Athletes training in one country, but competing for another

[cornflake]

Thank you...I hadn't realized that, and the comment threw me off.

Kristi appears to have followed her coach to Canada after the 89 Worlds. If she was always going to Canada to train, yes, it would bother me because of the caliber of coaching we have here in the US...there's no need for a US skater to train elsewhere. On the other hand, Kristi started training with her at a young age, and I certainly understand her desire to continue with the same coach. Again, not saying there are easy answers, or that the way I feel is "right", but it's the way I feel.

Wait...there's no need to train elsewhere because of the caliber of coaches we have here? There aren't awesome skating coaches in... Canada? In Russia?! This is coming off a little jingoistic now, though I'm not saying that's how you mean it but... it's like you're implying the reason this might bother you in a general sense is that you think we have the best coaches so other people are coming and "taking" them and "using" them?

 

[AverageDiser]

Wait...there's no need to train elsewhere because of the caliber of coaches we have here? There aren't awesome skating coaches in... Canada? In Russia?! This is coming off a little jingoistic now, though I'm not saying that's how you mean it but... it's like you're implying the reason this might bother you in a general sense is that you think we have the best coaches so other people are coming and "taking" them and "using" them?

Nope, not implying there aren't world class coaches in other countries, there certainly are. My point was that we do have world class figure skating coaches here, so why look elsewhere. Also don't mean to imply that the reason it bothers me is that other people are "taking" our coaches. If my daughter came up to me tomorrow, said she wanted to play table tennis on the intl level, and had the talent to do so..was offered coaching in China, I would be all for it..because they are the best. Again, I understand why it happens.

To be honest I'm not sure why it peeves me, I think the college issue is the one that does it the most. There are American athletes whose chances being taken away by international athletes...who then compete for a different country. In Beijing there were 30 athletes who trained in the US, then medalled for other countries, and that's a conservative estimate because not all athletes declare where they trained on their IOC paperwork. It's said it could actually be double that number. It peeves me.

 

[crashbb]

Nope, not implying there aren't world class coaches in other countries, there certainly are. My point was that we do have world class figure skating coaches here, so why look elsewhere. Also don't mean to imply that the reason it bothers me is that other people are "taking" our coaches. If my daughter came up to me tomorrow, said she wanted to play table tennis on the intl level, and had the talent to do so..was offered coaching in China, I would be all for it..because they are the best. Again, I understand why it happens.

To be honest I'm not sure why it peeves me, I think the college issue is the one that does it the most. There are American athletes whose chances being taken away by international athletes...who then compete for a different country. In Beijing there were 30 athletes who trained in the US, then medalled for other countries, and that's a conservative estimate because not all athletes declare where they trained on their IOC paperwork. It's said it could actually be double that number. It peeves me.

So, would you then not allow your daughter to compete for the US in the Olympics (or other International competitions)? If you would allow her to compete for the US, then I am totally confused by the point of these thread (since you'd be doing exactly what you say that you are peeved by).

 

[cornflake]

Nope, not implying there aren't world class coaches in other countries, there certainly are. My point was that we do have world class figure skating coaches here, so why look elsewhere. Also don't mean to imply that the reason it bothers me is that other people are "taking" our coaches. If my daughter came up to me tomorrow, said she wanted to play table tennis on the intl level, and had the talent to do so..was offered coaching in China, I would be all for it..because they are the best. Again, I understand why it happens.

To be honest I'm not sure why it peeves me, I think the college issue is the one that does it the most. There are American athletes whose chances being taken away by international athletes...who then compete for a different country. In Beijing there were 30 athletes who trained in the US, then medalled for other countries, and that's a conservative estimate because not all athletes declare where they trained on their IOC paperwork. It's said it could actually be double that number. It peeves me.

Ok, but if you'd be all for it if your daughter went to China to train, why does the reverse bother you? I understand you're saying you don't exactly know that you exactly know and I appreciate your being honest and continuing the dialogue and I do think everyone is being civil and all. That was what I was reading off it but as I said, I didn't know if that was what you meant and it wasn't.

However, given you'd be fine with your daughter doing the reverse I'm kind of at a loss.

Americans "take" college spots in other countries. There are plenty of Americans in uni in Canada, England, etc., sometimes given preference for various reasons same as, yeah, some Canadian super goalie can get a scholarship to a plethora of northern U.S. schools. There are Americans cluttering up McGill. So?

 

[SandrA9810]

I don't understand athletes that have dual citizenship because of birthplace, being able to compete for a country that they've never known. Athletes that travel world for the best coaches and best facilities are only doing what they can for themselves.

If you look at many of the coaches from US athletes, most of them are from other countries. Gymnasts have Asian or Russian coaches. Watching a segment about the 1996 gymnastic team that won gold, their coach is not from the US. Here's the Wiki about him. Not only does he train Americans, he trains kids from other countries as well for the Olympics.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Béla_Károlyi

So it's every one that moves around to try to find the best of the best, whether it's athletes finding coaches, coaches finding athletes, or finding the best training facilities.

Some of these countries like Russia and China that almost "manufacture" kids from a very young age for the sole purpose of competing is what gets to me. It's like family, friends, and life is not an option for them. Kids in America are very lucky they have a choice in the matter.