At least two Japanese bloggers now mention that Sota possibly left Howa, so the rumour is taking a more real shape now I'm afraid (saying so purely for myself as there are folks here who would prefer to see him in a different training environment)
1. TCC is probably the best place for him to train if overseas, especially because they have Ghislain. They can help him fix his ugly axel and improve other jumps, there's no better jump coach he can go to if he wants to stabilize his jumps and up his BV. Yes, language can be a barrier but Yuzu went there when he wasn't even fluent in English.
6. Yamada - Are you serious? Many of her skaters are injured this season(Rino, Mako, Rin) [...]
7. Howa - Howa has nice interaction with their skaters but they CAN'T coach. The only reason why Sota is improving is because of himself. Sota switching from his old coach to Howa was a good call back then, because for all Nagakubo's being sometimes too strict he was still a good coach. But after he retired? Yuhana lost her 3A and never got it back, she has so much potential to be a top lady but she isn't because they can't bother to work on her consistency or components. Compared to other Japanese ladies, even Tomoe, she is far behind in PCS. Same goes for Yuhana's sister Kinayu who despite still having a 3A can barely earn herself a JGP spot. Tatsuya has struggled to get a quad for over a season now. Meanwhile Mana, who couldn't even qualify for Junior Nats the last 2 seasons when she was with Howa, is now Junior Nats champion with a 3A. This is how much difference you can make when a talented skater out of Howa leaves them for a better coaching team and it's time for Sota to do that too.
re. 1 - I don't agree that Brian is the answer to any random skater's problems. Has he stabilized Jason's 3A and does Jason have a reliable quad? NHK 2019 is a telling answer. He relies on PCS and easier jump content, because he can afford to. Sota cannot. Yuzuru and Javi are/were all-time wonders. What magic has Brian's center worked for the ladies? Tursynbaeva is/was getting her best results under Eteri, Helgesson kept finishing low, Daleman only shone for about two seasons before illnesses and mental issues got to her. Medvedeva is doing well, but she was already an accomplished skater when she came to TCC. Wasn't Nam at TCC for some time? I think I vaguely recall he was, and it didn't work out. What about that Canadian guy, I forgot his name (Orzel? Nadeau?), who went for quads this season and still finished low, despite being Brian's student?
English-wise, Sota and Yuzuru aren't comparable. Sota is a shy and quiet guy, he would have issues actively coming out of his shell and speaking to people and learning that way. Yuzuru is extroverted and well-spoken, so English would come more easily to him.
re. 6 - of course not
I am a European fan who can't read Japanese much and doesn't have much access or insight into the details of Japanese skating. I work with what I can glean from skating forums, and often even keeping up with those is a time-consuming task. I am simply idly wondering where Sota might turn to for guidance.
Re. Rin, I believe she had her best performance in a long while at Nats, under Yamada. Last year she WD due to injury, now she skated really well and then retired. Performance-wise, she was one of the most striking Nats ladies for me this season.
re. 7 - I don't see Sota's lady coaches in such dark light. We don't know what caused Yuhana to lose her 3A, do we? It could have been injury, or it could have been puberty/growth. Anyway, while I disagree that Sota's 3A is 'ugly', there's something off about this jump for the entire Team Howa. But is it really the fault of the lady coaches? Nagakubo sensei was a good coach, but it was under his tutelage that Sota got his double injury, and his quads were much less stable than they are today. Whatever you think of the Naruse/Kawaume tandem, they managed to keep Sota injury free for three seasons now (or at least with no major injury that would prevent him from competing) Ryuju has issues with quads and 3A and often splats on them, but he's had those even back then under Nagakubo. Rika Hongo started getting UR calls while still with him, and only lasted in top form during her 'Carmen' season. We can hardly speak of Tatsuya's season when he wasn't able to compete for a part of it due to an injury. All in all, Howa seems to be a center with a great and nurturing environment, I just wish they find a jump coach soon. And even that would not be a guarantee when it comes to Sota and 3A because of his long-time apprehension of the jump, doubled by the fact that it caused his injury.
As for Sota, he's not only struggling with jumps but also with confidence, I feel for him because he is such a talent...
Thank you, it's reassuring to know there are people who appreciate Sota and care for his wellbeing beyond his small fanbase. :thanks:
Anyway, I can imagine Sota is frustrated with how the season has panned out for him, and maybe that's driving a desire for change. I do think his main issue this season was a management one - he upgraded his tech content too much, too soon and ended up burning out early in the season. We don't know if this was his own decision or his team's, but in any case I hope he thinks about it calmly and rationally, rather than being driven by emotion
I think he would have discussed this with many people, he's cautious like that from what I've heard of him. Now is a good time to make a change because it would otherwise be too close to the Olympics, and he probably feels this is his best shot at them. With Kazuki and Keiji and the two prodigies, Kagiyama and Sato, all ahead of him, plus Koshiro at his heels, he's probably feeling a bit desperate. OTOH, he's always been a nervous type of skater so I am not sure to what extent his issues can be fixed. Fingers crossed.
But how about Nobunari Oda as a coach? Or Nanami Abe, Yuzuru's former coach?
Supposing Oda makes a good jump coach and is a mastermind at getting levels, I'd love for him to come to Howa and create a great coaching trio again. Then Sota could have the comfort of a warm environment with the lady coaches who have known him ever since he was little and who obviously love him, and yet he could have a stricter male supervision and tech expertise. But, we don't know where Nobunari stands in the eyes of the Federation now, after he's announced his plan to sue Hamada. There's been silence since that announcement in December, and that is not a good sign for Nobu I'm afraid. It looks like he's been silenced or intimidated, and that doesn't bode well for his coaching future and the PCS of his students as that's a subjective category. Word has it that Hamada's arm is long, and much is determined by domestic Japanese competitions, Nationals especially.
And for that reason precisely, I don't want Sota anywhere near Hamada, no matter her clout and overall prowess of her students. I don't trust her and her sidekick, and am inclined to believe Nobunari's story. I don't like the rumors about Hamada's bullying methods either, and if there's a grain of truth in them, I think her and Sota's proud personality would be a bad bad match. He wouldn't stay there for long no matter how much he wants results.
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