Wagner voted coach of the year

[dbuckley]

Robin Wagner has been voted coach of the year by the USFSA/PSA/USOC. Article is at the USFSA site.

[Aaron W]

Here's a link:

http://www.usfsa.org/news/2001-02/coachofyear02.htm

[Shae & Vic Forever]

Well surprise surprise...Who else would the USFSA choose? Michelle Kwan has no coach and they wouldn't pick Moskivina b/c she's not american! And hey I do agree with her being picked don't get me wrong but seriously would they go with anybody else?

[adrianchew]

Frank Carroll for his work with Tim Goebel is worthy IMO. Though I believe they are probably looking for someone else to name, and I'm sure Frank has already earned that distinction in the past.

[Dustin]

I was wondering, is this only open to American coaches - or could, say, a Russian coach (living and coaching in the U.S.) coaching American skaters receive this honor?

[Lucy25]

I have no qualms with choosing Robin Wagner, but I agree that there was no one else really to choose. I assume that since this is the USFSA, it is only open to American coaches.

[dbell]

Congratualtions to Robin! :D Isn't this the same group of people who were urging the Hughes family to find another coach last year? Hope they didn't hurt themselves jumping onto the bandwagon! :roll:

[Rachael]

Way to go Robin. I'm sure they have their feet in their mouths now.

[sk8termom]

Also, a big congratulations needs to also go to the 2002 Developmental Coaches of the Year. Joe and Jackie Mero from the Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club! Way to go Robin, Joe and Jackie! :D

[Scott]

There is no question that Robin deserved this award. She really changed Sarah's training around right after U S Nationals to prepare her for the olympics which was stategically the correct thing to do. She taught and planned well. And with Sarah earned a gold medal! There was no one else around to even come close to what she did. I respect Frank Carroll but in this case he was out coached by Robin. Concerning Moskvina, I really don't think that she was actually coaching Inna/Zimmerman. I was under the impression that her husband coached them in her lengthly absence when she returned home to Russia. I really think that we should be giving him credit for inna/Zimmerman's surge this year. :!:

[justsk8]

Way to go Jackie and Joe.

I know you work very hard and love the kids and the sport, and the results show this.

Keep up the good work....

[Cerulean]

Good for Robin, I think that she entirely deserves this!

[skelly]

Good comment, Scott. I had almost forgotten how Robin went 'back to work' after Nationals to improve Sarah's programs. I hope her flexibility is a trend--a lot of coaches, it seems, stick with what they mapped out at the beginning of the year, whether it works or not, out of obstinacy or laziness or a fear that their skater cannot handle change. Frank Carroll, for one, seems to get very upset whenever his skaters do anything that deviates from the master plan.

[Giselle]

[quote:06b85568cb="Scott"]There is no question that Robin deserved this award. She really changed Sarah's training around right after U S Nationals to prepare her for the olympics which was stategically the correct thing to do. She taught and planned well. And with Sarah earned a gold medal! There was no one else around to even come close to what she did. :!:[/quote:06b85568cb]

bravo! :D

[chattykathy]

Congratulations Joe and Jackie!

You bring so much to our club and our kids!

:lol:

[barney sasha]

[quote:67d2c0337f="skelly"]Frank Carroll, for one, seems to get very upset whenever his skaters do anything that deviates from the master plan.[/quote:67d2c0337f]

You mean like the time Chris Bowman improvised his *entire* program? :roll: :lol: :wink:

[Giselle]

LOL I remeber reading the book wheerre it quotes Frank saying, "I've never seen that program before. What program was that?"

[LIKathy]

As a New Yorker I was always reading articles that the local newspapers carried about Robin & Sarah working together and how they would travel to another State each day to train. Robin has worked hard with Sarah and really helped her achieve many things besides winning the Gold and deserves this title.

[lilwish]

I have long thought that the relationship between Sarah and Robin was close and lovely. Does winning an Olympic Gold make Robin the Coach of the year? I know they worked hard after Nationals to make the difficulty of Sarah's programs more complex and obviously, Sarah won the gold. I have to wonder, however, what would have happened had Sasha, Irina and Michelle done their own best at Olympics if Sarah would have won. Does the luck that Sarah had to have her best competition not skate to their best in the long make Robin the coach of the year? Sarah skated wonderfully at Olympics but she had nothing to lose and those she bested either crumbled under pressure - Sarah skated before them - thinking she had nothing to lose - so, although i do not discount the effort and result of Sarah's accomplishment at Olympcs, I do question how much that had to do with Robin and the work Sarah and she did between Nationals and Olympics. Perhaps upping the difficulty was enough but it seems to me to be more syncronicity than good coaching. Even Sarah and Robin were shocked by the result...on the other hand...had they not reworked the program Sarah would not have had the difficulty to be marked as high as she was. I have always liked Sarah but I have to say that she was the least deserving overall - season by season - to win the gold. She did get lucky. How much of that is Robin responsible for? I think it is great that they did the work before Olympics but I am not sure that is what made the difference.

My favorite Sarah/Robin moment of Olympics and what might make me go for the coach of the year thing beyond the winning of the Gold is the moment when Robin turned Sarah around and told her to look at the crowd and take it all in after she skated - no matter where she ended up. That might make her coach of the year...it is all subjective. I don't begrudge Robin the award but I wonder what constitutes a coach of the year. Or a great coach. Sarah has had some problems for the past few years that Robin has not and did not choose to correct and I fear that the Gold and this new award will only prove further to the two of them that Sarah's sloppy technique is not only good enough but something they don't need to correct. I know this all sounds like I don't think Sarah deserved the Gold. She did. That night. But I am not sure that coaching is what did it. I can not get into Sarah and Robin's minds but I have to believe that if Robin was a better coach the win at Olympics would have been a more of a clean win and Sarah would have been technically more on par with the rest of the field and I would nto wonder...I have always liked Sarah but wanted her to clean up her technique. I fear the gold will make her believe that she does not need to and that makes me believe that Robin is not the coach of the year...

Also, I know this is long winded but I have to wonder about coaches of lesser known skaters and how far they came in the last year and what an accomplishment that is and if that is not more indicative of great coaching than one Olympic medal. I know I am all over the place here - just some thoughts. Don't think for a moment that I don't think Sarah should have the gold medal on that night but I do wonder - how much of that was coaching and how much of that was just the luck that others did poorly. Sarah has a great deal of talent but in watching her in perfromances since Olympics I do not beleive she is deserving of the long term place in history that Gold will give her. I think she has much more to give and learn but I think this next season will be interesting for her. I know judges give the benefit of the doubt to Olympic Gold medalists but I wonder when others challenge her and she has not changed her technique then she might be in for a rude awakening. Robin seems to think that Sarah is the best skater in the field because she won the gold but I have to wonder if that is true...she did it one night. I don't know if confidence will give her the edge she seems to have always lacked or if she will be overmarked or if she will rise to the challenge. I worry about that because of Robin...not Sarah.

[Scott]

Lilwish, get with it! Coaching plays an enormous role in this sport and Robin develped Sarah so she sould perfdorm at her highest level. I don't know why yo would have any doubts about that fact. You To imply that it was luck that caused Sarah to win is insane. Robin went back to work after nationals and changed Sarah's program, putting in a higher level of difficulty, and instituted a training schedule that produced results. She calculated what had to be done and accomplished it. She was the coach of the year and nobody else came close.

[AxelAnnie22]

Scott, with all due respect, there was a lot of luck involved in Sarah's win. If you recall, Michelle fell, and Irina was sloppy. 3/3's not withstanding, Sarah did not (and undoubtedly would not) have placed in front of a clean Michelle or a sparkling Irina.

Robin did go back and revamp Sarah's program. It was much improved. Sarah did land the two 3/3's.........but about that, even Sarah was surprised. You can call that whatever you like, but there was certainly a good deal of luck as well as skill involved in pulling that off.

Given the problems with Sarah's technique, I am not so sure I would give the nod to Robin, but I assume the the coach of the OLY winner is usually at the top of the list for this award.

I don't know what criteria is used for this selection, so I don't know the significance of the award, and am not arguing the selection. But, there was, IMO, a good deal of luck involved in the OLY outcome - there always is :wink:

[ChicaTica]

I posted this on FSUniverse and thought it was appropriate to post it here, too.
*****
This is a very interesting thread. I have a couple of points to make. I should first disclose that I was a competitive skater who took spins lessons from Robin and got some choreography done by her (about 8 yrs ago) and that I am close with the Hughes family.

With that said....I have to admit that I was shocked when I saw Robin was coach of the year, but then I gave it some thought and now I think that it is a great selection.

For 11 years, I took from a coach who competed at Worlds and has coached World and Olympic Champions--a coach who has amazing technical knowledge. But you know what, teaching a skater how to land quads and triples doesn't necessarily make you a good coach. A good coach not only teaches elements, but inspires an athlete to perform at levels the athelete didn't even know was capable. At times, my coach made me feel insecure and doubt my abilities. My biggest regret is looking back at my competitive career and realizing that I didn't fulfill my potential because I didn't believe in my full potential. Before you bash my former coach, I have got to tell you that many of the top coaches have tempers and don't hesitate to yell at their students in a way I wouldn't want my child to be exposed to. Some are even certified abusers, but I digress....

Working with Robin was a pleasure. She has a talent for knowing exactly what a skater needs to put out their best performance and is not afraid to ask another coach for a little technical guidance. I have never know a coach who gave 110% of themselves to their students everyday. I remember Robin darting around the rink demonstrating movements and spinning like a top to show how to do a spin. She has an attention to detail that is admirable and is able to convey the concept of skating to the rafters and emoting throught your fingertips to youngsters.

Sarah has numerous problems with her technique, but somehow she lands on her feet when it counts and without Robin she wouldn't be where she is today. There is something about the Robin/Sarah team that is special. Things were very difficult for the Hughes when Amy was fighting cancer and Robin was there for not just Sarah, but the whole family. She provides a stable and nurturing envirnment for Sarah to flourish.

I do understand that she comes across as spooky and over involved on television. All I can say is that coaching and being an Olympic Champion is all consuming. You don't get to that point by spreading yourself too thin. I know of a lot of coaches who talk about having to teach "electric bill" skaters in order to be able to afford to give their time to the talented students who require travel or who don't have the money to pay full price for the coach's services. Robin is fortunate enough to have no financial worries and a wonderful family (yes, husband and no children). She obviously loves her job and takes pride and personal satisfaction in doing it well.

Think of your favorite professor or teacher with whom you had a special connection. He/she probably wasn't the smartest person on the planet, but I bet they were supportive and encouraged you in your personal and academic endeavors. I only took from Robin from a couple of years, but when I call on her for help she is still there for me. I think that she is an amazing person who knows her limitations, thus a perfect selection for this award.

--ChicaTica

[sk8termom]

ChicaTica,

Wow--couldn't have been better said! You know, you are so right about the coach that will listen and keep that open line of communication with their skater and this helping them to achieve their potential. Robin deserves that award for making Sarah believe in herself. Sarah is very talented or she wouldn't have achieved the goals she has. Robin just made her believe in herself. I have a child that is a skater, and his coaches now are doing just that for him too. What a difference a little confidence makes!

[Scott]

[quote:2004208a87="AxelAnnie22"]Scott, with all due respect, there was a lot of luck involved in Sarah's win. If you recall, Michelle fell, and Irina was sloppy. 3/3's not withstanding, Sarah did not (and undoubtedly would not) have placed in front of a clean Michelle or a sparkling Irina.

Robin did go back and revamp Sarah's program. It was much improved. Sarah did land the two 3/3's.........but about that, even Sarah was surprised. You can call that whatever you like, but there was certainly a good deal of luck as well as skill involved in pulling that off.

Given the problems with Sarah's technique, I am not so sure I would give the nod to Robin, but I assume the the coach of the OLY winner is usually at the top of the list for this award.

I don't know what criteria is used for this selection, so I don't know the significance of the award, and am not arguing the selection. But, there was, IMO, a good deal of luck involved in the OLY outcome - there always is :wink:[/quote:2004208a87]

I dasagree from this point: you as the athlete control sloppiness and this is taught to you by your coach. Being sloppy has nothing to do with luck. Falling on a jump has to do with a mistake or bad technique all of which a coach tries to have you aviod by teaching the proper manner of enterning and exiting a jump. Skating is not a roll of the dice rather, it involves technique and the ability to deliver, all of which are pulled together by the efforts of the coach and the talent of the skater.

[AxelAnnie22]

Hi Scott

I didn't mean that Irina's skate was "lucky" or "unlucky". I agree with you about that. But Sarah had the good luck to skate an LP on the same night that Michelle fell, and Irina skated well below her abilities. That is where the luck came in.

If Michelle had stayed on her feet, Sasha had landed her 3/3, and Irina had nailed even the flip, we would have had a very different podium. Those three programs were out of Sarah's control, and in that way she was lucky.

And, Sarah brought her training, talent, and joy to bear to be able to take advantage of her "lucky" timing.

I agree with you that skating is a matter of much more than just luck, but placement has a big portion of luck, as well as a favorable glance from the skating gods![/quote]

[AxelAnnie22]

I couldn't get the last part of my post to post.

I agree with you that skating is so much more than luck, but placement involves a good deal of luck as well as a favorable smile from the skating gods.

[nits]

Annasgram,
I didn't realize you were registered at this board as well!! Glad to see you made it.

[AxelAnnie22]

Hi nits
Thanks for the welcome. This is a great place. Sometimes (if I couldn't be Annasgram, I am AxelAnnie). No hidden agenda, just computer mystery. :lol:

Can't wait for the season to start.

[Lee]

[quote:e98b242908="ChicaTica"]I posted this on FSUniverse and thought it was appropriate to post it here, too.
*****
This is a very interesting thread. I have a couple of points to make. I should first disclose that I was a competitive skater who took spins lessons from Robin and got some choreography done by her (about 8 yrs ago) and that I am close with the Hughes family. <snipped for brevity> [/quote:e98b242908]
Wow...what a tribute for a coach to receive -- or ANY teacher for that matter!

I hope Ms Wagner gets to see this post -- heaven knows she's probably read enough of the other kind of posts about herself!

I agree 100% that a coach/teacher *can* be the difference between potential achieved or potential never even noticed. How many skaters do we know who have flourished when they finally found a coach with the right mixture of technical and inspirational qualities, who could push them farther than anyone thought was possible (or bring out many may have suspected was there)?

Anytime you have a coach who is willing to acknowledge when they don't know everything (and bring in the help), who can motivate their students in a healthy, productive way, and maintain that over a period of time, I don't give a rat's behind HOW 'flaky' that person comes across on TV -- THAT's the kind of coach ALL students should be so lucky to have.

[Yazmeen]

ChicaTica: Your post almost brought me to tears--that's EXACTLY what I love about my own coach!!! I'm 44, I started skating at 41 and had no goals besides going forwards and backwards. Now I'm working on toeloop and salchow, and my coach constantly but gently pushes me to give things I never thought I could possibly do my best shot.

I think Robin DESERVED this award. Her relationship with Sarah is special and wonderful, and SHE DID help Sarah make some important changes between Nationals and Olympics. Most of all, she helped Sarah believe in herself. When I saw the determined look on Sarah's face when she took to the ice for her long program, my reaction was "Oh my God, she's gonna kick butt!!!" And she did. And Robin is a strong part in that "kicking."