Sasha Cohen Moves Back to California, Will Train with Former Coach John Nicks

[lavender]

So you are telling RA is better then the following coachs

Mishin
Zhanna Gromova
Richard Calighan(sp)
and the list could go on. All those 3 coachs which I listed coached skaters to world titles and Olympic medals. RA has not done anything close to what those coachs have done.
Who knew about RA before Michelle took him on, suddently he becomes one of the best skating caochs in skating I will give him credit when Michelle starts landing 3/3s and technically more difficult jump combos. Michelle has always been consistent so RA did nothing for her in that department.

As far Sasha. I'm beginning to think changing coachs is something she'll be doing for many years to come. I think when Sasha signs up with a coach, she expects instant results, world titles, national titles. Ask all world champions and they will tell you all the crying,self-destruction in practice and dis-agreement with coach is the process one has to endure to achieve the results.

This just my opinion. Those are the top 3 that I would go to. I knew of RA before Michelle. I knew skaters would go to him for help with technique (Sasha is one of them). I knew Abt actually could do the quad when he got with RA and when he left so did his jumps. I think Mishin is good but I wouldn't chose him because I just don't like him. Richard...good coach and I think he's of the same discipline as Frank but I like Frank better. Don't know the other coach that you mentioned.

However if I were in pairs/dance my choices would change.

 

[R.D.]

I don't see your point of draggin Michelle into this thread to start with. Even if Michelle had a coach going into SLC, she might not have won the OGM, ice is slippery. She is still probably the youngest skater who coached an olympic bronze medalist, and managed to beat many skaters in the process.

Well, I guess I'd just figure to explain to you why I said the comment I did. I was just kidding, really. Why make it a big deal?

Sasha who was to be the spoiler at that Oly didn't get on the illustrious podium. The thread is begging the question was it Nick's fault or Sasha's?

It just seems to me that people can't get over the fact that it's an accomplishment for someone to do so well as place in top 10 at the olympics, especially their first try. People look at "jackpot" strikers like Sarah and Tara and wonder why everyone else can't be the same. Hello...?? How many other skaters are out there??

 

[jesslily]

Robin W. is a good choreographer, but not a good technical coach. Over the years she can bring up Sarah's artistic expression, but she can never fix Sarah's weired flip and flutz. Some of sarah's jumps are cheated, and the toe picks are too high. Sarah jumps did not get any better from the time she rised to national scene to the year she went to college.

 

[Skate Sandee]

It just seems to me that people can't get over the fact that it's an accomplishment for someone to do so well as place in top 10 at the olympics, especially their first try. People look at "jackpot" strikers like Sarah and Tara and wonder why everyone else can't be the same. Hello...?? How many other skaters are out there??

Maybe people wouldn't feel that way if Sasha HERSELF didn't feel that way. She was quoted more than once saying that if she had just not fallen, she may have won the Olympic Gold. She expressed disappointment that her plan to win the OGM like Tara and go off and be pro wasn't realized. She did it again in 2000 when she openly booked her tickets to attend the Worlds in Nice, assuming no doubt that she'd medal easily at Junior Worlds that year in order to qualify for the Senior Worlds. She had plenty of time to make her arrangments after Junior Worlds. And what happened? She placed 6th IIRC. SHE's the one buying into the "jackpot" sensibility, and perhaps it's rubbing off on her fans. I for one know how isolated the "jackpot streakers" are in the larger scheme of things. I certainly don't think any top 10 finish is something to hang your head over in shame.

 

[jesslily]

Sasha isn't a skater who started at 3 and moved up steady and slowly. She did not start skating until she was 9 and moved up to senior at 15. So she felt at elite level, skater can still make fast progress as in preliminary. It's her fault that after placing 4th at 2002's Olympic left John Nicks. But she was only 17 years old, it's ok for a 17 years old to have imperfect decisions. Now she realizes that Nicks can help her better. When she first left him, even Christine Brennen was very shocked. She said why Sasha went to TT just for artistic side which Sasha had masterd solidly.

 

[bronxgirl]

I still feel badly for her little sister who sems to be dragged across the country while in HS due to big sister's coaching needs.

 

[lavender]

She did it again in 2000 when she openly booked her tickets to attend the Worlds in Nice, assuming no doubt that she'd medal easily at Junior Worlds that year in order to qualify for the Senior Worlds.

Wow she bought tickets in advance.

 

[Hikaru]

IMHO, Sasha Cohen takes the convenient route of blaming her coach when she skates poorly and loses competitions. She left John Nicks because she was disappointed at not winning medals at the 2002 Olympics and Worlds. She left TT because she wasn't winning the big competitions, and she's leaving Robin Wagner for the same reason. Doesn't this girl realize that perhaps, just perhaps, SHE is the problem? Duh.

Her family has uprooted itself, moved from California to New York City, all in order to accommodate her training. She acts as if she's entitled to this type of catering. UGH.

Frankly, if I was Robin Wager, I'd be jumping up and down, throwing cartwheels, and yelling, "Good rithens!" Sorry, but Wagner wasted her talent on this girl, IMHO. For any who might think that Wagner was somehow not worthy of Sasha, may I respectfully remind you that Robin Wagner coached Sarah Hughes to the Olympic gold medal in Salt Lake City.

That's was a little uncalled, IMHO. Haven't you thought that perhaps her family is OK with the move back to California?? Have you talk to her family to see if they like to move or not? You make Sasha sound like a brat for moving back to California, but you don't really know if her family is happy or not. Maybe they are happy to accommodate her daughters, who knows.... geez

My opinion about Sarah winning the SLC Olys is that she skated a great FS, but had Michelle skated clean, it would be someone else wearing that gold.

 

[Linny]

Jumping up and down

Now TT didn't exactly jump up and down... but she did calmly accept a new student who became World Champion a few weeks later.

A coach of such high profile (and both TT and Robin fit this description) can't be thrilled when their student just continues to fall apart in front of the world.

Not that either TT nor Robin need for Sasha to succeed in order to cement their own reputation... but it sure does help. How frustrating it must be to simply not be able to provide the magic pixie dust that will make this skater stand up!

I think the absolute worst moment had to be at 2003 in the LP when Sasha fell out of a jump. It was like she just stopped skating. All the brain synapses stopped firing... or something like that. How does a coach feel? She was clearly not taught to do THAT in her practice sessions.

At some point, do elite coaches simply not accept a student? Did Nichole Bobek ever have trouble finding her next victum? Anyone have a complete list of the coaches that tried with Nichole?

Linny

 

[skatere1990]

I think this is a good decision for her. Her jump technique has gotten worse since she has left John Nicks. I think the inconsistancy part is all mental in competition... or was before. I think she landes those jumps more in practice when she was with John Nicks than with TT or Robin. that is the reason with John Nicks she usually only made one mistake because of her concentration which she has to learn how to keep. The reason she only missed one is because she had more confedence in herself from with TT or Robin. Lets face it TT is NOT a jump coach. Yaguden learned all his jumps from Mishin. not TT. Sarah hughes also learned her jumps from some one else. John Nicks is a good jump coach i mean she had her doing a Quad. I dont think she has really done them sense. I think that is also a let down that she has not been able to do them with other coaches so clearly she thinks that John Nicks helped her the most techniquly and therefore thought that this would be the best move for her to get her jumps back to what they were. Look at her OLY performance. she almost skated clean just missing the triple triple. thats pretty good. Now she has been making more mistakes just falling on triples here and there. i hope she does stay with him longer that THROUGH nationals. I think this could be the team to bring her to the top and not let the yougsters take over like kimmie meissner and Alyssa Czisny.

 

[R.D.]

Maybe people wouldn't feel that way if Sasha HERSELF didn't feel that way. She was quoted more than once saying that if she had just not fallen, she may have won the Olympic Gold. She expressed disappointment that her plan to win the OGM like Tara and go off and be pro wasn't realized. She did it again in 2000 when she openly booked her tickets to attend the Worlds in Nice, assuming no doubt that she'd medal easily at Junior Worlds that year in order to qualify for the Senior Worlds. She had plenty of time to make her arrangments after Junior Worlds. And what happened? She placed 6th IIRC. SHE's the one buying into the "jackpot" sensibility, and perhaps it's rubbing off on her fans. I for one know how isolated the "jackpot streakers" are in the larger scheme of things. I certainly don't think any top 10 finish is something to hang your head over in shame.

She actually expected to WIN?? It's one thing to want to win (which is natural) and go for it, but to EXPECT to win is a whole 'nother thing. :sheesh:

About the worlds thing, WOW. I thought she was set in her ways now, but...OMG. You see, I'm not a Cohen fan so I really don't know how her fans interpret what she says. But I assume it's all a learning experience for her, and the skating world just happens to be looking in and scrutinizing it, which is fine and all, I guess.

I still feel badly for her little sister who sems to be dragged across the country while in HS due to big sister's coaching needs.

I do too, but we don't know enough about the situation. For all we know she could want to go back to California as well.

I think the absolute worst moment had to be at 2003 in the LP when Sasha fell out of a jump. It was like she just stopped skating. All the brain synapses stopped firing... or something like that. How does a coach feel? She was clearly not taught to do THAT in her practice sessions.

I think it was a SPIN she fell out of. I thought that was kind of shocking since I've never seen a skater at the top level fall out of a spin before. As for the coach, the coach can only do so much. The skater still has to go out and perform, and although I could feel the coach's frustration, it's really not the coach's fault. The coach just wants the skater to be successful, and he/she wants to help him/her succeed. I'm sure it must be frustrating to not see that happen under your watch.

 

[kyla2]

I predict this will pay off for her in the long run. Whether she ever skates an absolutely clean program is another story. There are so many factors at work there that it is hard to know if she will ever be able to pull that off (her small size, the negative side to flexibility-loss of control). But it is obvious her technique has deteriorated even further, as well as her confidence. He will help her significantly with both. Too many coaches, in a short period of time, only confuse the skater if they are having technical problems. She went back to her skating roots, and hopefully she will stay there.

 

[mzheng]

Just read in another board that Nick is 80. Not sure how long she will stay with John Nick. I read both in her journall and USFSA announce that the current plan is work until National.

 

[ChiSk8Fan]

K*i*s*s*

Sasha must be coached to do one simple thing, based in a very simple principle, and that is this:

You can not compete well unless you complete your program as planned.
You can not win unless you have prepared a program that can win, and then complete it.

The "Keep It Simple, Silly" philosophy of coaching, or K*I*S*S*, may just be what Sasha needs, and what Nicks can provide. If he can coach her to this principle, her programs should improve, and she can compete well, and then think about winning.

Sounds simple in theory, no?

 

[jesslily]

During the last year that Sasha worked with John Nicks, they did quite a few interviews. John Nicks said many good things about Sasha. And I remeber the media coverage quoted that John Nicks was in his eraly 70s. So I guess he is in mid 70s now. Age is not very critical if he is hearthy. At 2002 national he looked very energetic and healthy. He could even jump rope then.
Sasha is not Nicole Bobek at all. She is going back to her long time formal coach, she is not switching to a new coach.

 

[mzheng]

During the last year that Sasha worked with John Nicks, they did quite a few interviews. John Nicks said many good things about Sasha. And I remeber the media coverage quoted that John Nicks was in his eraly 70s. So I guess he is in mid 70s now. Age is not very critical if he is hearthy. At 2002 national he looked very energetic and healthy. He could even jump rope then.
Sasha is not Nicole Bobek at all. She is going back to her long time formal coach, she is not switching to a new coach.

I read somewhere in the web yesterday that in one media conference John Nick offered Frank with Sasha for Michelle. Did any one see this conference from TV? When I read I thought it was odd. If it's true I would guess it was during some Nationals.

 

[Linny]

exactly my point

Exactly my point! John Nicks probably only agreed to accept her back for a short time and I'll bet there are a bunch of clauses in the fine print of their contract!

In fact, my hat is off to him for at least giving her a chance at another shot at a National title. In the long run, his contribution to the sport will far overshadow hers...

Linny

 

[Ptichka]

In the long run, his contribution to the sport will far overshadow hers...

I think that is true about most great coaches. Their influence is potentially far more lasting, even if their names are next to forgotten.

 

[R.D.]

Exactly my point! John Nicks probably only agreed to accept her back for a short time and I'll bet there are a bunch of clauses in the fine print of their contract!

I think so too. I think this is only temporary...notice that it is only "through Nationals". Wonder if she might go back afterwards, or get someone else down in California?

 

[Piel]

Maybe Tonya Harding could work with her on jumps...just kidding!