Alexei Mishin: “If you come with an athlete to a psychologist, it’s like a married couple going to a sexologist. It means there’s something wrong in their relationship.”

Translation of Alexei Mishin’s comments about coach-athlete relations, competition in his group and working with Mikhail Kolyada.

original source: Channel One

Here’s the translation of Alexei Mishin’s comments given on Channel One podcast and posted on sports.ru.

“I have a very unconventional approach to my students. What is characteristic of a coach who has trained an athlete? They say, ‘You know, I’ve trained a world champion, a European champion, so many Russian champions, and champions from other competitions.’

But I say, ‘Leshka Urmanov, Leshka Yagudin, Zhenya Plushenko, Liza Tuktamysheva, Artur Gachinski, and other athletes, I want to thank you for making me a coach of Olympic champions or European and world champions.’ It’s an attitude toward the athlete with deep respect and acknowledgment of their talent.

I want to say with confidence that a talented coach and an untalented student will lose to an untalented coach and a talented student. This essence needs to be understood, not as in the military, where it’s ‘I’m the boss, you’re a fool.’

I often use irony with them, or speaking in modern terms, I joke around with them, but they feel that this attitude carries respect and appreciation for the talent and hard work of those you are teaching. In reality, you learn from them as well.

A coach may be paid a salary to work with a particular student. This student might be the son or grandson of someone close to you, or this is a child of a highly significant figure in sports or society.

But a true coach can only train a student who is talented and shows potential. If you don’t see that talent, then neither money, influence, nor family can make you train and dedicate yourself entirely to that child,” said Mishin in a podcast on the Channel One.

About competition in his group

“Managing training in the current situation is not difficult. Competition is normal, it’s the key to progress. Back when we had Yagudin and Plushenko, it was like having two bears in the same den. In the current situation I have, there are different animals in the den. It’s a different zoo.

Today’s zoo in men’s single skating includes quite intelligent people. Plushenko and Yagudin, they were also intelligent. But these animals we’re talking about, they’re not from the woods; they’ve already been to the zoo, they’re domesticated,” Mishin said in a podcast on the Channel One.

Alexei Mishin discussed his work with Mikhail Kolyada.

Kolyada joined Mishin’s group before the 2020/2021 season after leaving Valentina Chebotareva. This summer, he announced a career break.

“I think Kolyada came to you too late.

Alexei Mishin: If I were to confirm your words, it would mean I’m shamelessly boasting. So, I won’t say that. The level Kolyada is at and the outstanding programs he showed with his previous coach, Valentina Chebotareva, and with me were very bright, and they came from him.

It’s like a cage, and in that cage, he wasn’t a sparrow but a bluebird. When I started working with him, I came up with so many things, techniques, discoveries. He woke me up. But there was a heavy stone hanging around his neck, and I still haven’t figured out what that stone was – why he had such unexpected setbacks.

To say, “I know, he needed more training, he needed some relief,” well, that’s what people who haven’t encountered this can say. He’s great – great in talent and great in vice.

I’m very upset that some people just kept coaching him by telling him, “You fell.” He didn’t deserve that. He worked hard and did his best. We went to Cisarikze with him and did everything possible. He even tried psychologists.

But psychologists… Psychologists are good, but I see it like this: if you come with an athlete to a psychologist, it’s like a married couple going to a sexologist. It means there’s something wrong in their relationship,” Mishin said in a podcast on the Channel One.

Related topics: Alexei Mishin, mikhail kolyada