As it gets closer and closer for the Vancouver Olympics skating it a part of the news again. Like any sport it is not only the good but the bad you hear about.
Of course recently while watching one of the competitions that is a qualifier for the Olympics the subject of the Tonya/Nancy saga came up. I am sorry does this have always be a part of Olympic reporting? It was sad then and it is still sad. Although up until this past week Nancy has continued on skating professional, married and had a family. She has done very well. On the other hand Tonya continues to still be an accident waiting to happen. Not one of the fairy tale stories of the skating world you periodically hear about something not skating related she is doing.
To make matters worse a tragedy again has happened to Nancy. With the death of her father Dan allegedly by her brother's hand, the downfall of the skating world becomes a sad part of skating reporting.
As with anything when a family devotes themselves to supporting a family member(s) in a specific endeavor it becomes hard on everyone. My first thought was that it is quiet possible the problems that have been eluded to about Nancy's brother have been a root of problems for many years for him.
From personal observations I encountered alot of on/off ice drama's when it came to seeing what it did to families. One of the reasons I never pushed skating or anything to the 100th degree.
Parents yanking kids off or pushing them on the rink, arguments amongst siblings, the pedestal effect can damage everyone. Names that come to mind are: Christopher Bowman, Nicole Bobek, and the list goes on. Issues other than skating became a bigger part of their lives. Along with the coach, the off ice academic teacher, ballet, strength and the never ending list maybe one I am not sure any have thought of during their careers was-a therapist..
For as much as I had dreams of doing more with my skating during my time I am glad I kept my priorities in check and chose to treat it more as fun than an occupation. Just glidding along and feeling the edges was therapy enough for me...
Of course recently while watching one of the competitions that is a qualifier for the Olympics the subject of the Tonya/Nancy saga came up. I am sorry does this have always be a part of Olympic reporting? It was sad then and it is still sad. Although up until this past week Nancy has continued on skating professional, married and had a family. She has done very well. On the other hand Tonya continues to still be an accident waiting to happen. Not one of the fairy tale stories of the skating world you periodically hear about something not skating related she is doing.
To make matters worse a tragedy again has happened to Nancy. With the death of her father Dan allegedly by her brother's hand, the downfall of the skating world becomes a sad part of skating reporting.
As with anything when a family devotes themselves to supporting a family member(s) in a specific endeavor it becomes hard on everyone. My first thought was that it is quiet possible the problems that have been eluded to about Nancy's brother have been a root of problems for many years for him.
From personal observations I encountered alot of on/off ice drama's when it came to seeing what it did to families. One of the reasons I never pushed skating or anything to the 100th degree.
Parents yanking kids off or pushing them on the rink, arguments amongst siblings, the pedestal effect can damage everyone. Names that come to mind are: Christopher Bowman, Nicole Bobek, and the list goes on. Issues other than skating became a bigger part of their lives. Along with the coach, the off ice academic teacher, ballet, strength and the never ending list maybe one I am not sure any have thought of during their careers was-a therapist..
For as much as I had dreams of doing more with my skating during my time I am glad I kept my priorities in check and chose to treat it more as fun than an occupation. Just glidding along and feeling the edges was therapy enough for me...
1 comment:
Jim was a die-hard Tonya Harding fan. Can you believe it? I really didn't think she was behind the attack on Nancy, and maybe it really was her ex.
I saw Nancy in Stars on Ice and at Branson. She's still awesome on skates.
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