Is Mirai the One?

[silverlake22]

Yes, but they kind of have to be if one thinks about it. You don't get to that level by accident...

Yes, but it seems like the American ladies in particular are very serious about education (except maybe Sasha) , whereas I haven't heard much about Mao, Yuna, Miki, Joannie etc even going to school/college or really caring that much about it. Maybe education is just a bigger deal in the states.

 

[bigsisjiejie]

Yes, but it seems like the American ladies in particular are very serious about education (except maybe Sasha) , whereas I haven't heard much about Mao, Yuna, Miki, Joannie etc even going to school/college or really caring that much about it. Maybe education is just a bigger deal in the states.

To a great extent this has something to do with cultural expectations and the position of an adult woman in society. (Focused on American vs Asian ladies only, i'll leave the Canadians and Euros out of this.) Northeast Asian adult women, esp in Japan and Korea, are not expected to work and have a career once they get married and start a family. So the university education is really just a prelude to this, marking time rather than a serious foundation on which to build a lifelong career. Yes, there are individual exceptions to this but in general this still holds true for most JP and KOR women. On the other hand, most adult American women either want or are expected to pull their own weight in some sort of gainful employment. It's also an economic reality for most American women, they will have to work and pull in an income, unless they already come from a wealthy family. For those not endowed with trust funds, this normally means getting serious about your higher education at some point. Particularly since adequate, money-earning, professional skating opportunities for the post-competitive career have markedly diminished over the last 10 years.

 

[silverlake22]

To a great extent this has something to do with cultural expectations and the position of an adult woman in society. (Focused on American vs Asian ladies only, i'll leave the Canadians and Euros out of this.) Northeast Asian adult women, esp in Japan and Korea, are not expected to work and have a career once they get married and start a family. So the university education is really just a prelude to this, marking time rather than a serious foundation on which to build a lifelong career. Yes, there are individual exceptions to this but in general this still holds true for most JP and KOR women. On the other hand, most adult American women either want or are expected to pull their own weight in some sort of gainful employment. It's also an economic reality for most American women, they will have to work and pull in an income, unless they already come from a wealthy family. For those not endowed with trust funds, this normally means getting serious about your higher education at some point. Particularly since adequate, money-earning, professional skating opportunities for the post-competitive career have markedly diminished over the last 10 years.

This all makes more sense now. In the US where college degrees are so commonplace, to get a decent job you usually need AT LEAST a college degree if not a master's or further degree. Sure puts a lot of pressure on these girls. I'm surprised more of the US ladies aren't homeschooled.

 

[dlgpffps]

This all makes more sense now. In the US where college degrees are so commonplace, to get a decent job you usually need AT LEAST a college degree if not a master's or further degree. Sure puts a lot of pressure on these girls. I'm surprised more of the US ladies aren't homeschooled.

Actually, education is huge for women in East Asian countries, like in most developed countries. True, once they marry, they're expected to stay in the home, but even that's changing now. These days, women are expected to hold jobs to support the family, and in such education-oriented countries, a college degree is crucial for getting any decent paying job. Many Asian women believe that education is the only way to free themselves from the shackles of tradition.

I think the difference, really, comes down to what the universities expect from their star athletes. Mao and Miki are at Chyuko University, which has created an ice rink for the exclusive use of their figure skaters. The university doesn't expect these girls to come to classes; what they've done is invested -- they want fame, a gold medal, a world championship in return. The figure skaters get to train whenever they want, for as long as they want, and the university is fine with that. Yu-na, who attends Korea University, went to the university only once. She trains in Toronto with Orser all her time -- even when she's in Korea, she's too busy with ice shows and endorsements to actually go to a class. The school doesn't expect her to go to classes. What the university wants is a slice of her fame, and Kim wants a degree. It's a symbiotic relationship. The American ladies, however, are subjected to different expectations -- the universities expect them to attend classes, take exams, pass and graduate, just like all other students. They don't get special treatment -- OK well perhaps in the admissions process (but still they have to study -- look at Flatt with her 4 APs), but still these ladies must work hard to graduate. East Asian universities tend to make more leeway for their star athletes; American ones, less so.

 

[silverlake22]

I think the difference, really, comes down to what the universities expect from their star athletes. Mao and Miki are at Chyuko University, which has created an ice rink for the exclusive use of their figure skaters. The university doesn't expect these girls to come to classes; what they've done is invested -- they want fame, a gold medal, a world championship in return. The figure skaters get to train whenever they want, for as long as they want, and the university is fine with that. Yu-na, who attends Korea University, went to the university only once. She trains in Toronto with Orser all her time -- even when she's in Korea, she's too busy with ice shows and endorsements to actually go to a class. The school doesn't expect her to go to classes. What the university wants is a slice of her fame, and Kim wants a degree. It's a symbiotic relationship. .

That's so cool! So they can get a college degree without ever going to class? Wow. I feel like Mao and Yuna didn't even go to high school though, I assume they were homeschooled in the time they weren't skating but there doesn't seem to be a lot of time for that even. At least they speak good english :agree:

 

[Marrymeyunakim]

I feel like Mao and Yuna are very intelligent young ladies who probably have a lesser education because of their mind-dizzying talents on the ice rink. For some part I feel some regret that they do not get to live the life of a normal teenager and go to school, but I suppose it comes part and parcel of being champion skaters.

 

[PolymerBob]

Mao and Miki are at Chyuko University, which has created an ice rink for the exclusive use of their figure skaters. The university doesn't expect these girls to come to classes; what they've done is invested -- they want fame, a gold medal, a world championship in return. The figure skaters get to train whenever they want, for as long as they want, and the university is fine with that. Yu-na, who attends Korea University, went to the university only once. She trains in Toronto with Orser all her time -- even when she's in Korea, she's too busy with ice shows and endorsements to actually go to a class. The school doesn't expect her to go to classes. What the university wants is a slice of her fame, and Kim wants a degree. It's a symbiotic relationship.

This symbiotic relationship is all well and good, but do the girls actually get an education?

 

[life684]

That's so cool! So they can get a college degree without ever going to class? Wow. I feel like Mao and Yuna didn't even go to high school though, I assume they were homeschooled in the time they weren't skating but there doesn't seem to be a lot of time for that even. At least they speak good english :agree:

i just wanted to know how US football scholarships work, do they actually have to go through the entire exams or they get some leniency?, this is a question that comes to your mind, if you watch too much Hollywood movies.

 

[dlgpffps]

This symbiotic relationship is all well and good, but do the girls actually get an education?

I doubt it. I guess it then comes down to how two different cultures see athletes. In East Asia, athletes are expected to be fully dedicated to their sport. Nothing must interfere -- not even education. In the US, there is more to life than just competitions and practice. A good example highlighting this difference is the amount of practice athletes get. In one week, Kim practices for 48 hours, while Ashley Wagner practices for 24 (that's exactly 1/2).

 

[silverlake22]

I doubt it. I guess it then comes down to how two different cultures see athletes. In East Asia, athletes are expected to be fully dedicated to their sport. Nothing must interfere -- not even education. In the US, there is more to life than just competitions and practice. A good example highlighting this difference is the amount of practice athletes get. In one week, Kim practices for 48 hours, while Ashley Wagner practices for 24 (that's exactly 1/2).

48 hours?! That's 8 hours a day, 6 days a week. I seriously hope she isn't on the ice for more than 4 of them, most of the US ladies skate for 3 hours a day and then maybe do a little off-ice. Maybe Yuna does 4 hours on ice, 1 hour of cross training, 1 hour of weights/resistance training, 1 hour of stretching, and then has 1 hour left to do whatever she needs to work on. I'm surprised she doesn't look like Serena Williams after all that working out....

 

[mskater93]

i just wanted to know how US football scholarships work, do they actually have to go through the entire exams or they get some leniency?, this is a question that comes to your mind, if you watch too much Hollywood movies.

At my alma mater, football players go to class (or they sit the bench on game day and out of practices) and have to work to maintain their GPAs. Our coach is a successful alum of our university as well and his expectation is that players graduate. He's proud of the fact that my school has one of the highest progression rates in NCAA D1A (FBS) and that his team graduation rates equal or are better than the general university population along with attaining success on the field. If the National Championship game was chosen among bowl eligible teams by graduation rates, my school would be in the game (along with a service academy) and would have participated last season as well versus another private school. Our coach is also proud of the almost 3.0 the team carried during the season (quarter GPA was 2.98 for the team in fall, spring GPA topped a 3.0). He has three players in grad school on the current roster as well (special dispensation for 5th year players to receive grad school scholarships based on their undergrad GPAs). I am not sure how it works at other universities, but my alma mater focuses on success on the field, class room and as a person (service is required as well).

 

[life684]

At my alma mater, football players go to class (or they sit the bench on game day and out of practices) and have to work to maintain their GPAs. Our coach is a successful alum of our university as well and his expectation is that players graduate. He's proud of the fact that my school has one of the highest progression rates in NCAA D1A (FBS) and that his team graduation rates equal or are better than the general university population along with attaining success on the field. If the National Championship game was chosen among bowl eligible teams by graduation rates, my school would be in the game (along with a service academy) and would have participated last season as well versus another private school. Our coach is also proud of the almost 3.0 the team carried during the season (quarter GPA was 2.98 for the team in fall, spring GPA topped a 3.0). He has three players in grad school on the current roster as well (special dispensation for 5th year players to receive grad school scholarships based on their undergrad GPAs). I am not sure how it works at other universities, but my alma mater focuses on success on the field, class room and as a person (service is required as well).

Thank you mskater93 for sharing the information.since Hollywood movie at times may show them as doing little studies and just practicing and playing football. thsi was teh view i formed when i first saw Forest Gump, i know movie had a sarcastic take on everything, but when u don't know anything about teh system or any subject, u form an opinion very quickly . but interestingly other movies have reinforced this view.

 

[janetfan]

Thank you mskater93 for sharing the information.since Hollywood movie at times may show them as doing little studies and just practicing and playing football. thsi was teh view i formed when i first saw Forest Gump, i know movie had a sarcastic take on everything, but when u don't know anything about teh system or any subject, u form an opinion very quickly . but interestingly other movies have reinforced this view.

There are also movies like "Rambo" and "Rocky." And the "Wizard of Oz."

Do you also believe everything you see in them?

 

[life684]

There are also movies like "Rambo" and "Rocky." And the "Wizard of Oz."

Do you also believe everything you see in them?

i would like to believe rocky, that is so inspiring., rambo :think:

wizard of OZ, i haven't seen it... ok thanks for the suggestion

 

[janetfan]

i would like to believe rocky, that is so inspiring., rambo :think:

wizard of OZ, i haven't seen it... ok thanks for the suggestion

I am from Philly, home of "Rocky". I work in the music biz and have done more than one project with "Gonna Fly Now."

(BTW, the "Rocky Fanfare" - is based on an anonymous 18th century fanfare for two trumpets. What you hear on the link is Bill Conti's terrific orchestration and arrangement.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvicc-1xkcg

I am also a member of the Philly Art Museum and have taken every Euro business associate that comes to Philly to see the steps "Rocky" ran up at our Art museum.

Imagine their disappointment when I have to finaly tell them "Rocky" is not real - and when they see for themselves it is not so terribly hard to jog up those famous steps.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c191/chrissywang/philly with vic/museum3.jpg

What can I say but "Seasons Greetings" and "Hooray For Hollywood."

 

[Sylvia]

"Five fun facts about Mirai Nagasu" (from NBC's Olympics site): http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=371546.html

 

[PolymerBob]

"Five fun facts about Mirai Nagasu" (from NBC's Olympics site): http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=371546.html

Well, I have 5 fun facts for everyone. I just watched the short programs of the top 5 ladies at Japanese Nationals, and there wasn't one fall or hand down in the bunch. I don't even think I saw a step-out. The U.S. girls are really going to have to step up their game.

 

[R.D.]

but only 3 of them are going to Olys. Plus, US nationals last year (or maybe it was 2008) was similar, wasn't it?

IOW- it means NOTHING to me.

 

[silverlake22]

Well, I have 5 fun facts for everyone. I just watched the short programs of the top 5 ladies at Japanese Nationals, and there wasn't one fall or hand down in the bunch. I don't even think I saw a step-out. The U.S. girls are really going to have to step up their game.

True, but Mao, Akiko, Miki, and Yukari have all had their share of falls/hand downs, pops, and step outs this season so I don't think it really means much more than that Japanese Nationals has been a good competition so far. Can't say the same for Kanako in 5th, she's won every competition she's been in this season! Love that girl :agree: ! Also, the FS hasn't happened yet and it's a lot easier to do a clean short than a clean free..

But yeah nationals will be interesting I'm sure at least one person will melt under the pressure, but if no one does and everyone is awesome, it will surely be a very exciting event!

 

[janetfan]

Here is an interview with Mirai from December 11:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0lzu1KWx4M