“There is hesitation. We need to shift from a mindset of ‘I might fail’ to one of ‘I will definitely do this.'” Yuma Kagiyama and his coach on the mindset for the Grand Prix Final
Yuma Kagiyama and his coach Masakazu Kagiyama on the mindset for the Grand Prix Final.
original source: Nikkansports / Nikkansports
On the 29th, Yuma Kagiyama opened his practice at Chukyo University in Toyota City, Aichi, where he meticulously adjusted his jumps. He explained that the key to making a leap at the Grand Prix (GP) Final in Grenoble, France is the mindset of “not being afraid to fail.” Here’s a translation of his comments posted on Nikkansports.
During the hour-long practice, he performed 13 quad flips, which accounted for 33% of his overall jumps, including combination jumps. “Flow from the flip is a challenge, so I wanted to check on that,” Kagiyama explained.
After the competition in Finlandia, his father and coach, Masakazu Kagiyama gave him a 10-minute lecture, saying, “Your mental weakness completely showed. Even when you’re not in good condition, you have to be able to perform at 70-80%.” “You can’t perform better than you practiced. You didn’t push yourself hard enough at the end.”
After returning to Japan, he sincerely accepted his “weakness” and has been rigorously working on “practicing with confidence even in bad conditions.”
At the GP Final, he is aiming for his first victory. While he naturally “wants to win,” he emphasizes that it’s not the “ultimate goal.”
After the practice, in a meeting with the press, Masakazu addressed Yuma’s current situation, pointing out that “when one element is off, it tends to drag down the rest,” and advised his son, who is feeling lost, “Even if you fail, I want you to go for it.”
In the previous Grand Prix in Finland, Yuma couldn’t recover after an initial mistake on the quad flip during the free skate, leading to consecutive mistakes and scoring a personal senior low of 159.12. Normally, Masakazu would only offer words of consolation after a performance, regardless of the outcome, but this time he provided direct and strict guidance, saying, “There is hesitation. We need to shift from a mindset of ‘I might fail’ to one of ‘I will definitely do this.'”
“Since he is becoming an adult, I think he feels a greater sense of responsibility and has a heavier burden to carry,” Masakazu reflected, though this scolding was motivated by a belief that “this isn’t all he’s capable of.”
At the same time, he feels that Yuma is also maturing mentally. Following Masakazu’s previous advice, Yuma started living alone last month. “He eats alone and rests alone. You can see he’s becoming independent, as he has to think and act for himself,” he acknowledged.
Additionally, whereas previously they used to go to the practice venue together, “now he comes an hour early by himself to start warming up and face the practice.”
As for Grand Prix Final, coach Masakazu told “Judges will take care of the scoring, but as for me, I want him to give his all and show all the skills he is capable of.”
Related topics: Yuma Kagiyama
Poor Yuma… I hope he’s not to stressed by his father.