Hughes leaving college, joining SOI

[hockeyfan228]

I can understand this feeling if Sarah had registered for classes and not finished the semester leaving an empty seat in the classroom, but she didn't. The "place" she took at Yale didn't belong to anyone else, it was hers and it was used the same way any other entering freshman used their "place."

If she hasn't registered for classes, and she gave Yale a couple of weeks notice, there's still time for Yale to accept another transfer student off of its wait list. At this time of year, there's a bunch of shifting, as students notify schools that they're not going to show, which creates a domino effect as people shift off wait lists and out of permanent spots.

 

[Fossi]

Pardon my nastiness, BUT Sarah is NOT the first skater to go to school and then decide to take some time off. Case in point: Michelle Kwan. I have no problems with anyone doing what they want to with THEIR lives. Some skaters don't intend to go to school (college) and skating may be all they've got (Sasha Cohen, Jenny Kirk)
Some skater graduate from college (Irina) and chose to skate.
There. I've said it.
Long live Sarah!

 

[shine]

Maybe she is taking her LIFE a little more seriously? Face it Sarah has had to be successful on several levels in order to have all of these options. Isn't this the American dream and why we encourage our kids to work hard and to be well rounded individuals so that they can have OPTIONS to do what makes them happy? I have never been a Sarah fan but I don't see how anyone can second guess her decisions here.

Yeah, except most teenagers don't have the luxery and fame to CHOOSE what they want to do as FREELY as Hughes.
I thought it was just a year ago that we were hearing how she wanted to have a complete life and education because skating wasn't everything and that she was SO couldn't wait to be a freshman blah blah blah. Guess college, especially YALE, wasn't exactly like what she expected. Afterall, college is no highschool. Students do work their butts off there.

 

[Piel]

That's what you get when you do as well as she did in H.S. and win an OGM! The freedom to make those kind of choices. I have no idea what her grades at Yale were, and it is really none of our business. Most H.S. grads do look forward to that first semester of college with others their age and I think Sarah was smart to take advantage of that. I don't think that anyone has ever accused her of not working hard before, just the oppoite Sarah seems to be a very hard worker. Not trying to second guess her but it could be that she found she missed skating. Like I said earlier the chance to skate with S.O.I. may not be there forever...college will be.

My first reaction when I saw this thread was how could she give up Yale just to skate? There is skating and there is skating with S.O.I. and competing at Worlds and the Olympics, which is even more elite that going to Yale.

 

[RealtorGal]

Wow, imagine that: A 19 year-old changing her mind about the direction of her life! How totally shocking! She should be strung up by her skate blades!

 

[Vash01]

SOI has needed a high profile singles lady skater for the last few years. Yuka Sato and a rotation of Katia, Kristi, Katarina was just not enough. Sarah's presence will be like a shot in the arm for SOI. However, if she skates like the Sarah of old, I may not find her skating that interesting.

 

[mzheng]

Not trying to second guess her but it could be that she found she missed skating. Like I said earlier the chance to skate with S.O.I. may not be there forever...college will be.

My first reaction when I saw this thread was how could she give up Yale just to skate? There is skating and there is skating with S.O.I. and competing at Worlds and the Olympics, which is even more elite that going to Yale.

I read somewhere, she diddn't even bring her skates to colledge. Only went on ice once or twice for the whole semester/year. I don't call that as missed skating. May be as an OGM in FS she diddn't get the same spot light in Yale alone as she wentout for S.O.I. Or may be after so many years of trainning and winning OGM as an celebrity she found it was hard to just sit down and study. As a teenage sure it is usual she changed her mind once every month. I just hope media diddn't potray her as how mature she was to choose acadamics. And how .... blah, blah....

 

[berthes ghost]

I blame the New York Post, who seens intent on making her a huge celebrity that the rest of the world isn't interested in that much.

Of course she is free to make up her own mind, do as she pleases, etc.. and I agree that a teen changing her mind is not front page news. However, I can see how some could get kinda snarky about it, as it's not just her changing her mind, it's us being told repeatedly in the press that each new decision is the best. How many propaganda articles were we treated to where she had all but given up skating totally, was loving college and wanted to go on a be a Doctor, which some of the articles implied was somehow much more nobel than being merely a world class skater as a career? Now all of a suddden were suppose to get excited because she's chucked college and is interested in skating again.

Maybe if the media didn't exagerate and play up every move, they would seem more normal.

 

[jesslily]

If she can do both school and SOI it will be great. She could go to school during the week and doing the show weekend. College students should have some flexible time. Leaving school for a year is not a good idea. It might be hard for her to go back being a full time student once she takes long break because she may not get the solid regular high school education like other non skating kids.

 

[Piel]

Sarah has made three major mistakes in her life.

1. She won the OGM instead of Kwan. Michelle would never change her mind or keep us quessing about what she wants, would she, LOL?

2. She won the OGM instead of Slutskaya.

3. She won the OGM insted of Cohen.

GET OVER IT!!!

 

[Jaana]

I wish Sarah success in SOI!

It very much seems to me that from skating fans Sarah may not receive such vicious and hostile receptions as Tara did in past as she joined SOI and toured... There were a lot of great programmes and skating during the SOI 1999-2002 years by many skaters! Everything though suffered and was shadowed because of the total attention on skatig forums deliberately concentrating negatively towards SOI 1999-2002 tours because of Tara´s presence, her programmes, costumes, hair and music.

Marjaana

 

[liberal]

Wow, imagine that: A 19 year-old changing her mind about the direction of her life! How totally shocking! She should be strung up by her skate blades!

And worst than that she won a Olympic Gold Medal (reserved for another ), is intelligent, has a sense of humor, takes advantage of opportunities and is too cute.
Surely all reasons to trash this wonderful nineteen-year-old. :\

I personally love the “blooming” of Sarah.
SOI is not dumb they knew what the show needed. I think she got an offer she couldn’t refuse.

 

[show 42]

I would love to see Sarah in SOI. I missed her in COI, the year she limited her performances, and have never seen her skate live......(that is if the Fresno Savemart Center is one of their venues this year.....) 42

 

[Lucy25]

I blame the New York Post, who seens intent on making her a huge celebrity that the rest of the world isn't interested in that much.

Maybe if the media didn't exagerate and play up every move, they would seem more normal.

This is exacyly how feel. So much was made of the fact that Sarah was choosing college over skating, that I wonder how her leaving will be treated. Personally, it is none of my business, so I wish her the best in her life choices. She was never one of my favorite skaters, but I will be interested to see what she comes up with for programs. I can not imagine that she will be doing programs with many triples, but maybe she has been training in secret for the past few months. Remember, it was months ago that she first said in an interview that she missed skating and was considering not returning to school in the fall. Maybe she will just reuse the exhibition programs she was using two years ago.

 

[tripleflutz]

Sarah with SOI

I'm buying a ticket to a second show so I can see Sarah twice!!!

I believe Sarah stopped skating for about six months, but started skating again last winter, because she missed it. I think that during her second semester at school she had this desire to return to the skating world building within her and by summer she had decided to do it.

BTW, SOI is an unsactioned tour, and by signing with them she becomes inelegible for regular USFSA competitions. She could only skate in Pro-Ams, if they still have any. Even if it were allowed, which it won't be, can you picture the current OGMedalist going to Regionals and Sectionals in order to make it to Nationals? I can't.

tripleflutz

 

[NorthernLite]

BTW, SOI is an unsactioned tour, and by signing with them she becomes inelegible for regular USFSA competitions.

I believe dr. frog has explained this elsewhere. She can jump in and elaborate again, but basically - Sarah does not necessarily have to become ineligible.

 

[tripleflutz]

Sarah in 2006?

I just went and looked at exactly what Sarah said about 2006, it was "after this, I'll see what I want to do about Torino"

Now, Sarah didn't say anything about skating in Torino. I wonder if what she meant was that she might have a choise between skating the 2006 SOI tour or going to Torino as a TV Commentator or reporter!!!

3axel

 

[IDLERACER]

I believe that Hughes will indeed be competing in the 2006 olympics, and she will look exactly like Hughes did in the 2002 olympics...Even wearing the same color costume. To see what I'm talking about, click on any of these colored squares:​

  ​

 

[RealtorGal]

How good is Emily Hughes?

 

[heyang]

There is no official word on the official SOI site. I'm wondering if some hopeful fans didn't read too much into responses to hypothetical questions.

Personally, I don't think Sarah's participation in SOI would raise revenues that much. It'll be just about 3 years since her OGM and the mass public has a short memory. It's not as though having the 2 controversial OGM'ists in pairs have really improved ticket sales. It was the guest spots by the old timers that really raised the ticket sales this past season. Also, Sarah has dropped out of the limelight by going to Yale for a year and having a 'poor' post Oly season. She wasn't exactly a household name.

The old timers (Kristi, Paul, Kurt, Scott, etc) were fortunate to gain Oly glory and still be on tour during the height of figure skating's popularity. Sarah's win came during the downturn in figure skating interest.

The above are the reasons why I'd be surprised if SOI was interested in signing her.