Coach's Deep, Dark Past

This post includes bombs, car crashes, vodka and gender-bending. 

Don't say I didn't warn you.

At the end of my skating lesson today we were talking about coaching -- the dynamics, the ethics, the etiquette, the mechanics. I love getting insight from Dmytri on these things. I think he's smart and savvy about this stuff, so I value his perspective. He was talking about getting, what he called, a "fresh set of eyes" on skaters. Coaches see their students every day, so eventually, they become blind to some of their skaters' mistakes. Having another coach watch his skaters helps Dmytri see mistakes he may be missing. (Just like proofreading a document. This makes perfect sense.) Dmytri's coach has served as a fresh set of eyes for him.

Wait...Dmytri had a coach?! I'd pay money to watch him receiving instruction from a coach. Someone pass me the popcorn and the vodka bottle, this is gonna be fun!

Of course Dmytri had a coach, it's not like he came out of the womb with perfect edges. (Actually, he probably did.) Dmytri doesn't talk much about his past. Oh sure, I know about the bomb-throwing incident when he was 13. And he once drove a car in a lake. But unless I ask specific questions, he doesn't really talk about his skating past. Today he talked about his coach. God I want to meet this woman. (I think he said she was a woman, but he also referred to a painting as "him" so gender is clearly questionable in these conversations.)

What was Dmytri's coach like? Did she bark at him? "Stay down! Stand up! Inside edge! Outside edge! Go faster! Don't rush! Bend your knees! Bend your ankles! Don't look down!" 

Did she stomp her skate blades on the ice in exasperation when demonstrating something? Did she roll her eyes? Did she give that unaffected shrug? 

When he did something perfectly, did she say, "Not bad."

And what was Dmytri like as a student? How hard did he work? Did skating come naturally to him or did he struggle with it? Did he talk back to his coach as much as I talk back to him? Did he ask a lot of questions? Was he ever scared to learn something?

I'd love to have a glass of wine with Dmytri's old...er...former coach. And if she brings pictures and video...even better!