Michelle Kwan??

[Skatingsarah]

Any news that I have missed out on , about Michelle. Is she still saying Amateur??? If so does she plan to go solo on the whole coaching deal? I was just watching her skate on a re-run yesterday and I was wondering what her plans were this season. Thanks
Sarah

[Yazmeen]

Latest from someone from the Michelle Kwan Forum who saw Michelle during "ABC Day" at Disney's California Adventure on Saturday:

This is a quote from Heather, the webmistress at MKF: (Thank you, Heather!!)

"When she spoke, she was asked what she's been doing, if she goes on the ice everyday. She said she's just taking some time. Around the end of the August or in September she'll go back on the ice. But she said she's been working on getting programs for this season together. She said she's been doing some things for Disney, which has been fun. I believe she said she wanted to continue at UCLA. The host asked how the hometown support has been, and she said it's been "amazing."
Later, when people asked questions, the first one to Michelle asked about a coach. She said she is definitely going to look for a new coach. She said she doesn't know where to start looking, though. That it's hard because she was with her former coach for 10 years, and it's hard to
"find that bond." She said she loves California, and doesn't want to move, but she knows that she may have to move to find a coach. "

Here's the link to the whole thread:

http://pub1.ezboard.com/fmichellekwanforummkfanchat.showMessage?topicID=15 529.topic

So far, no real news. I think she is taking some time to relax, which she certainly deserves.

[Lark]

Would it not be much easier for Michelle to put out a "casting call" and have all the coaches come to her?
What coach in their right mind (minus already proven elite coaches) wouldn't give their eye teeth to coach Michelle?
I have a cute suggestion: Linda Leaver.
She could tear it up!!!

[Patty]

Lark-
I and others in various MKF coaching speculation threads have suggested Linda Leaver or Christy Ness. They're not in Southern California, but Northern California.

Interesting that Michelle has changed from saying that she doesn't want to leave Southern California to just saying she doesn't want to leave California. Not that I'm trying to read anything into that. ;) :lol:

[jazzpants]

Originally posted by Patty
Lark-
I and others in various MKF coaching speculation threads have suggested Linda Leaver or Christy Ness. They're not in Southern California, but Northern California.

Interesting that Michelle has changed from saying that she doesn't want to leave Southern California to just saying she doesn't want to leave California. Not that I'm trying to read anything into that. ;) :lol:

Another cute suggestion: Charlie Tickner??? :P

I see MK with Linda more than Christy Ness. Personality thing and all... (Plus, BB lives in SF and would make a good "skating buddy" for her too.) :P Kristi Y is living mostly in Reno now, so the "skating buddy" thing is out.

UCB is an excellent college to transfer to too from UCLA!!! :D Wonderful college environment!!! (Same with Stanford, but it's easier to transfer from UCLA to UCB than to Stanford. Also, UCB is only a five minute drive from the Berkeley Iceland rink. Olympic size rink!!! WOO HOO!!!)

Michelle: Come up and see us sometime!!! We'd love to have you here!!! You could meet "the other Michelle Kwan" too! (Those in the Adult Nationals skating circles know who I'm talking about...) ;) The rink in San Francisco is BEAUTIFUL to skate in too!!!

Cheers,
jazzpants

[Patty]

Hey jazzpants-
You skate at the Berkeley Iceland rink? You seem to be "in the know". So, I have some questions...
Originally posted by jazzpants
Another cute suggestion: Charlie Tickner??? :P
Is he still coaching and where does he coach?

I see MK with Linda more than Christy Ness. Personality thing and all... (Plus, BB lives in SF and would make a good "skating buddy" for her too.) :P Kristi Y is living mostly in Reno now, so the "skating buddy" thing is out.

UCB is an excellent college to transfer to too from UCLA!!! :D Wonderful college environment!!! (Same with Stanford, but it's easier to transfer from UCLA to UCB than to Stanford. Also, UCB is only a five minute drive from the Berkeley Iceland rink. Olympic size rink!!! WOO HOO!!!)
IIRC, someone at MKF posted that Christy Ness heads up the Berkeley Iceland rink, right? Is Linda Leaver still coaching and where is she coaching?

Michelle: Come up and see us sometime!!! We'd love to have you here!!! You could meet "the other Michelle Kwan" too! (Those in the Adult Nationals skating circles know who I'm talking about...) ;) The rink in San Francisco is BEAUTIFUL to skate in too!!!
I saw online pics of the Adult Nationals guy-- very funny! How many other skaters have had such an honor? :lol:

I have no idea what's going on in Michelle's mind, but I hope she's thinking about trying out some of these suggestions.

[CarolineBingley]

A clarification and an answer...

1. Christy Ness heads up the Oakland Ice Center.
2. Charlie Tickner coaches out of San Jose, Oakland (?), and Stockton.

;)CB

[jazzpants]

Originally posted by Patty
You skate at the Berkeley Iceland rink? You seem to be "in the know". So, I have some questions...
I skate all over the Bay Area... but Berkeley is one of my favorite rinks!!! Nice and BIG!!! :D

Is he still coaching and where does he coach?
Charlie is still coaching at three different rinks but CB only got one of the rinks right. He coaches at Redwood City, Dublin and Stockton! For someone with his "skating credentials" (i.e. "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!") , he is one of the SWEETIEST guys out there you'll ever meet in the skating community! :D (Not to mention a very good technical coach too!!!) ;)

IIRC, someone at MKF posted that Christy Ness heads up the Berkeley Iceland rink, right? Is Linda Leaver still coaching and where is she coaching?
Christy Ness heads up Oakland Ice Center, not Berkeley! As for Linda Leaver, I've only seen her coach BB at YB (and probably Oakland.) I don't know where else she's coaching at. (If she teaches at Berkeley, she would definitely be on my list of coaches to approach if I ever end up working in Berzerkley.) :D

I saw online pics of the Adult Nationals guy-- very funny! How many other skaters have had such an honor? :lol:
Guess who my primary coach is? :lol: :P Irony is that he didn't expect that much publicity out of this whole MK drag thing...

I have no idea what's going on in Michelle's mind, but I hope she's thinking about trying out some of these suggestions.
Me too!!! I would LOVE to meet Michelle in person someday! :D Until then, I'll settle for getting tortured by MK II every week!!! :lol:

Cheers,
jazzpants

[AxelAnnie22]

Originally posted by Lark
Would it not be much easier for Michelle to put out a "casting call" and have all the coaches come to her?
What coach in their right mind (minus already proven elite coaches) wouldn't give their eye teeth to coach Michelle?
I have a cute suggestion: Linda Leaver.
She could tear it up!!!

I like the "casting call" concept. But I am not so sure coaches are lining up to coach Michelle. I wouldn't want to be the second coach Michelle left, or a coach who didn't help Michelle reach new heights. To coach Michelle to her next World Champtionship would be wonderful. To coach Michelle to her first off-podium finish would be NOT wonderful. It's not all upside. Michelle's enormous celebrity cuts both ways.

Have any of you read Christine Brennen's interview comments at Iskater? (She is accepting questions this week at Iskater, and answering them within 24 hours.) Probably the best insights I have read.

NOTE: I did not say a single negative thing about Michelle.

[GreekGoddess85]

I think Kawahara will be a good coach for her.

[JDC1]

Actually I recall Michelle saying she had had about 12 or so calls after she and Frank parted ways with coaches offering their services.
She has stated she wants/needs someone to bounce things off of if she remains eligible so my guess is she'll go for a non-controlling person who will let her call the shots. Her father clearly isn't and never was her coach despite Christine B assertion that "if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck" etc.

I don't subscribe to ISkater and I don't really subscribe to Christine Brennan and I'd take any of her insight with a HUGE grain of salt.

[hiliairyh]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by AxelAnnie22
[B]

I like the "casting call" concept. But I am not so sure coaches are lining up to coach Michelle.

/// Since coaches have to eat, and pay bills, why would they want to pass up the opportunity of coaching Michelle, and add 6 figures to their annual income?

I wouldn't want to be the second coach Michelle left

///Skaters leave coaches all the time. Michelle did not leave frank in the middle of a contract, she did not break any contract. Michelle had many offers after she left Frank, about 12?


To coach Michelle to her next World Champtionship would be wonderful. To coach Michelle to her first off-podium finish would be NOT wonderful.

///// Really? Most skaters do not even qualify for Nationals, and coaches are still teaching them the skills. I seriously doubt coaches go into the business just for the sole purpose of producing world champions. No skater can stay on the podium forever. Was it "NOT wonderful" for Linda when Boitano stepped off the podium. Was it not wonderful for Elvis coach, or Callaghan, Todd's coach?

[rack]

Michelle only won one international competition last season (Skate America) and doesn't seem to have made a serious commitment to competition this year.

If I were a high level coach and believed the only thing that kept Michelle from victory last season was a small technical problem, I'd probably be eager to be her coach. If I thought the problems were more serious, I wouldn't be rushing to offer my services (and I certainly wouldn't go to any "casting call"). If she contacted me, my thought process would be different (and naturally I'd be flattered).

It seems to me that it must be quite difficult to coach an athlete (in any sport) who has known enormous success but may now be on a downward slope. If the athlete is open to suggestions, then the coach can work to make changes. But if the athlete believes it was just bad luck, or bad judging, or simply underestimates the depth of the problems, then the coach is almost guaranteed to be fighting a losing battle.

For a mid-level coach, the prestige of coaching such a top flight athlete would probably overcome any reservations she/he would have about the situation. For a top-level coach, the reservations might well outweigh the prestige.

[Hannahclear]

You know, I honestly think Michelle knows that something has to change, I think she knows there's a problem, but doesn't (yet) know what to do about it, so she's taking some time, and that IMO, is a good idea.

[Patty]

Originally posted by rack
If she contacted me, my thought process would be different (and naturally I'd be flattered).

Are you a skating coach or a skater?

[Patty]

Originally posted by jazzpants

Charlie is still coaching at three different rinks but CB only got one of the rinks right. He coaches at Redwood City, Dublin and Stockton! For someone with his "skating credentials" (i.e. "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!") , he is one of the SWEETIEST guys out there you'll ever meet in the skating community! :D (Not to mention a very good technical coach too!!!) ;)

I watched him on TV win his many championships and Olympic bronze medal. I always thought he seemed like a nice guy, so I'm glad he really is as nice as he seemed! :)
IIRC, his skating was sort of similar to Todd's.

"Beserkly"- LOL! As a lifelong Bay Area resident, I agree!