach may be a perfect fit but you need a change of environment. (Virtue & Moir after Sochi). That was how I felt about Evgenia's move to Brian Orser. She came to Eteri at 8. I know there are a lot of factors that went into her decision, but take all of that away for one minute. All. Of. It. Now imagine you spend your entire student career in your third grade classroom with your third grade teacher all the way through high school. You now have a chance to go away to college. Speaking only for myself, for that reason alone, I'm out of there. Especially if that college is the equivalent of a top rated university by any definition. With a proven track record of past and current champions.
I think Brian Orser adapts his coaching methods to his students. I'm basing this on the commentary I heard during the Sochi Olympics. He said that he doesn't coach Javi and Yuzu the same way. Sometimes he has to yell at Javi. He would never do that to Yuzu. (this isn't criticism of either skater. Love them both. I'm sure Yuzu doesn't need to be yelled at. Javi is my favorite men's skater, but I can totally see yelling at him occasionally. I say this with love.)
People are motivated in different ways by different emotional stimulus. Some need to be challenged, some need to be encouraged or coaxed. Most people need both in different situations on different days.
Now some coaches are just straight up problematic. Morozov has coached and choreographed several skaters. I have enjoyed the performances of those skaters. If I heard that Alina was going to New Jersey to work with Morozov I would not be happy. I don't care if it was just to create a new footwork sequence for Cleopatra. (Just an example) Even though I think Morozov could knock it out of the park choreographically. I would honestly prefer that Alina never skate again than work with him, just based on what I read in Adam Rippon's autobiography.
All that said, I would love to see Alina spread her wings and move to Rafael Aryutunian. Absolutely nothing against Eteri. Nothing at all. I just love Raf. When I used to watch skating with my mom, she had a crush on him
. For that alone I will always have a soft spot for him. Mom was a huge Michelle Kwan fan.
All of this is just my opinion. Not facts. I'm not looking for an argument, or to reignite controversy, or old drama, by naming coaches and skaters. I just wanted to give reasons for the way I feel.
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