Should Alina Zagitova change coaches?

[synysteryu]

I was late but i only knew of Trusova not under Eteri anymore so i was wondering if there's a possibility Alina might change coaches as well. The Eteri teachings don't seem effective to her body anymore and personally i'd like to see her improve her techniques and improve her artistsry and i feel like her current coaching team is not doing it for her. What do you all think???

 

[Skatesocs]

I jumped lol. Might want to change that title

 

[macy]

 

[AshWagsFan]

This is a complicated question.

Eteri and her team did a lot for Alina, they gave her a second chance that they don’t usually give, and they coached her to an Olympic Gold, Word title, GPF title, and European title. So they have had much success together. That being said, she is now in a situation where her training partners are out-performing her everyday in practice, and she sometimes struggles to hold things together in competition.

If she wanted to change coaches, I think she already would have. I could see a coaching change possibly being beneficial to her career, but if she were to leave Eteri, who helped her gain so much popularity and success, there would be a lot of backlash. She may also lose some of the PCS/GOE points she gains if she leaves Eteri because of skating politics.

Although there’s a possibility of her switching, I don’t see it happening. We shall see what she does in this upcoming season and hopefully she improves!

 

[sparklestan]

Alina should do what makes her happy. If that is changing coaches then yes she should, it’s her life and she has the right to live it as she pleases.
However, she seems happy in Eteri’s group and changing coaches isn’t going to magically change the crazy depth in Russian ladies.
So for this reason I would say no, but if she does choose to make a change I, as her fan, would support her.

 

[Amei]

I was late but i only knew of Trusova not under Eteri anymore so i was wondering if there's a possibility Alina might change coaches as well. The Eteri teachings don't seem effective to her body anymore and personally i'd like to see her improve her techniques and improve her artistsry and i feel like her current coaching team is not doing it for her. What do you all think???

Technique and artistry are 2 different things. I'd like to see all of the seniors with Eteri try some other choreographers, unfortunately having an in-house choreographer its unlikely that they stray from Daniil unless he leaves. And its questionable if it's her technique that's no longer working for her or no motivation.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Can't this be combined with the ongoing thread about if Alina will continue? Mods?

 

[eterislouisvuitton]

I think that yes Team Tutberidze has helped Alina a lot, but I think that if she wants (IF that is what makes her happy) to continue to be competitive then I think it is time for her to give Eteri flowers and depart. The technique isn't going to magically work again - she will never again have the physique of a child. And the environment, watching all those young girls land all those jumps that she can't (yet) do is got to not be motivating.

Although I don't think she will. She saw what happened to Evgenia, what happened to Sasha when they dared to respectfully seek out what they thought was best for them and depart Team Tutberidze. I think that she has won everything and doesn't see a motivation in leaving the team that has given her so much and probably pays her. All that to compete again, and she said during the Olympics that she knows her time at the top will one day come and go. Eteri hasn't dealt with someone of Alina's age and caliber before, and I think that little kids are her specialty. If Alina really wants to be competitive internationally again, then I think that she should leave Team Tutberidze. But whether or not she wants to is another question at this point.

I think Alina will stay loyal to Team Tutberidze, but is that the right decision?

 

[macy]

Although I don't think she will. She saw what happened to Evgenia, what happened to Sasha when they dared to respectfully seek out what they thought was best for them and depart Team Tutberidze. I think that she has won everything and doesn't see a motivation in leaving the team that has given her so much and probably pays her. All that to compete again, and she said during the Olympics that she knows her time at the top will one day come and go. Eteri hasn't dealt with someone of Alina's age and caliber before, and I think that little kids are her specialty. If Alina really wants to be competitive internationally again, then I think that she should leave Team Tutberidze. But whether or not she wants to is another question at this point.

what happened to sasha? she literally just started training with Plushenko like 2 weeks ago.

yes she has, see Zhenya Medvedeva.

and...what? Eteri has coached world champions, olympic medalists and an olympic champion, GPF winners, JW and JGPF winners, and national champions at both levels. how does this make her specialize in little kids?

 

[Amei]

what happened to sasha? she literally just started training with Plushenko like 2 weeks ago.

I think what the poster was referencing was the less than favorable interviews that came out after the move to Plushenko was announced.

yes she has, see Zhenya Medvedeva.

and...what? Eteri has coached world champions, olympic medalists and an olympic champion, GPF winners, JW and JGPF winners, and national champions at both levels. how does this make her specialize in little kids?

Yes Eteri has coached skaters to those victories, but there does seem to be a pattern of burn out, regression and falling behind that seems to happen with her skaters. I don't know if it's really a matter that she "specializes in little kids" but that her system perhaps is not something sustainable for an athlete to endure.

 

[TallyT]

what happened to sasha? she literally just started training with Plushenko like 2 weeks ago.

I think it's about the backlash, which wasn't as bad for Trusova but was certainly unpleasant. I doubt Alina wants to put herself through that.

and...what? Eteri has coached world champions, olympic medalists and an olympic champion, GPF winners, JW and JGPF winners, and national champions at both levels. how does this make her specialize in little kids?

Because every single one of those champions and medallists was a little girl, and increasingly quickly overtaken and replaced by another littler girl. It's what it is, swings and roundabouts.

 

[Pantsu]

Oh my, here we go again
Medo was 18 years old when she won Silver at the Olympics. What was that, 1 point from the Gold medal
Zagi won her Worlds title when her body already changed a lot
The level of delusion is astonishing

 

[Scott512]

I was late but i only knew of Trusova not under Eteri anymore so i was wondering if there's a possibility Alina might change coaches as well. The Eteri teachings don't seem effective to her body anymore and personally i'd like to see her improve her techniques and improve her artistsry and i feel like her current coaching team is not doing it for her. What do you all think???

To answer your question hell nyet!

Besides that ship has sailed. There was talk of her leaving the great coach many months ago and she chose not to.

 

[Amei]

To answer your question hell nyet!

Besides that ship has sailed. There was talk of her leaving the great coach many months ago and she chose not to.

Didn't know leaving a coach was a 1 shot opportunity

 

[macy]

Yes Eteri has coached skaters to those victories, but there does seem to be a pattern of burn out, regression and falling behind that seems to happen with her skaters. I don't know if it's really a matter that she "specializes in little kids" but that her system perhaps is not something sustainable for an athlete to endure.

to be clear about my statement about Eteri specializing in little kids, i meant those accomplishments i listed are not reached by little kids. they are teenagers/young adults at that point.

i agree with the first part, and my thoughts are because the training in Sambo is structured so that skaters peak and do their best at a certain age...call it the goldilocks zone of skating. it makes sense- Eteri makes champions and that's the first priority over having a long career. you want to win medals, you go to Sambo and accept the risk of possibly not skating into your 20s. she is still a pretty young coach and i think has a lot to learn in that area with changing training to fit skaters who want to keep skating into adulthood, because it is very different at 14 vs 18+ years old. If Alina has no plans to change coaches and the intent to keep skating another few years, i think she will teach Eteri lots in that respect.

on that topic, i don't think she will leave Eteri. i've never gotten that vibe from her ever, seems to have great relationships with all the coaches and is happy with how things are done there.

 

[Scott512]

Didn't know leaving a coach was a 1 shot opportunity

It is with the reigning...defending...you know the drill.

I just don’t think she’s going to leave EG.

As for EG only coaching kids and youngsters hey they get pushed out of the way by stronger kids and youngsters coming up. No coach has ever done it like this coach with the conveyor belt of super girls one after the other after the other year after year after year. For those who get past by by better younger skaters that’s just the way it is at Sambo 70 in the ladies discipline. That’s sports and that’s life.

 

[Amei]

It is with the reigning...defending...you know the drill.

I just don’t think she’s going to leave EG.

As for EG only coaching kids and youngsters hey they get pushed out of the way by stronger kids and youngsters coming up. No coach has ever done it like this coach with the conveyor belt of super girls one after the other after the other year after year after year. For those who get past by by better younger skaters that’s just the way it is at Sambo 70 in the ladies discipline. That’s sports and that’s life.

I agree as of right now I don't see any indication that Zagitova is going to leave Eteri, but then again I don't remember too many people thinking that Medvedeva was going to leaving Eteri either and she left.

 

[TallyT]

I agree as of right now I don't see any indication that Zagitova is going to leave Eteri, but then again I don't remember too many people thinking that Medvedeva was going to leaving Eteri either and she left.

Where would she go?

 

[Amei]

Where would she go?

No clue, personally I don't see any indication that she desires leaving. A new coach would likely be looking to her for making their mark/making her successful winning competitions again; she admitted in her 'break' interview after the GPF that she lacked motivation; she's signed up for in-season show skating - she's clearly thought about her career outside of the competition circuit - Eteri having the metaphorical 'conveyor belt' with her new seniors dominating the whole season and her juniors being dominate likely cares little about Zagitova's commercial activities possibly detracting from her competition preparation because she has other skaters that can step in and win - a new coach looking to get medals to their name with her as their skater likely would care.

 

[mrrice]

Unless she's unhappy, I don't see why. Maybe she just needs a vacation. With the delayed season, she is certainly getting a break from the grind of constant practice. He she expressed a desire for a new coach.