2020-21 US Women's Figure Skating

[nussnacker]

i doubt it. she's at a point in her career where branching out and developing the rest of her skating outside of the jumps is critical. i think she probably just outgrew her and knew it was time to move on.

I agree with this. I think she was struggling a little more with her jumps in the second half of the season, so it would make sense to seek other solutions.

 

[bytheriver]

Did something happen between them?

I doubt it, but Alysa unfollowed her on Instagram which was surprising. She follows a lot of skating people and coaches so it stood out. I wouldn’t be surprised if Laura was hurt by the decision, but it wasn’t a surprise.

This is a do or die moment for Alysa - moving away from home for skating (and presumably a more expensive coach) puts a bit more pressure on your skating. And I’m sure it will be hard for her to be away from her siblings/friends. I hope she’s doing alright.

 

[Skatesocs]

I just hope it doesn't pressurise her. This seems very much like they want to push for Beijing gold.

 

[natsulian]

I wish Alysa the best of luck. Changing coaches can be immensely unnerving because of the familiarity aspect and not knowing what the future holds but with Alysa's sheer determination to succeed, I do believe that she will make the most out of this change.

 

[AshWagsFan]

so she is in Detroit now and then moving on to Toronto? interesting.

i think its a great move. Scali is a past ice dancer and she will train with Satoko Miyahara, the current queen of Japanese artistry. i'm happy she will have a wonderful role model to look up to as she develops her PCS components.

i wonder if Barkell will be the one to work on her jumps, or will it be someone else? i don't know much about him or if he's a good technician.

Barkell coached Gabby Daleman and Gogolev (still does), and formerly worked with BOrser and Tracy at TCC. He also coached Jeff Buttle and Meaghan Duhamel, so he’s got a reputation for solid jumpers with good technique (I know Daleman isn’t Always the best, but I’m not sure if she’s his hardest-working student, and she still gets great height and power to her jumps, which Alysa needs)

 

[AshWagsFan]

I think Alysa’s move is solid, and normal. Some of the greats of ladies skating moved away from home at a young age for skating, and it paid off. Yuna moved to TCC and Toronto when she was very young, Mao trained in the US and Russia before she was 20, And Lu Chen trained in the US for a while when she was younger.

 

[theharleyquinn]

For skaters aiming to make big improvements leading up to Beijing, the time to switch coaches and settle into a program for the next two years is now. I imagine that some of Alysa's results this season were below what was expected given her jump content. It'll be good for her to be closer to Lori Nichol and train at a rink with other strong skaters. Lee Barkell now has several skaters that are prone to underrotating, so it seems like it'll be a lot to manage. The Granite Club has really grown in a short time.

 

[macy]

I just hope it doesn't pressurise her. This seems very much like they want to push for Beijing gold.

of course medaling (if not winning) the olympics is Alysa's goal. she definitely at least wants to make the team. if she wants to make the most out of her chances, a move is inevitable and now is the time to do it. she knows she needs to take her skating to the next level if she wants to throw a wrench into a potential (and likely) Russian sweep.

 

[sparklestan]

Wow, definitely not the news I was expecting. Alysa seemed very close with Coach Laura but it is possible that she wants/needs a more competitive environment so the change does make sense. I wish Alysa the best of luck!!

 

[skylark]

I love the quote, below, from Massimo Scali. And in terms of being able to continue working with him, Alysa moving to Toronto is ideal. Detroit is only 4 hours from Toronto, and Lori Nichol is in Toronto as well. I've always thought that it helps skaters a lot if their choreographer works often and closely with them. It keeps the finer movements squarely as part of the programs, as current and equally emphasized as the jumps and spins. So the artistry is in the muscle memory as much as possible, just as the jumps should be.

"Alysa has absorbed so much new information in just a few weeks of working together,” he said. “She’s already more polished and demonstrating better flow, attention to detail and expression. That’s what I expect from her this year and I know she will make it happen.”
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/01...-has-long-climb-at-u-s-skating-championships/
​

As far as being more pressured, I think it's really great how Alysa's been taught to brush off the idea of pressure coming from anywhere but inside herself.

“No, I don’t really feel pressure because I won last year,” Liu told reporters in Greensboro. “I don’t know what people say, I have no idea, but I don’t feel pressure because of that. I feel pressure because I want to do well so it’s all coming from me.”
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/01...-has-long-climb-at-u-s-skating-championships/
​

I do worry about her being away from home, because I think Laura as her coach, her father, siblings and friends all worked wonders together to keep Alysa so grounded and charming and well-adjusted. Still, she can Zoom with all of them and keep it all up, plus she's friendly and will make connections well. (I had a zany thought, too: I would hardly put it past Alysa's dad to take a leave of absence for 2 years and move all the family to be with her. Would it be an adventure for the 4 other kids, or a burden?)

If she had to switch coaches, this is as well-thought-through a change as I can imagine. Very impressive. I hope Laura Lepisto can be as calm about the change as, say, Kori Ade was when Jason moved on.

 

[skylark]

I just hope it doesn't pressurise her. This seems very much like they want to push for Beijing gold.

How could they not be? Look at the ladies' Olympic champions in the past 26 years.

1994, Baiul, age 16
1998, Lipinski, age 15
2002, Hughes, age 16
2006, Arikawa, age 26 (the anomaly; she was the only one past 19 even)
2010, Kim, age 19
2014, Sotniskova, age 17
2018, Zagitova, age 15

And take into consideration that now, more than ever, the technical has advanced so that the mid-teens are greatly favored to win or even medal. Of course, the rules could change after 2022 olympics, and I would favor Alysa as a skater who could and would grow artistically the way Michelle Kwan did, and create new ways of excelling. But Alysa will be 20 in 2026.

 

[ice coverage]

so she is in Detroit now and then moving on to Toronto? ...

FWIW:

I believe that rinks in Michigan have not reopened yet?

Scali's Insta posts have been from Berkeley since mid-May.​

So if it is true that Alysa has been working with him (in super-recent days/weeks, I mean), then I imagine that she probably still is at home with her family for now?

I wish both Alysa and Laura the best.

---

... (I had a zany thought, too: I would hardly put it past Alysa's dad to take a leave of absence for 2 years and move all the family to be with her. Would it be an adventure for the 4 other kids, or a burden?) ...

Just my two cents (and Never say never), but I would be more than surprised (for multiple reasons) if it were in the cards for Arthur plus Alysa's sibs to move to Canada just to be with her.

 

[skylark]

Just my two cents (and Never say never), but I would be more than surprised (for multiple reasons) if it were in the cards for Arthur plus Alysa's sibs to move to Canada just to be with her.

Oh, I completely agree. It was just one of those crazy thoughts that zipped thru my brain and is fun to share. But I think my first scenario is more likely: that they do family Zoom meetings. Alysa's such a well-balanced child that I think she'll handle a transition well, but 14 is still young. Well, she'll be 15 in August.

And yes, rinks in Michigan are still closed. I didn't search to see where Massimo Scali was, at the time earlier in the year. I was working on the idea that if Scali is normally based in Detroit, it's only 4 hours from Toronto.

 

[MiraiFan]

Didn't her previous rink have basically no off-ice or other facilities? It was basically a public rink. Clubs like TCC or Granite can offer skaters way more in addition to just a sheet of ice to train on. That surely factored into the decision...

 

[sheetz]

Official announcement of Alysa's coaching change. She will continue to be based in Oakland, CA.
https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/...016368&utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram

 

[dancelion21]

I'm curious how that will work if she will continue to be based in Oakland. Scali is based in Oakland as well, so will he be her main coach? How will she work with Barkell if she's not moving to Canada? As an ice dancer, Scali can definitely help her speed, skating skills, and interpretation, but I'm not sure he has the answers for her jumps.

 

[ana]

Sad news from Alysa. Laura Lipetski has done a great job with her, but Lee Barkel is more famous in the figure skating world.
I wish her all the best.

 

[Happy Skates]

This whole situation is very interesting, I'm very curious about the logistics. I know she is apparently staying in the Bay Area to live/train, but if she's working with Lee/Lori then she'll have to go to Toronto sometimes. Who will she stay with when she goes? She's only 14/15 and has 4 siblings and a father who works, will he be able to go with her every time? And how often will she go? And how will it work with travel restrictions?

As for the substance of the coaching change, I really don't know much about Lee Barkell and less about Scali. Working with Lori more is good, she definitely benefited from her choreography and coaching that came with that last season. Working with her more will help her with both skill and public perception of artistry. As for Scali, he's an ice dancer right? Will he be able to supervise Alysa's full-time training - jumps and all - during the majority of time where she is in the Bay Area? I'm sure they have some of this figured out, its just very interesting.

 

[AshWagsFan]

This whole situation is very interesting, I'm very curious about the logistics. I know she is apparently staying in the Bay Area to live/train, but if she's working with Lee/Lori then she'll have to go to Toronto sometimes. Who will she stay with when she goes? She's only 14/15 and has 4 siblings and a father who works, will he be able to go with her every time? And how often will she go? And how will it work with travel restrictions?

As for the substance of the coaching change, I really don't know much about Lee Barkell and less about Scali. Working with Lori more is good, she definitely benefited from her choreography and coaching that came with that last season. Working with her more will help her with both skill and public perception of artistry. As for Scali, he's an ice dancer right? Will he be able to supervise Alysa's full-time training - jumps and all - during the majority of time where she is in the Bay Area? I'm sure they have some of this figured out, its just very interesting.

I’m not sure if she’s allowed to live with her mother, but Alysa said she has a good relationship with her. Maybe her mom would go with her to Toronto?

 

[theharleyquinn]

Wasn't she already traveling to Toronto intermittently during the last season to work with Brian and Lori? The only new factors here seem to be Barkell instead of Orser and then adding Scali. With Alysa's underrotation issues, I would've expected a setup that would've allowed for daily technical coaching. I wonder how she maintains/improves on the 3A and quads by staying in Oakland.