USA Int. Skater now at the JGP for ISR!

[NiceIce]

Very surprised to see that
Tamar Katz(coached by Rashid in Wash.DC) who competed as an Intermediate last season is now skating for Israel as a Junior lady!
Is this old news that I am just now hearing about?
I remember Louis wrote some very positive comments about her skating last year, but I know she was last in her qualifying group at Junior Nationals.

A huge jump to Junior international competiton!

[Trillian]

This decision was apparently made quite a while ago--I remember it being discussed on the SkateFans list sometime last year, after regionals but maybe before junior nationals. Tamar just became old enough for international junior competition this season, so I guess she decided to switch as soon as she was eligible to compete abroad.

[Skatewind]

This skater has a ton of potential & ability. I don't know how she skated at Jr Nationals last year, but I would venture to say a last place for her might be due to bad attitude & meltdowns which she has experienced from time to time & not a technical lack of ability.

[GreekGoddess85]

that is very very interesting.
I hope we get to see her skate on tv or something.

[Louis]

Nitsan announced that Tamar would be skating for Israel last spring, but things were up in the air. She was scheduled for the Junior GP for Israel, but she was also registered for South Atlantic Regionals as a novice.

Tamar is a precocious, speedy skater with a gorgeous, super-consistent 3lutz. I've never seen her miss it, even in practice. As a juvenile, she created a stir at Junior Nationals by whipping it off at a practice session even though triples aren't allowed in juvenile. Last year, the lutz was the only triple she was trying. I haven't seen her since last year's Souths, so I don't know what else she has acquired.

I'd bet her good SP placement was due to landing the 3lutz from footwork. The lower FS placement was probably due to not having a complete arsenal of triples. But remember this name-- she'll go far.

[Schmeck]

If she doesn't have all the triples (even if she has the best triple lutz on the planet) she's not going to make that much of a big splash, especially if she's skating for Israel. How many GP events/international senior level competitions invite Israel to skate? She's not going to get to the top unless another Israeli ladies senior skater paves the way for her by placing well at international events. Or does Worlds have one entry guaranteed for every country that wishes to enter a skater?

Schmeck, interested but not sure about the benefits of skating for a small country without big name senior ladies skaters

[Trillian]

Originally posted by Schmeck
Or does Worlds have one entry guaranteed for every country that wishes to enter a skater?

Yes, they do--anyone can enter one skater (or more if they've got additional spots); after that, it's just a matter of making the top 15 in your qual group to get to the short, and then the top 24 in the short to get to the free skate.

If anyone's going to pave the way for Israel in the near future, it's probably going to be Tamar since Darya Zuravicky is quite a bit older--but Tamar is also only 13 or 14, so she's got plenty of time to acquire the rest of her triples.

[Schmeck]

Thanks for the info, Trillian. So now I'll revise my opinion! She does have an opportunity to 'make a splash', especially since she is still pretty young. When she is old enough for senior international events (you have to be 15, right?) do you think she'll get any GP invites?

Is she training in the US or in Israel?

Schmeck

[AxelAnnie22]

How exciting - and can't wait to see her. I love that she is competing for Israel. Perhaps we will even get to see her skate. There are soooo many US ladies, it is easy to get buried here.

[Mazurka Girl]

Originally posted by Schmeck
Is she training in the US or in Israel?
She skates in northern Virginia & her coach is Rashid Kadyrkaev, unless she has changed recently & I haven't heard.

[dinise]

She was at Aliso Viejo for 2 weeks in september taking lessions from Mr. Nicks. The funny thing was her music for her short was the same as Sasha's last year and it looked like she was borrowing some of Sasha' moves. Her triples are amazing with good height and fast rotation. She is a brat on the ice making nasty faces at people who are in her way. Not very polite being a guest in the rink.

[Mazurka Girl]

"She is a brat on the ice making nasty faces at people who are in her way. Not very polite being a guest in the rink."

So much for my hope that she had changed & grown up during the last couple of years. I was always less than impressed by the excessive tantrums & eye rolling, & other assorted bad manner issues, but she's young & it's not too late to develop in that area if desired. At any rate, interesting skater as far as the skating.

[dcden]

dinise, thank you for telling it like it is. I have shared practice ice with her many times over the past 4 years and she always behaved the same way. The only time she ever spoke to me at the rink was to tell me that I was not supposed to be on the ice since it was a high freestyle session. My coach told her that since I'd passed my Gold test, I was indeed allowed on the high freestyle, so that was the end of that.

[wesrc5706]

Well, I've met Tamar and I did not notice her behaving bratty at all. In fact, I would consider her just the opposite. I think if she is at all ever bratty on the ice, it is strictly on the ice. She is a very sweet girl and I think she will definetley grow out of her on ice tantrums. She is an extremely talented skater and has a lot of qualities similar to Sasha's. I am convinced that she will go very far in this sport no matter what country she is skating for. Go Tamar!

[TheIceKing]

I have skated with Tamar and have also been in off ice situations with her. She is a great example of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. Off ice Tamar is a very nice, respectful, and somewhat shy girl. However once she takes the ice she totally transformes into someone else, she is rude, mean, and acts the way others have said she does. Its a shame and I hope that she can overcome that, because she has tons of talent and off ice is very nice girl.

[Skatewind]

Originally posted by wesrc5706
I think if she is at all ever bratty on the ice, it is strictly on the ice.
It's possible it could be strictly related to skating but it's not strictly limited to the ice. Tantrums over any placement except first, terrible ice etiquette, foot stomping, agonizing & unreasonable crying fits, the list goes on. Major sportsmanship & attitude problems. A shame really because her skating is terrific but her behavior is frequently deplorable. Guidance is sorely needed.

[sk8nfamily]

it's true.... she is a total brat on the ice and inside of the rink also.
She has tantrums and cries all the time.. She is very talented, but her emotions are definetely not in check. She should probably see a sports psychologist, because we all know that her kind of attidude, with all of the talent in the world won't go very far in this sport. I saw her several years ago displaying all of this and chalked it up to immaturity...but it has to be dealt with and very quickly..if she wants to succeed.

[Spider68]

Tiffany Chung (skates out of Aliso Viejo) is competing for Taiwan. No triples with exception of inconsisten two-footed 3-sal, weak double axel...nice girl, but it makes you wonder: wouldn't a federation/country want a skater that is competitive to represent their country? Or, can anyone with some citizenship tie to a country enter the JPG?

[AxelAnnie22]

Boy, if she were my kid, and displayed the kind of behavior spoken of here, she would be off the ice and at home faster than one of Timmy's Quads!

Her parents are doing her no favor by not educating that behavior out of her. There are three children, daughters of the assistant trainer with whom I ride. All three of these girls are lovely, friendly, helpful and charming........until they lose in the show ring! And then, good grief, you would think the world had ended! And that for a second place finish!

Participation in a sport should be teaching you a lot of things besides a triple lutz. There are really valuable life lessons to learn there---sportsmanship, managing nerves and feelings, smiling and being polite in the face of adversity, etc. This kid may be a great skater, but she is a loser in my book......if she behaves in this manner. I blame the parents, and the coaches.

The worst part is that these kinds of emotional displays will get HER in the end. If she can't keep her emotions in check, (which is what this is) how will she recover from a fall in her lp, to go on and complete her program (and perhaps even still place 1st!)? How will she manage herself through a tough season or the strain of Senior Ladies Competition.

She probably needs a practice session on the ice with K. Witt! LOL! That would put the emphasis back on the right syllable!!

[dcden]

Well said. You mention how emotional control can help you recover from an early fall in a program, or can help you deal with a tough season or competition. But it is also essential in just leading an ordinary life. What I've wondered is, what will happen if she doesn't make it to Olympics or worlds and has to lead a (relatively) ordinary life like most of us? I don't have to tell you that skating is a competitive world and that the financial riches only go out to a select few. What happens if, for whatever reason, she decides to quit and goes to college? That behavior may be tolerated if you're an Olympic gold medalist, but if you're a regular slug you won't get very far. I know if I had acted like she does when I was her age, I would've been beaten up in school and stuffed in a locker.

But somehow, I think that if she shared practice ice with the divine Ms. Witt, she would still try to cut her off and give her dirty looks.

[Mazurka Girl]

dcden, do you mean cut her off as in skating directly in front of her, or 'cut off her head', as in the almost decapitations kids have experienced over the years because she never looks behind her when performing a back spiral. ;)

[dcden]

Both! :lol:

[adrianchew]

Time to lock this down. There's no need to beat the issue to death. Time will show improvements in behavior, if any. ~adrianchew~